Eternity Daily Bible Study: No. 539 Romans 1-8 - A Righteousness That Is By Faith Verses: Romans 8:18-22 Topic: The Glorious Liberty Date: 11th November 2005 Romans 8:18-22 MKJV For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us. (19) For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. (20) For the creation was not willingly subjected to vanity, but because of Him who subjected it on hope (21) that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (22) And we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Imagine a mighty and noble Duke who rebels against the King and is banished to the desert lands along with his family. The family is under the headship of the father, when he rises in social stature they enjoy the good things of life, when he is banished to oblivion, they end up in the desert still under his authority. As the head of the family goes, so the whole family goes. Now Adam was created as the earthly head of Creation. When Adam fell he did not lose this headship, he just dragged his "family" down with him! All of Creation was put into bondage "not of its own will", it was kept under Adam so God could preserve the order of things. God did this because He knew Adam would give rise to Christ and that Creation would be liberated when the sons of God were revealed at the resurrection. Just as we become immortal and glorious and rise to spiritual realms, so Creation will rise with us into a new order called "the renewal/restoration of all things" and become "a new Heaven and a new earth". There seems to be two stages to this, a millennium when the earth receives its Sabbath under the reign of Christ, then an eternal state of great glory. Matthew 19:28-30 MKJV And Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, you also shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (29) And everyone who left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (30) But many who are first shall be last; and the last shall be first. Our transformation is the key to the transformation of the whole world! For, because of the order of things, Creation can rise no higher than those God has placed over it, the sons of Adam. That is why Jesus called Himself "the son of Man" because He came to take that role and raise the sons of Adam up into becoming sons of God! So our redemption allows the redemption of all things on earth. Colossians paints a picture of what some theologians call a Cosmic Christ reconciling all things to Himself: Colossians 1:12-20 ASV giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; (13) who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; (14) in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins: (15) who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; (16) for in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; (17) and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. (18) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (19) For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell; (20) and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross; through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens. Paul moves straight from our redemption out of the kingdom of darkness to the inheritance of the saints in light, to Christ's nature as the image of the invisible God, and His Master-Work of reconciling all things to Himself so He might be "before all things" and the One for whom all things were created. The world was not created for you and I, it was created for Jesus - but we have been made His brethren! For the creation was not willingly subjected to vanity, but because of Him who subjected it on hope (21) that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. (22) And we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. The present Creation "groans and travails in pain together" waiting to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Liberty from death, liberty from sin, liberty from corruption, liberty from defilement and liberty from ignorance and mortality. The whole world will shine with its true innate glory, the glory we just get a glimmer of in the best nature photography, when the sons of God are revealed. But what shall we be like? We don't know exactly but we know that we shall be like Christ! 1 John 3:1-3 MKJV Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (2) Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (3) And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure. We will be immortal beings like angels in nature: Luke 20:36 MKJV Nor can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels, and are the sons of God, being the sons of the resurrection. Paul is so convinced of this that he is prepared to put up with anything: For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us. The trials and tribulations that we go through now are working for us "an eternal weight of glory" when the sons of God are made manifest. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 MKJV For the lightness of our present affliction works out for us a far more excellent eternal weight of glory, (18) we not considering the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are not lasting, but the things which are not seen are everlasting. Blessings, John Edmiston (johned@aibi.ph) REFER OTHERS: If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving this daily bible study. 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