Romans 8:18-27

Read Romans 8:18-27

Helpful Background Information: 

• In this passage, Paul is honest about the suffering and weakness that believers face in this life. Yet, he says that the suffering “is not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (v.18). In other words, he says that all the suffering will be far outweighed by the glory that is to come. 

• This glory isn’t only good news for humans but also for creation as a whole. In the verses that follow, Paul personifies the world that God created, describing its current “frustration” (v.20) and its future “liberation” (v.21). To put it a different way, there will come a day when God sets the created world free from the decay imposed on it by the sin of humans. In this sense, the future of creation is tied up with that of humanity. Just as creation itself was polluted with humanity’s sin, so too would creation be restored alongside humanity’s glorification.

• Shifting to a different metaphor, Paul likens the present suffering and future glory to that of a woman painfully delivering a child. The suffering is momentary and fleeting in comparison to the joy brought about at the sight of the newborn baby. Paul says that while we wait for our joyous experience of glory, we wait with hope (v.24). Even though we feel the weight of our weakness in our waiting, the Holy Spirit sufficiently sustains us until the time is complete.

Reflection Questions: 

• The gospel—and the Christmas story—is presented as good news not just for humans but for all of creation. What does this say about God’s care for the world that He’s made?

• In this passage, suffering and glory are connected. What does the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus show us about how these two terms relate?

• Paul uses the metaphor of a woman in labor. Using your own words, explain how he’s using that metaphor to describe what the Christian life is like.