A Sermon on Romans 8:18–25 preached by Ps Hector Garcia.

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Opening Prayer

Father, I pray that You would anoint me and Your people with power to understand the Word of God. I pray for the power to proclaim it, the heart to love it, to love Your coming, to await the hope of glory. Father, I pray that the Spirit would move in our hearts and minds to understand Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Introduction

This week I did something interesting in preparation for this sermon. I went online and typed into Google: “What should I do when I am suffering?” I went into forums and places where people had asked the same question. Here are some of the answers I found:

“Talk to others about your problems and your feelings.” That is probably the most common response. “Express your feelings. Find a support group. Listen to an inspiring speech—maybe from a president, or Winston Churchill. Read an inspiring book. Do something you like, like a hobby, to get distracted and forget your pain. Change your environment. Get a new job. Move to another city. Find new friends. Change your lifestyle. Get a new look—a new haircut, new makeup, go to the gym. Work hard—work very hard so you forget about your troubles. Become a workaholic. Become a volunteer at an animal shelter or a homeless shelter. Get a pet, maybe a dog or a cat. Tell yourself all day that you are special. Find someone who can hug you, or find someone to hug.”

This is how the world thinks suffering will end. They think this is the way because they do not have any eternal hope. No amount of hugging, no amount of animals in your house, no amount of work, no inspired speech, no hobby, no lifestyle change, no environmental change—nothing will take away suffering.

The only way we can have joy in the midst of suffering is when we look to Jesus and our eternal hope. What Paul will do in this passage is remind us of all the suffering in the world, but he will also give us the hope of glory.

In the previous section, which concluded in verse 17, Paul reminded us that we did not receive a spirit that made us slaves to fear, but the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” He confirms that we are God’s children, and being children, we are also heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Then Paul says that as co-heirs with Christ, we are to share in his sufferings. In verse 17, he tells us we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

That statement in verse 17—that we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him—is what Paul will now unpack in verses 18 through 25. In this section, he describes the situation of believers and of creation itself during the present age. He tells us that both creation and believers groan in pain as they await eternity. In this context, groaning refers to pain and suffering.

Here is the main idea: Since this world and this life are filled with suffering, we must eagerly await the fulfillment of the hope of glory.

I. The Biblical Perspective on Suffering (v. 18)

Romans 8:18 — “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

This is a glorious passage—indeed, this entire section from verse 18 to verse 30 is a unified whole, bracketed by the theme of glory. In verse 18, Paul says that our sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed. In verse 30, he says, “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” This entire section looks forward to the day when we will stand before Christ in perfection.

The word for suffering that Paul uses here is a general word referring to any suffering—not just suffering for the sake of Christ. It includes illnesses, bereavements, hunger, financial trouble, health crises, sorrows, and pains. This passage teaches us that all those things are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed.

Paul was a very eloquent man, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Yet notice: he does not even have the words to explain this comparison. There is no comparison. He says, “Yes, you are suffering and it seems so real and it is so difficult—but do you know what? It is not even worth comparing.” He does not have words to explain how different it is, how vast the contrast is, because these momentary sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed for the children of God.

Several truths emerge from this verse.

All believers will suffer

Paul assumes that all believers suffer—not only that they suffer, but that they must suffer. This is a reality we observe in the world and experience in our own flesh and hearts. The reality of suffering is inescapable. The Bible teaches this both directly and indirectly.

Directly, Jesus says in John 16:33, “In this world you will have trouble.” Second Timothy 3:12 declares, “All who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted.” Acts 14:22 states, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” Indirectly, we have countless examples of believers who suffered greatly: Joseph, David, Solomon, Job, all the prophets—both major and minor—Jesus Christ himself, and all the apostles.

How can anyone believe the false prophets all around us in Zambia who declare, “It is not your portion to suffer”? The Bible is not only explicit on this point—it teaches implicitly through example after example that we will suffer, because that is the reality of the world we live in. There are so many false prophets and false teachers telling us that if we sow a seed, Jesus will take away everything and give us health, wealth, and prosperity. They say suffering is not our portion. But the Bible says we all must suffer. Paul assumes that truth.

All suffering is momentary

Paul says, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time—not future time in glory, but this present time on this earth—are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” Paul refers to our sufferings as present. All these false pastors have it wrong. They tell you it is not your portion to suffer in the present—but God tells us something different. He tells us it is not our portion to suffer in the future, in eternity. He says that here we will suffer, here we will have a difficult life, but in eternity we will be free from suffering.

Brothers and sisters, this is an encouragement. Our suffering is not forever. Whatever you are going through today, Paul reminds us that though it seems very hard, it is nothing compared to all the joys of heaven. It is momentary. It will end soon.

As I speak right now, there are many of you suffering something difficult in your life. Emotional pain. Financial struggles. Family issues. Adapting to new realities. Many things are going on in your lives. Let me remind you: this will end. If you are a believer in Christ—if you are a true Christian, if you know that you have Jesus in your heart, if you know that if you died today you would be with Christ for all eternity—this is only momentary. Someday you will have eternal bliss, eternal joy.

The Bible does not just say that our present suffering does not compare to the glory that is to be revealed—it tells us that our present suffering is not even worth talking about, not even worth comparing, because what is coming is so much greater. In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul writes:

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Brothers and sisters, whatever is going on in your life, it is not forever.

But listen: if you are here this morning and you do not know Jesus—if you are not a Christian, if you do not know that if you died right now you would be with Jesus—guess what? In the midst of all your suffering, this is the best you will have. This is the best you will experience, because the worst is yet to come for you. The wrath of God will be poured upon you if you do not know Jesus Christ. But he can be yours today. This hope of life eternal can be yours today if you turn to Christ in repentance.

II. The Groaning of Creation (vv. 19–22)

Romans 8:19–22 — “For the creation waits with eager longing 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 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. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

Paul now turns to how this groaning and suffering is seen in the created world. We have here a personification—human characteristics attributed to inanimate objects. Just as the Bible says that mountains clap for joy and the heavens rejoice, so here creation is personified as eagerly awaiting the revelation of the sons of God in glory.

Creation longs to be free from sin (v. 19)

The phrase “eager longing” is vivid in the Greek. It refers to focusing and watching with an outstretched head. Have you ever been waiting for someone or something, craning your neck, standing on your tiptoes? That is how creation is—longing to be free from corruption and sin, awaiting the revelation of the sons of God.

There are many reasons why creation suffers, but one of them is how humans destroy it. The Bible says that creation was made perfect, and because of sin it became corrupted. But because of our sin, we destroy it even more. We do not take care of the earth that God has given us to use for our benefit. Do not misunderstand me—we must use creation for our benefit. I have been reading this week about people who claim to be connecting with their “spirit animal.” Those people not only have a problem in their thinking—they also do not understand Scripture. They are worshiping creation. Man is made in the image of God, and they are lowering themselves to an animal form. It is regression—so much for evolution.

But creation longs to be free. God commanded us to subdue the earth, and that commandment includes caring for it. Yet we destroy it. When you see droughts destroy the land, earthquakes destroy cities, the devastation of floods or other disasters—it is a reminder that God’s creation is waiting for our glorification. It longs with eager longing to be free from all this sin and corruption.

There is a tsunami every five days. Fifty-five earthquakes daily, and about one major 7.0 earthquake every month and a half. Eight tornadoes daily in the world. One hurricane every four days. The list goes on and on. Creation longs to be free.

God subjected creation to groaning (v. 20)

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope.”

God subjected creation to futility. That is a very sad word. Futility appears many times in the Old Testament—it is the same word translated as “vanity” in Ecclesiastes. Uselessness, in a sense. God cursed the world and subjected it to futility. And this futility is something creation—personified here—neither sought nor deserved. It was not by its own choice but by the will of God, who subjected it to corruption and futility.

Romans 8:20 refers back to Genesis 3:17–19. Listen to that passage:

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

God cursed the ground because of sin. Let us be clear: God did not bring sin and corruption into the world—that was our sin in Adam. But he punished creation by subjecting it to futility and making it difficult for man to work the land. When Adam disobeyed, death, sin, corruption, decay, and many other things entered the world. Creation had been perfect. Animals did not die. Nothing decayed. There were no thorns and thistles. And though Adam did work the land before the fall, it was easy—the ground yielded fruit quickly and abundantly. All those who farm know how difficult it is now. That is because creation groans. That is because God subjected creation to futility. The whole creation is subject to decay, destruction, and deterioration.

Evolution tells you that the world is getting better—that it is evolving and improving. But the Bible tells you something different. Man started out perfect. The world was perfect. But it is deteriorating. Evolution says it started out bad and improved—from monkeys to people. It does not matter how many new organizations are created to protect the environment—creation will continue to decay and deteriorate. God in his sovereignty uses humanity’s small efforts to protect nature, but it is only God who sustains the universe and the world. Nevertheless, this world will come to an end someday. Before that happens, it will continue to decay.

And I do not understand people who are so afraid of the end of the world. Many cultures have predicted the world would end—the Mayans in 2012 were the most recent example. But there are at least a thousand and seven years before the end of the world: seven years of the great tribulation and a thousand years of the millennial kingdom. We do not have to fear, but creation will continue to decay.

Ladies, no matter how many creams and beauty products you use, no matter how much makeup you put on, you are still aging and decaying. Someday you will die. You may get Botox every six months, but you will age and get wrinkled and decay and eventually die. Your body will decay and decompose, because creation was subjected to futility. Men, no matter how many nice haircuts you get—and I never knew men could get haircuts every week until I came to Zambia—no matter how much you trim and shave your beard, you are decaying and aging. I had a head full of black hair when I came to Zambia. It was beautiful. Believe it or not, I used to be less ugly. But look at me now—I am aging. This country made me age. No, we are subject to aging and decay. No matter how much you take care of your body, no matter how much you care for the few hairs you have left, you will go bald—because we are decaying and aging.

I had an uncle—he is with the Lord now, so he will not mind me sharing this—who refused to accept that he was going bald. He grew the sides of his hair all the way down and would comb it over. One day, he took off his motorcycle helmet, and all the hair just fell to the side. It is fine—you are going to heaven anyway. Someday you will have a nice, beautiful, glorified body. But this created body is subject to decay. Since the fall into sin, creation has been groaning in pain.

Creation will be free from groaning (vv. 21–22)

Now Paul gives us—and gives creation—hope. First, in verse 21, he tells us that God will someday set creation free from its bondage to corruption. In verse 22, he tells us why God will restore creation: because creation has been groaning for a long time.

Verse 22 paints a vivid picture using the illustration of childbirth. When a woman is pregnant, you cannot see the baby physically. Then when she is in labor, she knows the baby is coming because the pain of labor tells her the little blessing is almost here. She is in so much pain, but she goes through the pain because she knows it is all worth it once she holds that little baby in her arms. In the same way, creation and the children of God have been groaning. They are, as it were, experiencing the pain of labor. But they know it is worth it. They know that the suffering of this present time is not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed—that after the suffering comes the blessing.

Any effort to make this life and this world more comfortable, perfect, and safe ends up being futile. You can lose it all in an instant. There is sin in this world, and there will be suffering in this world until it ends. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” I am not saying do not try to make things better for yourself—but if you love stuff, if comfort is your god, it will end badly.

I remember in 2018, my wife and I had a great year. We only had our little boy Asher. We were healthy. We were enjoying our ministry. We had a great family life, enjoying our marriage. At that time, my wife and I had accumulated more money in our savings than ever before in our lives. I had very good medical insurance. I thought, It is all good. We are set. We even saved enough money for a big vacation for our tenth anniversary. Then she got pregnant. It was a surprise, but it was a nice surprise.

I knew having a baby was going to be expensive, but I was confident that I had very good medical insurance. I contacted our insurance, and they told me there were two things not covered: pregnancy and terrorism. Doctors had always told my wife she would never get pregnant, so I had not thought to pay extra for that coverage. But then God surprised us.

I thought we could still have a baby without it affecting our money and savings too much. But the Lord had different plans. My wife developed a rare condition. It was life-threatening—she had a 50% chance of survival, and it required a lot of money to treat. We used all of our money, and it was not even close to enough. Help came from friends, family, and churches. I thought I was set and financially safe for a long time, but suffering always comes. God reminds us of the reality of the world in which we live. We can lose it all in an instant—our safety, our money, our strength, our health.

But praise be to God that we have the hope of glory. Even though we are not safe in this world, we will be safe for all eternity in glory. Glory be to God that this is not the end of our story. Glory be to God that someday we will stand before him dressed in white robes, worshiping him for all eternity, safe in his arms. Glory be to God that creation is not done. Something great is coming. This life is not all there is. It gets better—so much better. Creation will be free. You and I will be free from sin, from corruption, from decay.

III. The Groaning of Believers (v. 23)

Romans 8:23 — “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

Paul now goes on to say that not only does creation suffer, but obviously people suffer as well. He has already stated that in verse 18. Here is what Paul is trying to tell us.

We groan in the Spirit

When I say groaning in the Spirit, I refer to the Holy Spirit. Paul describes believers as those who have the firstfruits. This idea of firstfruits was an agricultural reference widely used in the Old Testament. There was an offering that the Jewish people would bring called the firstfruits offering, consisting of the initial portion of the harvest given as a sacrifice to God. The firstfruits were usually the best yield of the crop, given to the Lord as an offering. It represented gratitude toward God and the expectation that the rest of the harvest would be as good as these firstfruits. It was a foretaste of the harvest to come.

We groan in the Spirit because the Spirit has given us the firstfruits. He has given us blessings. He has sealed us—we have read this throughout chapter 8. He has given us a foretaste right now of the harvest that is to come in eternity. And so in the Spirit we groan, because we have those firstfruits and we have at least a small taste of what is coming—and we are groaning, “Lord, we want more of this. We want more of this spiritual life. We want more of these spiritual blessings. We want more of this eternal mindset.” And so we groan in our spirit.

We worship in the Spirit now, but we will worship perfectly then. We love God today, but we will love him perfectly then. We experience joy in him today, but we will someday have everlasting joy. All this is because of the Spirit’s work in us, and in the Spirit we groan for more—for the full crop, for the full harvest that will come.

A commentator writes, “When we experience the Holy Spirit empowering us to turn from iniquity and to truly worship, serve, obey, and love God, we have a taste of the future completed and perfected renewal that he will work in us at the resurrection.”

We groan in our spirit

Look again at verse 23: “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

Our spirit refers to the inner man. We groan inwardly. Do you not do that all the time? I do. He has sealed us. He has guaranteed our hope. But we are not there yet. We are not in heaven yet. We have not yet received fully our adoption as sons. We have been adopted and we are children of God, but that adoption will be fully revealed when we are in heaven. We have hope, but that hope will become sight someday. Therefore, because we are not there yet, we inwardly groan. We groan in our spirit as we eagerly await the adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

I have counseled many believers who say, “Pastor, I am tired. I am ready to go home.” Have you ever talked to somebody like that? They are not being fatalistic. They are not trying to commit suicide. They are not discouraged and hating their lives. They are just groaning in their spirit. I am sure you have had those thoughts. It is better to be with Christ. We groan because we suffer. We groan because this world is difficult. We groan because there is so much pain.

David writes in Psalm 38:

“My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.”

Paul says in chapter 7, verse 24, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” He also writes in 2 Corinthians 5:4–5:

“For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”

When you are sick, when you are in pain, when you have sorrow, when you suffer—you eagerly wait for the glorification of your body, for that full adoption.

God never expects you to have your best life now. There is a false prophet named Joel Osteen who wrote a book called Your Best Life Now. That title should be a giveaway—it is heresy. If your best life is now, then you are on your way to hell. God never expects believers to have their best life now. Did you notice? Paul never says that unbelievers groan. He says believers groan. Because for unbelievers, this is the best they will have. If you do not have Jesus, even though you are suffering in this world, this is the best you will have. But it does not have to be that way.

IV. The Hope That Takes Away All Groaning (vv. 24–25)

Romans 8:24–25 — “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

This is the climax: the hope of glory, the hope of heaven, the hope of an eternity with Christ. It seems like this passage has been somewhat discouraging. Creation groans and is in pain. Believers groan and are in pain. But we hope. And hope is a very important part of our salvation. It is the most important part of our Christianity. Our salvation was planned by God in eternity past, was applied by the Holy Spirit today, and is now characterized by hope and glorification.

A hope that is real

Verse 24 says, “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?” This hope does not refer to the way we use the word hope today. We use the word hope as wishful thinking—not something that is real. All you Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United fans hope that you will someday win the Premier League. Well, keep hoping.

But this hope is real. It is not wishful thinking like, “I hope Manchester United wins. I hope things go well. I hope I get a good job and good pay.” In the Bible, hope is a term of certainty. It is not a term of desire. Our hope is not about what we wish will happen—it is about what we certainly and surely know awaits us, because God is faithful to his promise.

A hope that is unseen

Paul says, “Who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” Because it is a future hope, Paul refers to it as unseen. We do not see it yet, but it is certain that it is coming. Nothing in this world is certain. Nothing that is unseen is certain—except this. The object and consummation of our hope is yet unseen, yet to be revealed, but we know it is ours.

If we could already see heaven with our eyes, if we could already see what we will be someday when we are in glory, it would not be hope—it would be reality. If I could see it today, we would not hope for it.

Many Christians pray that God will take them home soon. It is not that they wish to die, but because they want to be with Christ—because they know that hope is certain. And we wait for it with patience, Paul says. This word does not refer to lazy passivity—just sitting around. No, you are active.

Brothers and sisters, this unseen, certain hope erases all groaning. This hope is what reminds us that our sufferings today are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed. This hope is what moves us from groaning to glory. We know that if we suffer today—if you have a difficult husband, you know you are the bride of Christ, and soon you will be under a Head who does not disappoint. We know we have health issues, but someday we will have a glorified body. We have financial issues, but someday we will experience riches in glory. We have pain and suffering, but someday we will stand before God. Brothers and sisters, this is our hope that takes us from groaning to glory.

There is a song: “I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side. I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me. Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance with you, Jesus, or in awe of you be still? Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine.” This is the hope that erases all groaning. And because we can only imagine it, he gives us that hope. It is unseen, but it is certain.

Conclusion

Since 2020, I have lost several people I love dearly. I lost my two grandmothers, my friend Jamie Flowers—many of you knew him—Joe Martin, Pastor Sayidi, and my own brother a couple of years ago. I have almost lost my wife a couple of times, my youngest son twice, and my mother once. That is only in the last five or six years.

When my brother passed away, some well-meaning people told me I needed to take time to mourn—to spend time alone and cry. Do not get me wrong: I did cry, and sometimes it still pains me. But what these people meant is that they had a worldly idea of mourning—that you must sit down for a long time, cry, scream, be helpless, depressed. And if you do not do those things, you seem heartless and without emotion.

But brothers and sisters, even though there is suffering, life goes on. You cannot waste time mourning like the world. We mourn with hope, not as people without hope. We do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope. We do not grieve with an attitude of complaint and anger. We trust in him and we trust in his sovereign love. We love him forever. We praise him in the storm.

We say, like Job:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

We await the coming of the children of God. And above all things, we look to heaven. We remember his promises, and we await the glorious hope of glory—when there will be no more sin, no more corruption, no more crying, no more pain, no more sorrow. For the Lamb who is in our midst and in the midst of the throne will be our shepherd, and he will guide us to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear.

But as we live on this earth, let us keep our eyes fixed on that hope of glory.

Closing Prayer

To you be the glory, Father, for you have given us hope in Christ, applied to us by the Holy Spirit. In our spirit we groan inwardly, and in the Spirit we groan for the glory to be revealed, for suffering to end. But as that day comes, help us have our eyes fixed on you. If there is anything that God has spoken to you about this morning, bring it to the Lord. Anything you need to repent of. If you do not have Christ this morning, come and talk to us. We will help you and show you how you can have Christ.