Groaning For Glory

Romans 8:18-27I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.Have you ever waited so long for something that it caused you to literally groan? I can think of several moments in my life when the Lord had me wait, and it led me to groan. Sometimes my groaning was for His glory, and other times it came from a place of selfishness.Paul’s point in Romans 8:18–27 is that even though we groan, we groan with purpose. We recognize that suffering and pain are part of life, but for the Christian, suffering is never meaningless. Our suffering draws us closer to Jesus as we share in His sufferings, which we talked about last week, but it also reveals glimpses of the glory being formed within us. I know that might sound surprising, but the Bible is abundantly clear that when we suffer, God uses it for our good and for His glory.This Sunday, we will dive deeper into Romans. As we continue to explore this letter together, my hope and prayer is that the Lord would reveal to you that the pain, struggle, and suffering you experience all have purpose. Ultimately, that purpose is to share with Christ in the glory that is to come.And the greater reality is this: once you step into eternity with Christ, the suffering you endured will not even be worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in you. It will be as though your suffering has faded in light of the overwhelming joy of being with Him. In that moment, your new and glorified body will far surpass any pain, sorrow, or struggle you experienced in this life.In Christ,Pastor Blake