I wrote before about how God does not
just bring us through suffering, but he also works in our suffering. But, what
if the healing comes? Or, what if it never comes in this life? Is our hope in
the comfort, the relief, the healing here? No, far more than healing, our hope
is in God himself and him alone.
The Futility Around Us
For I consider that the sufferings of
this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed
to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons
of God. For the creation was subjected to futility. . . For we know that the
whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
(Romans 8:18–22)
This paragraph begins and ends with
suffering. We know from the Bible and from experience that there are deeply
painful experiences of suffering for us in this life. And we also know that
much of the brokenness we experience personally has to do with the broken world
we live in, cursed by God because of sin.
The earth we call home has been
“subjected to futility.” It is in “bondage to corruption.” It has been
“groaning in the pains of childbirth.” There are earthquakes, tsunamis,
tornadoes, and hurricanes that wreak havoc in our world. And there are smaller,
but awful problems like difficulties with crops, water flooding basements, and
trees falling on houses. In your neighbourhood, across our nation, and around
the globe, the world we live in is broken and futile in all kinds of ways.
The Futility Within Us
And not only the creation, but we ourselves,
who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for
adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:23)
It’s not only creation that’s
groaning in futility, but human beings — us — even Christians. Even those who
have escaped condemnation (Romans 8:1–4) and have the Spirit of God living
inside of them are groaning in pain and suffering and confusion. Why?
Because even those who have put their
faith in Christ still must live in these broken bodies conceived in sin (Psalm
51:5). We’re called to “put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit”
(Romans 8:13), which means our bodies will still desire sin, even after we’re
in Christ. Paul goes as far as to say that these bodies are dead (Romans
8:10–11). And not only is there still sin in us, but there is physical
suffering of every kind. There is chronic pain, auto-immune diseases, extreme
disabilities, cancers, and everything in between. Our bodies are “wasting away”
(2 Corinthians 4:16).
The picture we come away with is one
in which not only is creation futile and groaning, but so are we — groaning
because of sin and because of suffering. A futile place with futile people.
Things simply are not as they should be.
