Opening Prayer
God, make our hope sure and alive. Amen.
Text: Romans 8:18–23
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. And not only they, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
Devotion
Here in the world the children of God will suffer. Let us become familiar with this truth, so that in the midst of troubles we can rejoice in hope. God’s Church, and with it all creation, is now in birth pains. But the pain lasts only a little while and cannot compare to the eternal glory which awaits us. Now our soul is bound by the flesh and hindered by its weakness, but then it shall freely make use of all its own powers and rule over all things. Now it is a prisoner in this tent of death; then it receives a body of life, glorified like Christ’s. Now we are always oppressed by sin; then we become pure as the angels of heaven. Now our eye is faint and weak; then we shall see all things more clearly than Adam did before the fall. Now we are captive to a spot on this earth; then we become exalted over all worlds, freer and higher than thought itself. – Sickness, care, poverty, age, and death – everything that sin has brought upon us, are then exchanged for light, life, joy, eternal youth, and beauty. The form of the present world shall pass away, but creation itself shall not be destroyed. If creation is to be destroyed, then how could Paul speak as he does in our text? Creation shall be not destroyed, but glorified, regenerated, and renewed on that day (Mat 24:35).
“Creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.” It sighs with us and waits for the redemption. This testifies clearly about the following two things: 1) What we await is surpassingly glorious, for it is the “deliverance of the whole creation from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Because of our sins everything is under fear of death. We hear the sigh in the cry of animals, in the rustling of the trees, in the splashing of water. All things flee from death and all things must die. But this law shall come to an end, death shall be destroyed, everything shall become life and praise, – eternal joy for the whole Church. 2) We can await this with full certainty. Creation’s groaning and sighing assures us that there is redemption from the bonds of death and there is eternal life for us and for it. If there were no deliverance, then the slave would not long for it. If there were not light over the earth, then the plants in the darkness below would not struggle to come up. The groaning in us and in all creation is a sure witness that, although sin put us in the bonds of death, eternal life is not taken away forever. When unbelief says that everything shall pass away as it is under the law of corruption, and that our body shall pass away forever in death and the grave, then our body itself knows that it is a lie. The whole creation and everything within us says: No, corruption is not eternal, corruption is corruptible. But creation and our body shall be glorified to eternal glory by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Closing Prayer
With the Holy Apostle we “consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” But gracious God, let us be found among Your children with the firstfruits of the Spirit. And help us to look forward to glory and rejoice in it amid all sufferings. Amen.
Hymn
Days grow longer, winter stronger,
Winter stronger – till darkest day!
Hard times pass on, slowing passing,
Slowly passing! For that’s their way.
Days grow longer, winter stronger,
Winter stronger – till darkest day!
Turtledove, O come and see now,
Come and see now the meadow scene!
There you find the mem’ry of springtime,
Mem’ry of springtime, with buds so green.
Turtledove, O come and see now,
Come and see now the meadow scene!
O the sweetest, sweetest firstfruits,
Firstfruits of the most gentle spring!
Let all quiver, let me shiver,
Let me shiver! A passing thing!
O the sweetest, sweetest firstfruits,
Firstfruits of the most gentle spring!
Brorson: Her vil ties L 476:2-4 tr. DeGarmeaux; tune: Her vil ties (ELH 367 or LHy 9); alternate hymn: Jerusalem, my happy home ELH 539