Paul Explains how we long for the Consummation of
our New Birth
Romans
8:23 Not only that, 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. NKJV
Paul expressed the true condition of the earth and
all of creation as he compared what we see springing forth from it to a woman
in the latter stages of pregnancy as she begins to have her first pains which
signal the pending birth of the baby. Just like the woman begins to be in pain
so is our earth and the entire creation sprouting forth the results of man’s
original sin by what we see through earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that
have been occurring ever since the fall in the Garden of Eden. Paul now steps
up to compare those of us who have been born again to our earth and creation
and to the woman experiencing birth pains. Paul already told us earlier that
the things we (born again children of God) suffer as we live in a world of once
born souls or people who are still energized by the prince of the power of the
air (the devil) won’t hold a candle to the magnificent, miraculous, and mighty
glory that is yet to be revealed or the Greek word apokalupto (which means to uncover, lay open what has been veiled
or covered up to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown)
in us by virtue of our new birth. When we were born again we received only the
down payment of what we will be forever as we live in the awesome presence of
our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven (Ephesians
1:13-14 & 1 Corinthians 2:9 & 2 Corinthians 1:22).
Immediately and continually we are groaning wanting
to be released from the restrictions placed upon us by our earthly habitation
our body and put on the heavenly habitation our glorified body made in the same
likeness as our Lord’s Eternal Body. Paul used the English word groan and it is
a good translation from the Greek word stenazo
which means to be in straits, to sigh or murmur or to pray inaudibly with
grief. Paul is here conveying that those of us who have become partakers of the
Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4) are like
that woman about to give birth to her baby in pain and discomfort moaning and
groaning within ourselves as we sense the glory that is bottled up inside this
new man or new creation that we have become in our Lord Jesus Christ. The daily
warfare with principalities and powers and internal sin as well as the assaults
from the world loaded down with sin we know will be over forever when we come
face to face with our Lord Jesus Christ. We have for right now only been
delivered partially from this body of death because our earthly bodies will
still die, but we will soon have the full completion of our adoption
consummated by this body of death being removed forever and our glorified body
put on forever. In us is the new man or woman the born son or daughter waiting
to be unveiled to the entire Universe of our Heavenly Father.
Titus
2:13-14 Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God
and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from
every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people,
zealous for good works. NKJV
Romans
8:24-25 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for
why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not
see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. NKJV
Paul now affirms that this unction, uneasiness, and unresolvedness
is the normal and appropriate response or reaction from the sinner who has been
recreated internally and made into a son or daughter of God by the greatest miracle
in all of the Universe the new birth. Our redemption has not yet been brought
into its final conclusion and this pours out from the deep depths of our souls
longing to see the very Face and bask in the love of the Son of God who
purchased us when we were worth nothing and unworthy to even tie His Sandal
Straps as John the Baptist so reverently said. Paul calls it “hope”, however,
the Greek word that this English word is translated from does not mean the same
as our English definition which is to expect and wish or to be optimistic or to
intend with some possibility of fulfillment. Maybe this was the closest English
word that could be found to match the Greek word elpis. Elpis on the other
hand means confident expectation.
Truly I don’t know why they did not omit the English word hope when translating
from Greek to English because it can give the wrong impression to people who
are unlearned and untaught (as Peter referred to some in this passage 2 Peter 3:16).
We have not seen our Lord Jesus Christ but yet we
love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself for us (on the Cross) and
at our birth (regeneration) He gave Himself to us and enabled us to love Him,
even though we cannot see Him as did Peter, John, or Paul. In other words Paul
is saying that we that are true sons and daughters of God the Father are
delivered from our sin and depravity here and now even while we continue in a
world filled with corruption and depravity. Paul is also saying that because we
are delivered from our sin now and made God the Father’s children, then it is
He that protects us and keeps us (by His Power) from continuing in sin and
depravity and from satan’s minions and the people satan uses to work through to
come against His children. Therefore, we are constant in our devotion, desires,
and duty for our Lord Jesus’ Glory to be made visible in our lives even as we
groan to be with Him right now. We are enabled by the Holy Spirit to endure all
manner of hardship and spiritual attack keeping our eyes firmly fixed and
focused on our Lord Jesus Christ and the glory we will share with Him soon.
2
Corinthians 4:18 “While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.” NKJV
Hebrews
11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. NKJV
“Christians are adopted when they are converted Romans
8:15, but they have not been yet admitted to the full privileges of their
adoption into the family of God. Their adoption when they are converted is
secret, and may at the time be unknown to the world. The fullness of the
adoption, their complete admission to the privileges of the sons of God, shall
be in the day of judgment, in the presence of the universe, and amidst the
glories of the final consummation of all things. This adoption is not different
from the first, but is the completion of the act of grace when a sinner is
received into the family of God.” Albert Barnes
“One thing I have noticed in studying the Word of
God, and that is, when a man is filled with the Spirit he deals largely with
the Word of God, whereas the man who is filled with his own Ideas refers rarely
to the Word of God. He gets along without it, and you seldom see it mentioned
in his discourses.” D. L. Moody“The indwelling Spirit shall teach him what is of God and what is not. This is why sometimes we can conjure up no logical reason for opposing a certain teaching, yet in the very depth of our being arises a resistance.” Watchman Nee
“The old saying spawned by man “hope springs eternal”
is wonderful and glorious only if your hope is founded in Jesus Christ and His
Cross and Resurrection because the “hope” in Him is not wishful thinking, but a
confident expectation of glory with Him eternally by way of glory begun when
you were born again.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
If you do not
know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your
heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus,
I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You
shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead
proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my
sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my
life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely
in Christ,
Clifford
D. Tate, Sr.
Author
of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and
Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into
Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s
Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod,
Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners,
Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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