Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd. P.O. Box #3762 Gillette, WY 82717 (307) 686-1516

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

SONSHIP AND SUFFERING

(Rom 8:16-22) 2/24/08

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

I. THE BELIEVER RECEIVED SONSHIP (14-17)

A. The Spirit Imparts Sonship to the Believer (14b)

B. The Spirit Gives the Believer a Heart of Sonship (15)

C. The Spirit Testifies to the Believer (16)

1. When the believer cries out within his spirit, “Abba! Father!,” it is evidence that he is a true believer. The Spirit “bears witness with” (summarturéō) the believer’s spirit, revealing that he is a “child of God.”

2. The Holy Spirit gives evidences in the Scripture to identify a true believer (ex. 1Jo 2:19, 29 etc.). As a believer compares his belief and behavior to the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit gives him the assurance of salvation and sonship.

3. Paul uses two words that refer to being a son of God. They are téknon (child) and huiós (son). These words are used as synonyms, but here there appears to be a difference. Téknon is associated with birth and refers to being born of God (Joh 3:3; 1Jo 5:1), whereas, huiós is associated with inheritance and refers to the believer’s spiritual inheritance.

D. The Spirit Made the Believer Fellow-Heirs with Christ (17b)

1. Rom 8:17 is a tremendous verse referring to the believer’s spiritual inheritance. This verse begins with a condition “if” (first class condition - ei & indicative) a believer is a child of God, then, he is an heir. Heirs (klêronómos - to parcel out lots) refer to the believer’s spiritual inheritance. It is equivalent to being “heirs of God.”

2. Believers are also described as “fellow-heirs with” (sugkleronomos - heirs with, co-heirs) Christ. Christ has been made “heir of all things” (Heb 1:2). Every son of God will share in Christ’s inheritance. The believer will rule and reign with Christ over a vast spiritual inheritance in heaven (2Ti 2:12; Heb 9:15; Rev 3:21; 20:6).

II. THE BELIEVER SHARES IN CHRIST’S SUFFERING AND GLORY (17b-18)

A. The Believer is a Co-Sufferer with Christ (17b)

1. Paul includes one final condition, which is a segue into his next thought concerning suffering. The idea is that we are children of God “if” we also suffer with Him.

2. The purpose of our suffering is to be glorified with Christ (Joh 17:22).

3. Believers are “co-heirs” with Christ, “co-sufferers” with Christ, and will be “co-glorified” with Christ.

B. The Believer is Co-Glorified with Christ (18)

1. Paul comments on the subject of suffering in light of the glory of the sons of God.

2. Paul considers (logízomai - calculation, logical) the suffering that the believer is experiencing now (nun), in this life.

3. The word “suffering” comes from the Greek word páthêma. It originally meant a misfortune that befalls someone. This is the misfortune in life which brings mourning and sorrow. Though it can mean general suffering, Paul has in mind Christian suffering.

a) It can refer to the sufferings of Christ on the cross (1Pe 1:11).

b) It can refer to suffering for the faith (2Ti 3:11; Heb 10:32).

c) It can refer to spiritual warfare against the devil (1Pe 5:9).

4. However, suffering does not equal its weight (áxios) in comparison to the glory believers will receive in heaven. The glory (dóxa - splendor, grandeur, Eng. “doxology”) is the promised inheritance (Col 3:24). It will be fully revealed (apokalúptō cp. Rev 1:1) to the believer when he is home in “glory” (cp. Rom 8:30; 1Pe 5:1).

III. ALL CREATION SUFFERS BECAUSE OF THE FALL (19-22)

A. Creation Suffers in Waiting for the Believer’s Glory (19)

1. “Creation” (ktísis) is generally the sum total of everything created in the physical universe (Rom 1:20).

2. All creation is personified as “anxiously longing” (apokaradokía: strained expectancy) for the consummation of the adoption of sons.

3. When the Lord returns, the glory of the sons of God will be revealed (apokálupsis) and creation will be delivered.

B. Creation Suffers in Futility (20)

1. When Adam sinned, Adam and the creation he ruled over (Gen. 1:26-30) was cursed, corrupted, and confined to “futility” (mataiótês - empty, purposeless).

2. God subjected (hupotássō - place under) creation to futility as part of Adam’s curse (Gen 3:17-19).

3. Creation did not subject itself willingly to death and disease, but it was the decree of the sovereign Creator.

4. It was done in light of the “hope” that God would bring a complete redemption through Christ (vs. 21).

C. Creation Suffers in Waiting for Deliverance (21)

1. In fact, creation itself will be “set free” (eleutheróō - deliver, liberate, cp. Rom 6:18, 22; Rom 8:2) from its subjected futility.

2. Creation will be set free from its corruption when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire (2Pe 3:10). The physical world will then be re-created (2Pe 3:13; Rev 21:1).

3. All this is possible because God brought redemption and glory to those who trust in Christ’s work on the cross.

D. Creation Suffers in the Present (22)

1. Until that future redemption, creation “groans and suffers” (literally keeps on groaning and suffering) because of its present futility.

2. A metaphor is used of childbirth to illustrate the painful groaning in pain which creation experiences right up until the present time.

3. Note that creation groans (vs 18-22), believers groan (vs. 23-25), and the Holy Spirit groans (vs. 26-20).

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Suffering in General is Part of the Curse

1. It is very possible for a believer to become extremely overwhelmed by suffering.

2. However, he does not need to ask, “Why is there suffering at all?” Suffering and death results from the curse and is a decreed fact of life (Gen 3:17-19; Heb 9:27).

B. Suffering with Christ is Intimacy with Christ (Phil 3:10)

1. The child of God is not overcome with suffering because he has a different perspective toward suffering.

2. A child of God shares suffering in common with Christ when he suffers for Christ. Through suffering, the child of God becomes intimately acquainted with how much Christ suffered on his behalf.

C. Suffering with Christ Brings the Comfort of Christ (2Co 1:5)

1. When Christ suffered on behalf of the child of God, he demonstrated his love (Rom 5:8).

2. Christ empathizes with the child of God and comes to the aid of the believer through the Holy Spirit (Heb 2:18; Rom 8:26).