Romans Chapter 8 Second Continued
Romans 8:22 "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."
“Groaneth and travaileth in pain”:
This refers to Adam’s Fall, which has caused misery from then until the present.
These present sufferings of creation are the “birth pangs” of the new age that are to be born, which is called the Millennium.
From the Fall until now, creation has been groaning over the pointlessness of having been made subject to a curse.
It eagerly looks forward to the time when the curse will be lifted.
Until Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, there was no promise of everlasting life. Mankind died with no hope of everlasting life.
The atonement (payment), for sins up until Jesus crucifixion, was just for 1 year at a time. The blood of an animal could not do away with sin, it could only cover it.
Romans 8:23 "And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body."
The Holy Spirit is the first installment of the glory yet to follow.
In the first chapter of James, we read of the Christians being firstfruits.
James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
1 Corinthians 15:23 "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."
This is speaking of those who received the baptism of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost. Receiving the Spirit of God inside of you is a first fruit promise of the resurrection. Definition of Pentecost: (from Greek pentecoste, "fiftieth day").
Christian festival commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus, occurring on the Jewish Pentecost, after Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension.
The disciples began to speak in the many languages of the people assembled there, a sign that the disciples should spread the Christian message throughout the world.
Jewish Pentecost was a thanksgiving feast for the first fruits of the wheat harvest and was associated with remembrance of God's gift of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Christian Pentecost is celebrated on the Sunday concluding the
It is also the name of the Jewish celebration of Shavuot ("Festival of Weeks").
The believer groans because of the conflict experienced (in
This is the ultimate answer to (7:24): "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
Christ will deliver us by the resurrection and glorification of our bodies.
Not the physical body only, but all of man’s remaining fallenness.
Romans
Unlike the English word “hope,” the New Testament word contains no uncertainty.
It speaks of something that is certain, but not yet realized.
The believer’s ultimate destiny is to share in the very glory of God and that hope will be realized because Christ Himself secures it.
Without the clear and certain promises of the Word of God, the believer would have no basis for any hope.
Romans 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."
We see the problem that many Christians face when they are praying for others.
We all pray to the very best of our ability, and still we do not always know what to pray for, or how to pray for a particular thing.
This is when the Spirit takes over for us and prays for us.
God's Spirit knows exactly what the needs are.
The Spirit also groans along with creation and the believer.
The reference is to the Spirit’s interpretation of the believer’s innermost feelings, which cannot be put into words as the Spirit knows what’s in the heart of man.
Romans 8:27 "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what [is] the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to [the will of] God."
This is speaking of the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit), praying for the saints. The Spirit of God knows the will of God.
He prays for us “according to” God's will.
God knows the desires of our heart, even before we pray.
No words are necessary because the Father understands and agrees with what the Spirit thinks.
Jude 1:20 “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,”
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose."
This is another Scripture that is many times misunderstood, because most people stop reading when it says, “to them that love God”.
It truly says much more than that though.
Are we fulfilling God's purpose in our lives?
If you are, then all things work together for good to you.
The key is "them that are called according to His purpose".
People in all types of ministry forget that God has called them to a particular ministry, and they hurry to get into something of their own choosing.
The ministry that God will bless you in is the one He called you to.
Sometimes we do not realize exactly what God would have us to do.
If we would get alone with God and pray and ask Him, He will reveal unto us what He would have us to do.
“To them that love God”:
This is the human perspective.
God is working all things together for good, but those who love God are best able to appreciate that fact because they love Him no matter what.
“To them who are the called”:
This is the divine perspective.
Scripture often refers to believers as “the called” or “the elect”.
Romans 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
“Foreknow”:
This is God’s determination from eternity that will bring certain ones into a special relationship with Himself.
This is not simple advance knowledge.
This knowledge should also not be understood in the sense of “being acquainted with,” but in the sense of “bringing into a special relation with”.
Foreknowledge is God’s determination from eternity to bring certain ones into a special relationship with Himself.
“Predestinate”:
Literally means “to mark off or choose before.”
God chooses those He knows will participate in His plan of salvation and extends it to all who respond in faith.
The doctrine of predestination in Scripture relates to the foreknowledge of God.
Eph. 1:5: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”.
Predestination is especially noticeable in the conversion of the apostle Paul.
Since he was a blasphemer and persecutor of the church, some Christians had a difficult time believing Paul could be saved even after he so testified.
Still, even knowing what was ahead and how Paul would respond, God chose him as Apostle to the Gentiles.
When we understand that God has chosen and predestined us, we should also realize we have been ordained to good works, to bear fruit and to become like Jesus.
We see from this scripture, that this predestination did not overrule our will.
What this is really saying, is that God knew from even before you were born, just how you would choose.
God has foreknowledge of all happenings, not only in my life and yours, but he knows everything from the beginning of time to the end of time.
This is because of His foreknowledge.
It is predestined, because He foreknew your decision.
Jesus' crucifixion was planned from the foundation of the earth.
Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus paid for you and me to be adopted into the family with His precious blood at Calvary.
We are part of the family of God, because our elder brother (God's only begotten Son), purchased our right to be called God's sons.
Romans 8:30 "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he
called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
In 2 Timothy 1:9 we read:
2 Timothy 1:9 "Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"
“Called”:
The calling (of 8:28), is
The calling here is temporal and refers to the effectual communication of the gospel, and thus resulting in salvation.
“Justified”:
Indicates being declared righteous.
It signifies the believer’s judicial standing before God.
There is no just cause in man to warrant justification.
This unmerited favor is bestowed through the redemption paid by Jesus Christ on the cross. The redeemed sinner is released on the basis of the ransom’s having been paid. “Glorified”:
Glorification is God’s doing.
While God’s foreknowledge and predestination take place in eternity, and while God’s calling and justification are realized in history, God’s glorifying is yet future.
It is as certain, however, as the previous works.
Hence glorified is in the past tense.
From God’s point of view it is already accomplished.
The plan was set at the foundation of the world.
Man could not be saved by his own deeds, he must have a Savior.
That Savior we must have is Jesus Christ our Lord.
We do know that God's call for many of His ministers was a call before they were even born, like John the Baptist.
John the Baptist's entire life (even before birth), was planned of God.
Read the account of John the Baptist's birth (in Luke chapter 1).
This does not mean that John had no Choice.
He could have refused, but he didn't.
God knew he would carry out God's purpose in his life.
Obedience to God's will in our life will bring peace in our life too.
Most people today take their call to serve God far too lightly.
It is serious business to answer God's call and serve God.
We must first be able to say "not my will be done, but thine O Lord" and then say, "Here am I Lord, send me".
Romans Chapter 8 Second Continued Questions
1.In verse 22, we see that the whole creation until now does 2 things, what are they?
2.What brought us a promise of everlasting life?
3.What does atonement mean?
4.In Hebrews 10:4, we read that the blood of what could not do away with sin?
5.Who is the only hope for mankind?
6.In Romans 8:23, we Christians groan within ourselves waiting for what?
7.In James 1:18, we are called a kind of the ________ of God's creatures.
8.1 Corinthians 15:23, who is the actual first fruit?
9.Romans 8:24 says, we are saved by what?
10.What does 2 Corinthians 5:7 say about faith?
11.In Hebrews 11:1, what is faith?
12.What really saves us?
13.When we do not know what to pray for, who prays for us?
14.In verse 27, He that searcheth the hearts knowest what is the mind of the _________ .
15.His intercession is according to what?
16.Who do things work together for good to?
17.How is Romans 8:28 many times misunderstood?
18.Explain about God's calling us to the ministry.
19.Explain about the predestination in verse 29.
20.What name of God tells us that He knows everything from the foundation of the world until the end of the world?
21.Who is Jesus called in verse 29?
22.How did Jesus pay for our adoption into the family of God?
23.In verse 30, we see that whom God Predestined He _________.
24.Who justified us? How?
25.What does being justified mean?
26.In 2 Timothy 1:9, we find that not our works, but his _______ and _________ which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
27.Who is a good Bible example of being called before birth to God's work?
28.In verse 29, we are to be conformed to whose image.