The Believers Groaning Will One Day Result in Praise!

Romans 8:28 is a verse of praise for the believers! It resounds with hope and security! A hope that is not,  “I hope so” kind of hope but hope that is steadfast and sure. We read and studied earlier in Romans 8:22-23 that the whole creation groans and suffers until now waiting for freedom. Not only does the creation groan the believer groan within waiting eagerly for adoption as sons.  One day the believers groaning will result in praise and honor to God. We will be set free from this body of death.

The Believers Guaranteed Groaning

What do we do today while waiting for our freedom? God never promised a believer that their best days would be now!

A believer’s life is marked with suffering, persecution, and trials of many kinds. It is a guarantee that we will suffer and groan while we live as aliens and strangers in this world. Look at the following verses that teach this truth.

Philippians 1:29: “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.”

1 Peter 2:21: ” For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow.”

Look at what 1 Peter 2:21 says, ‘You have been called for this purpose.” According to the context of 1 Peter 2:21 the purpose is suffering. Remember what Romans 8:28 said? God works all things for the good of those who love the called according to His purpose. We suffer for God’s purpose. Remember, He who called us is faithful. If you are anything like me you are asking, “How then do we wait?”

God’s Promise of Future Glorification

We wait in God’s promises. Romans 8:29-30 gives a list of hope in God’s promises to the believers. Gods promised to conform us to the image of Christ. The conformity comes by way of suffering in the flesh. But that suffering comes with hope, security, and a promise for today and tomorrow.

If God is for us who can be against us? We learn in the following passage that God set His purpose in motion before the foundation of the world. He  continues to work out that promise until the day He takes us home with Him!

Five Words of Hope for the Believer

There are 5 keywords Romans 8:29-30 that give the believer hope and security.

1. Foreknew
2. Predestined
3. Called
4. Justified
5. Glorified

Notice they are in ascending order. One decree follows the other. They move from glory to glory! God foreknew those whom He would glorify.

Those who were foreknown {describes God’s eternal counsel and includes all that He has considered and purposed to do prior to human history.}

The elect or chosen were predestined, {determined in advance that something will happen.}

Those predestined are called { God has called us to join Him in eternity in incorruptible, sinless, glorified bodies.}

Those who He calls are justified {The moment one believes he or she is justified instantaneously as a forensic act by God in which He forgives our sins, imputes to us the righteousness of Christ and declares we are now in righteous standing before Him.}

Those who He justifies He glorifies {to render glorious, to cause to have splendid greatness, to clothe in splendor, to invest with dignity, to give anyone esteem or honor by putting him into an honorable position.}

These 5 words are our guarantee of protection!

God’s Promise of Protection

God promises to protect the believer through the blood of Christ and the power of His hand. What comfort in knowing and understanding God is on our side. Not in the sense that He follows us but that before we were, He set His love and protection on us. All for our good and His glory. As I live out my life here in the land of passing trough, I am learning that His ways are not my ways and I am thankful for His infinite wisdom.

God did not spare His own Son but delivered Him over for us all. Will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Before your mind gets too far out there think about this for a minute. He freely gives us all things. What things? Staying just in this chapter I believe we can sum up “all things” in a few words: Love, Grace, Mercy, Redemption, Forgiveness, Protection… through His son Jesus Christ.

God raised Christ from the dead guaranteeing our justification and future glorification! Christ sits at the right hand of God interceding for us. What better things could we ask for?

Are You Convinced?

Paul ends the eighth chapter of Romans convinced that what God says He will do, He will Do. The suffering and trials that we encounter are for our refinement, the proving of our faith, and to grow our faith in Christ. I am finishing this post with the Apostle Paul’s convincing words of protection for the now and our future glorification!

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angles. nor principalities. nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39

Are You Convinced? I pray that you are!

MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES

Why is it That Important to Memorize Scripture

Why I recommend the New Inductive Study Bible

I want to Know You… Studying the Attributes of God

Six Important Questions to Ask When You Study the Bible

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