Romans 8:17 “Suffering”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁷and if children, also heirs, heirs of God and fellow-heirs of Christ, if indeed we are suffering together that also we might be glorified together.

The blessings just keep flowing. I’ve never understood the second half of this verse really: “…if indeed we are suffering together that also we might be glorified together.” The “if” opens the door to doubtful thoughts that somehow if we don’t suffer enough or in the right ways, perhaps we might forfeit the glory. Knowing the rest of the Bible, I knew that couldn’t be the case, but still it hung there. Then I’d say most commentators turn it into a monumental drama, taking it to refer to some horrific persecution we are destined to face, again leaving us with those doubtful thoughts, “What if I fail?” As I’ve studied, I see it is none of the above, and such thoughts instead rob us all of the sweetness and comfort the Lord intended these words to bring.

First of all, let’s consider the context. What are we talking about? We’re talking about us fallen sinners, us children of the devil, being redeemed by the blood of Jesus, adopted to actually be made the much-loved children of God and indwelt by the very Spirit of Adoption. Having been made his children and indwelt by His Spirit, we now march to the beat of a different drummer. We walk not according to the flesh but according to His Spirit. All of that is itself glory and great cause for praise and eternal wonder.

It would be nice to stop there. However, there is one small problem. We’re still here. Here. In this world. In this Adamic body. In this world ruled by the prince of the power of the air. In this fallen world where death is our portion. In this world where we are surrounded by people who go on living out the lies and murder of their father the devil. If we were of this world, we would go on like all the rest, hating and being hated, constantly maneuvering and manipulating to somehow get this world to give me what I want.

But we are not. We are not of this world. As the song said, “This world is not my home.” And what does that spell for us? Suffering. Misery. Pain. However, not just pain because of pain, but the misery of seeing clearly the lies, the cruelty, the selfishness of the world around us, and feeling in our hearts the same pain Jesus Himself felt for 33 years as He had to live in this same world as us. It says of Him at Lazarus’ tomb, “Jesus wept.” I noted years ago, those could not simply be tears of sorrow at the death of His friend – He knew He was about to raise him from the dead! No. I am quite sure what made Jesus weep was to see the horrible pain of all the mourners around Him. He created this world. Death wasn’t supposed to be a part. Again, it wasn’t just the misery for misery’s sake which pained Him so. It was knowing it shouldn’t be so.

To enter into fellowship with Him is to enter into that same pain. To know His great heart of love for people can only break our own as we see people live without Him – or should I say, suffer without Him. In fact, the closer we walk with Him, the more, in this world, we’ll suffer with Him. Oh, there is the chance we may have to “suffer for our faith,” Church history is of course littered with martyrs and we’ve all experienced the rejection of those who would hate our God. But I would suggest we err greatly, as so many do, to limit this text to anything that dramatic.

We must rather let these words flow into the very fabric of our everyday mundane lives. We all can relate to the psalmist saying, “Oh that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and find rest” (Psalm 55:6) or “Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, … Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war" (Psalm 120:5-7). It’s just plain painful being here – all day every day.

I like what my good buddy Alexander Maclaren said about this very passage, “Do not keep these sacred thoughts of Christ’s companionship in sorrow for the larger trials of life. If the mote in the eye be large enough to annoy you, it is large enough to bring out His sympathy; … never fear to be too familiar in the thought that Christ is willing to bear, and help me to bear, the most insignificant of daily annoyances … go to Him, and He will bear it with you; for if so be that we suffer with Him, He suffers with us.”

To be here is to know misery, but, if we would recognize it for what it is – suffering with Him – then perhaps we will find His joy in it, He who “for the joy set before Him endured the Cross.” Perhaps we’ll find it genuinely true, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”  No wonder Paul said, “Therefore will I gladly rejoice in my sufferings, that the power of Christ may rest upon me!”

Then let us return to the thought of our inheritance. All of the very glory of heaven itself is already ours. In this short pilgrimage while we remain here, may we hear our Father say, “Hang on just a little while. It is My will that you should remain. Trust Me. Suffer with Me. Let me use you. Then very, very soon, it will all be over, the heavenly gate will open and you will never again know pain or sorrow. Trust Me and all will be well!”

Jesus is destined for all the glory of the Father. We’re joint-heirs with Him. We suffered with Him for a short while. We’ll know glory with Him forever and ever!

 

Romans 8:17 “Inheritance”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁷and if children, also heirs, heirs of God and fellow-heirs of Christ, if indeed we are suffering together that also we might be glorified together.

Heirs. Fellow-heirs. As I have been studying this, I have to confess, I find myself struggling to feel any excitement over these words. Heirs. Joint-heirs. Inheritance. “That’s nice,” my soul wants to say, then move on to something important. Maybe those words mean more to someone else reading them, but I am finding I need to ponder them to sense their value.

Why is that? If I could run with the gross assumption I’m not much different than anyone else, I suspect it’s because “inheritances” simply aren’t a big deal in 21^st century America. What I mean is, I suspect that the whole idea of “inheritance” was a much greater deal in the largely agrarian cultures of the world prior to this century. Even as late as the 1950’s, it was reported that 85% of Americans lived on farms. I don’t know what that figure would be today, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was down to the other 15%!

If your whole life, your livelihood, your sustenance derived from farming ground, then it became a HUGE deal to inherit land from your parents. As we read especially the Old Testament, we see constant references to the matter of inheritances, particularly of land, and how there were well-established and sometimes intricate customs and rules for how land was passed down to the children. The whole complicated business of levirate marriages was driven by this question of land inheritance. And, again, in an agrarian culture, one can see how this could have been so monumentally important.

Fast-forward to 21^st century America and few of us depend on farming. We basically go to work every day and count on the few farmers there still are to keep our grocery stores stocked with the food we’re content to simply buy. I would add to that, most of us don’t have rich parents who’ll be leaving us some vast fortune to inherit at their passing. In fact, it’s probably the exact opposite. In today’s world, it’s likely there will be little or nothing. In today’s world, if there is any “inheritance” at all, it will probably be a relatively small amount, and basically just comes to us as a pleasant “surprise.”

I’m saying all of this simply to explain to myself why these words, heir, joint-heir, inheritance, don’t jump off the page and make me want to shout. I’m thinking they simply don’t occupy any place of importance in my present world. However, then, it is obvious from the text, they are intended to do just that – make me shout! So … I need to ponder on them a bit and try to develop the sense of wonder I’ve lost in my 21^st century culture.

All that said, as I’ve studied, one can’t help but notice the subject is a big deal in the Bible. Heb. 1:2 describes Jesus as “heir of all things.” In His Sermon on the Mount, He said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5). James asked, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised to those who love Him?” (2:5). Rev. 21:7 says, “He who overcomes will inherit all this…”

In Col. 1:12 we are told that the Father “has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Then in 3:24, part of our motivation to work hard here on earth is knowing, “you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” In Heb. 9:15 we read that “Christ is the Mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called might receive the promised eternal inheritance…”

A great passage on this subject would be I Peter 1:3,4: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you…

As I’m studying, it strikes me the real problem is just that I am too “worldly” minded. What I mean is that, yes, inheritances in general don’t occupy much of our attention in today’s world, but neither does anything else which is ours by faith. I fear that spiritually speaking we have become (and myself included) an entire culture of Esau’s – people who “despise their birthright,” who trade their inheritance for “a bowl of porridge.” Not without reason are we admonished, “Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above…Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory…” (Col. 3:1-4).

For myself, I would say the Lord has been teaching me much about living in His presence, about acknowledging His infinite greatness as I labor through my days. However, this idea that I am an heir of all things and a joint-heir with Christ, that I have this glorious inheritance awaiting me, has probably never really figured as anything too important in my mind. Some fellows I read noted things like, “…the Christian is going to a rich home and a glorious future. Therefore, he ought not to be too much elated or depressed by the pleasures or privations of the journey. An eye to the rest and glory at the end should keep him from getting weary of the way.” Another said, “…whatever be their outward lot, they are all the while richer than the richest, and greater than the greatest.”

These fellows are right. The fact of my being made a son, and therefore an heir, ought to occupy a far higher place in my heart. Another motivation would be to see it all from God’s perspective. If I were an extremely wealthy man and if I made clear arrangements for my children to inherit all my wealth upon my death, I would be very disappointed to find out it was “no big deal” in their minds. Even worse would be if the heir wasn’t even my natural child but rather one I had adopted. It would be only natural to think they would be very appreciative of what I am providing for them. In that case, the “no big deal” would be the pits of ingratitude. Yet, here I am, saying in essence, “It’s just not that big a deal to me.” Yikes! Maybe my world has lost its estimation of inheritances, but that is no excuse for me.

By faith, I need to start giving more thought to this matter, to deliberately thank and praise God for it, and hopefully let it affect how I view things eternal. I am an heir. I am a joint heir with Christ. And the inheritance which is ours is nothing less than God Himself

Wow.

 

Romans 8:16 “Voices”

Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁶The Spirit Himself testifies with/to our spirit that we are children of God,

This one verse is so filled with the sunshine of heaven, it is hard to even know where to begin enjoying its warmth!

The Spirit Himself! What an unspeakable gift of our Father’s love! Our Lord would have you and me to be assured that in fact we are His, that we have been adopted, that we have been welcomed into His family, that we are dearly loved children, but by what means would He communicate this truth to us? All through the Bible, He has sent angels to minister to His people. In this world, He has even raised up apostles and prophets and pastors and teachers to enlighten us. However, when it comes to this matter of our adoption, He will have no lesser messenger than His very own Holy Spirit! The third Person of the Trinity!

The Spirit Himself bears witness to us that we are children of God! I recall a couple I knew years ago, named Phil and Nancy. They had adopted two small boys who were brothers, which was a wonderful act of love and kindness on their part – not only to give the boys a home and a family, but to take on both so as not to separate them! The father Phil confided in me, however, that his biggest challenge was simply to convince the boys they really were adopted. Already in their short little lives, they had apparently been bounced around from one foster home to another. Now, they lived in constant fear they’d be “sent back.”

How would anyone convince a child they’ve truly been adopted? Not by sending them a letter. Not by asking a good friend to speak to them. There’s only one way – to take them in your arms and tell them again and again and again, “You’re my child. I love you. I will always love you. We are now your family and always will be!” You do it yourself. So does God. The Spirit Himself bears witness that we are children of God. “Behold, what manner of love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!”

This particular message is so important God Himself delivers it to our hearts. Like those two boys, our Father longs that we should embrace His love, that we should live in the full assurance we won’t be “sent back.” And may I suggest, one reason it takes the blessed Holy Spirit Himself is because the task itself is a spiritual battle of monumental proportions? We are of our father the devil. We look too much like him. We act too much like him. Our hearts are painfully aware we bear far too much of his image, that we have no rightful place in the family of God. Only by faith can we know and believe that we have passed from death to life. Can I suggest that very faith is precisely a point where “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”?

I suspect it is true for every one of us, if we are painfully honest, we find it very hard to believe I really am adopted, that I really have been made a full-fledged child of God. There is a voice inside of me saying, “It just can’t be. You? Ha! God wouldn’t want you. Even if He did adopt you, now He’s having second thoughts. Why on earth would He want a failure like you in His family???” Even as I type, I feel in my heart the very cold, dark, hopeless chill of those words. I only type them because I suspect they’re true of you too. And that said, we both need to face those thoughts, know they come straight out of the pits of hell, and say, “No! Abba, Father! I have no hope but my Father’s love. He says I’m His child and I will not listen to those voices! I couldn’t even cry ‘Abba, Father!’ if it weren’t for His Holy Spirit dwelling in my heart. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen!” Then I need to snuggle my heart back into the Father’s lap, feel His strong arms around me, and simply choose to believe Him. He says I’m loved…so I am. My Father says so.

Once again, I would suggest that exact point is a spiritual battle of monumental proportions and it takes nothing short of the Third Person of the Trinity dwelling in our hearts, the Spirit of Adoption, to give us the faith to believe. Let us put on that armor of God and live as dearly loved children!

Then it is interesting the verse says, “His Spirit testifies with/to our spirit…” There is a lot of scholarly debate whether it should be translated “with” or “to.” Personally I’m not sure it really makes any difference. I just want to notice it is our spirit. Bible teachers get all bent out of shape about how we’re made, and how many parts there are to us, with all the different terms out there "body, soul, spirit, mind, heart, flesh, …” I would assert it simply isn’t that complicated. What is there at death? There is a body and a spirit. My body stays here on earth to molder back into dirt while my spirit goes to be with the Lord. “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” That is a wonderful thing, but realize it isn’t natural for us. We are not supposed to be disembodied spirits. And so, when it’s all over, what does Jesus do? He raises my body from the dirt and I once again become a complete human being – a spirit living in a body.

In fact, my spirit is the real me. When you look into another person’s eyes, it is their spirit you are seeing. When they speak, it is their spirit you hear. Our bodies are just tools which allow us to live in this material, created world and interact with each other. Now, because the body I live in is an Adamic, fallen body, it somehow carries with it its spiritual corruption and creates this awful enigma inside of me which the Bible calls my flesh – not just the body itself, but its fallen, Adamic nature as well. However, in spite of all that evil, we should understand my spirit is still me, the real me. I am inside here. Sin is not who I am. Sin and my sinfulness are a wart on the reality of who I truly am. If I die covered with those warts, there is only one place to put me – in hell. However, Jesus died to take away those sins. By faith I must believe that His blood has washed away those warts and God now sees me as my spirit – the real me. And so His Spirit testifies to/with our spirit – the real us – that we are in fact children of God. Don’t fail to appreciate this amazing truth, that God knows who you really are, He can (because of Jesus) look past those warts and see you for who you really are, and His Spirit speaks directly to you.

Finally, notice what He tells us, that we are “the children of God.” Now, we should note, all along the way, even this chapter in Romans has been talking about how we’ve been made “sons” (and therefore “daughters”) of God.” The Greek word behind it is in fact “sons.” However, here in verse 16, what the Holy Spirit assures is that we are “children.” Sonship can be simply a legal term. A person is a son, if for no other reason, because he is the biological offspring of his parents. The word “children,” however carries with it a sense of affection. In English, it can be just another legal word for offspring, but even in our language today, I think we would acknowledge that there is more of affection in “child” than there is in “son.”

I think it very interesting, here in verse 16, that what His Spirit testifies to/with our spirit is that we are children of God. Let us not miss the affection He intends us to hear! God did not simply appear at our door one day and serve us papers informing us we’d been legally adopted – then turn around and walk away. Oh, no. He reached down and picked us up and hugged us and kissed us and threw us in the air and caught us and told us over and over, “You’re my child now! I love you!” “The Lord your God in the midst of you is mighty. He will save. He will rejoice over you with joy; He will quiet you with His love; He will joy over you with singing” (Zeph. 3:17).

So we’re back to “Abba, Father!” Our salvation is no cold, legal matter. It’s not just that our sins have been forgiven. God sends His very own Spirit to dwell within us and to allow us, by faith, to know and enjoy all the warmth and love of actually being His children!

May we listen to His voice, and not the others!