Romans 8:22
Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.A few verses earlier, Paul affirmed that the creation was subjected to futility, death, and decay due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve. After their disobedience, God revealed that fallen man would be redeemed by a savior. But, until that became a reality, man was going to suffer with many hardships as the creation was cursed because of this disobedience. Eve was told that the pain of childbirth would be multiplied and Adam was told that the very ground was cursed. Therefore, the lives of human beings would be extremely difficult due to the degeneration of man’s nature, and death was going to be the end result.
Verse 22 above refers to this as the whole creation groaning in the pains of childbirth. God has promised to redeem a people unto himself. And, as this progresses throughout redemption history, the creation has been groaning as in childbirth. As the children of God are continually being redeemed, nature groans as the process moves toward completion. Just as joy and a new child follow the pains of childbirth, unimaginable joy will follow the pains that the creation is enduring during this period of redemption of the children of God.
Praise God that the pains the creation is undergoing will result in a new heaven and earth for those who are redeemed by the power of our triune God through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ our Lord.
3 comments:
Thoughtful post. Thanks.
The photo you used on this blog triggered a thought. People argue against a good and loving God based on birth defects, infant death, etc. These things make us groan too. But did not God tell us that death accompanied the fall? That creation was cursed? That reproduction was cursed too? As much as birth defects and infant death cause us groaning and grief, do they not also indicate that God is true to his word and that we brought these things upon ourselves?
Dave
I'm thinking about how things would be before and after the fall, and could you imagine Adam being able to swim with piranhas, sharks or alligators without fear?
Dave,
Thanks. Exactly, I believe that is right and those things would never happen in the world before the fall. It seems to me these few verses in Rom. 8 are telling us that the redemption of the children of God is the reason that God is allowing the futility to go on. Gathering his people has to be accomplished before he can restore the creation.
Craver,
That is hard for me to imagine. BTW, we saw 6 deer at one time on our place this morining. Most of them were young. It bothers me to think of their suffering. My german sheppard was napping in the garage or he would have barked at them. He's getting old and feels like that is his duty.
Post a Comment