Today’s reminder is from Justin Perdue, Pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in Asheville, NC.
Transcript:
For, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Now, that is not a statement about the lightness of the suffering. This is a man who will write that there are things that he’s been through that caused him and all his companions to despair of life itself.
So he’s not saying that everything’s easy, you know. Just deny the hardness because it’s all great because God is good. That’s not how he’s thinking. He’s talking, though, about the comparative greatness of the glory that’s coming. It’s so great we can’t fathom it. By comparison, what we’re going through is light and momentary.
He goes on, for the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was not subjected to futility, or excuse me, was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in the hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
This is what the Lord is doing. For, we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now, and not only the creation but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. The creation groans; we do too, this side of the resurrection.
This is why we say and why Paul would write that if we hope in Christ for this life only, we are above all people the most to be pitied. Because this faith, this Christian life is not about this one; it’s about the one to come. For in this hope, the hope of the world to come, the hope of bodily resurrection, says Paul, in this hope, we were saved. And now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? You don’t need to hope for what you see. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. This is the Christian life now. Sounds familiar. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us, says Habakkuk.
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will take joy in the God of my salvation. I’ll wait. For now, we groan, and we hope for things unseen and for things that are unshakeable.
Everyday Grace 038
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“Take up your cross and follow me.” What did Jesus mean when he said that? Is he calling us to hate our wives, kids, and parents? Is he calling us to be willing to suffer anything if we are going to be his followers? Is he laying down a test of radical discipleship? Or is he calling us to something else?
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