Series Big Idea: "The gospel of Jesus Christ gives believers a new way of life - abundant life through the Holy Spirit"

Sermon Big Idea: "New Life as a Child of God is based on God's promises and plans He has for His Children"

Key Scripture (Romans 8:18)

(Romans 8:18)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

In Romans 6–8, Paul's main idea is that a believer experiences a new life as a result of the "new way of the Spirit" (Romans 7:6). As we have seen in our study of chapter 8, Paul taught that our old life was a life tied to sin, law, and ultimately death. But now that believers have died with Christ, they have received the Holy Spirit and have been adopted and have a new life. We are convinced of this because of the testimony of the Holy Spirit.

Paul has taught in this chapter that the Holy Spirit testifies we are God’s children, and this brings an assurance we have an inheritance awaiting us. And he said if we suffer for Him, we will receive a special inheritance. At the end of verse 17, if we suffer with Him, we will be glorified with Him. Now in verse 18, he is going to talk about this glory for which those who are destined are God’s children.

Let’s break down verse 18. The first keyword in this verse is, “consider.” One definition of the word by the Cranfield Commentary says this; “A firm conviction reached by rational thought based on the Gospel.” In other words, the word “consider” means there is something to which we have come to an absolute certainty about. We are absolutely persuaded of it. This firm conviction is not just an emotion though, it is built on rational thought. I have thought it through. And its basis is founded on what I understand about the Gospel. Because of what he has said throughout the book of Romans we come to this conclusion about the Gospel.

The next phrase “not worth comparing,” is one word in the Greek text and has the idea of putting something up against another or how things measured up against each other. Think of a balanced scale. Paul says the sufferings we experience are not to be compared with the glory that is going to be revealed to us someday. There is no comparison.

Finally, we see the word “glory” which refers to something incomprehensible. Our human longing is for something better. C.S. Lewis explained it this way. June 8, 1941, C.S. Lewis was asked to preach a sermon at the Oxford University Church of Saint Mary. His sermon was entitled “The Weight of Glory.” This is what he said about the word glory. “There is a longing we all have for something, and we don’t always know what that is, but it is a longing for something better. Glory is a desire that no natural happiness will satisfy. A desire to be approved by God. A desire for brightness, splendor, luminosity, and beauty. We are to shine as the sun. We do not want to merely see beauty. We want something else that can hardly be put into words. To be united with beauty and pass into it. To receive it into ourselves. To bathe in it. To become part of it. If we take the imagery of Scripture seriously, we believe that God will one day call us to put on the splendor of the Son. At present, we are on the outside. The wrong side of the door. We decern the freshness and purity of the morning but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But the leaves of the New Testament are wrestling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Someday we shall get in. When our souls have become perfect then they will put on glory.

Conclusion

So, what are some applications of our sufferings? First, Christianity is the most realistic religion in the world. It doesn’t come to us and try to cheer us up and say things will get better in this life. It doesn’t give us a pat on the back. It doesn’t deny the horribleness of some of the things we experience. It is completely realistic. Secondly, Paul is contrasting here not comparing. He is not saying for us to compare ourselves to the glory to come because the glory is so great, we can’t compare them. We can only contrast them. Someone once said our sufferings are like a thimble of water and the glory to come is like a vast ocean. But that is a huge underestimate. There is no comparison we can make. It is just a complete contrast. Finally, our lives must be governed by this fact. If they aren’t, we will become an atheist or agnostic, or something else and go insane. We must be governed by the fact that there is an end to this world. Yes, there is joy sometimes in this world, but it is always balanced out by the opposite. This life will end. All we can keep in our mind is the countdown to the end. When it is over, we will enter into it and it will enter into us something completely indescribable.

Pastor Beaver's thoughts and ideas are inspired by:

Holman Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version Bible

King James Version Bible

Christian Standard Bible

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Victor Books, 1985.

Richards, Lawrence O. The Bible Reader’s Companion. Electronic ed., Victor Books, 1991.

Jamieson, Robert, et al. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.

Blum, Edwin A., and Trevin Wax, editors. CSB Study Bible: Notes. Holman Bible Publishers, 2017.

Lewis, C. S. Weight of Glory. Harper Collins, 2009

Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans. W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1988.

Barry, John D., et al. Faithlife Study Bible. Lexham Press, 2012, 2016.

Dockery, David S., editor. Holman Concise Bible Commentary. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998.

Water, Mark. Key Word Commentary: Thoughts on Every Chapter of the Bible. AMG Publishers, 2003.

Brannan, Rick, and Israel Loken. The Lexham Textual Notes on the Bible. Lexham Press, 2014.

Barton, Bruce, et al. Life Application New Testament Commentary. Tyndale, 2001.

MacArthur, John F., Jr. The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006.

Radmacher, Earl D., et al. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary. T. Nelson Publishers, 1999.

Smith, Jerome H. The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: The Most Complete Listing of Cross References Available Anywhere- Every Verse, Every Theme, Every Important Word. Thomas Nelson, 1992.

Kruse, Colin G. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Edited by D. A. Carson, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos, 2012.

Boa, Kenneth, and William Kruidenier. Romans. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000.

Moo, Douglas J. Romans. Zondervan Publishing House, 2000.

Mounce, Robert H. Romans. Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995.

MacGorman, J.W. Layman's Bible Book Commentary, Romans, 1 Corinthians. Copyright 1980 Broadman Press, Print

Pate, C. Marvin. Romans. Edited by Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Baker Books, 2013.

Newell, William R. Romans Verse-by-Verse. Christian Classics Ethereal Library, n.d.

Brooks, Keith. Summarized Bible: Complete Summary of the New Testament. Logos Bible Software, 2009.

Hughes, Robert B., and J. Carl Laney. Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. Tyndale House Publishers, 2001.

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