The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed

Romans 8:9-25 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

¹² So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. ²³ And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

In today’s text it says:  So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.    In Galatians 5:16-21 it says:   I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.   Certainly these “deeds of the flesh” are prevalent in our society and our culture today. Sadly many of these are also very present within the church; in the lives of believers. In these two portions of scripture, Paul contrasts the benefit or blessing of Spirit led living with the consequence or curse of fleshy living. He says living according to the flesh, you must die. He says those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.     This is not only a doctrine of Paul or of man. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says:     “Not everyone who says to Me,‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he whodoes the will of My Father in heaven.Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have wenot prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’Andthen I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”   In Matthew 5:19-20, He says:  “Whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”    Death and loss of the benefits and blessings, loss of the inheritance of and in the kingdom of heaven, is contrasted with: adoption as children of God and the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.

Here’s the thing though that makes this difficult for us to grasp and understand. Paul says:   The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.     It is difficult to understand and accept that even as children of God, heirs of the kingdom with all the blessings and benefits of Christ, there will still be suffering in the life of the believer. This too though is not a doctrine of Paul or of man. In John 16:33 Jesus says:  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”  In Mathew 24:9-13 He says:  “They will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.  Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”     It is much more attractive and appealing to promote a doctrine which promises only peace, prosperity and blessings in this life. Many churches have attracted many followers with those promises. The gospel that Jesus taught and the kingdom of heaven He brought teaches that He has overcome the world and tribulation. Our peace is in Him, not in the prosperity of the world. Jesus teaches that the one who endures to the end will be saved. It does not require endurance to live only under blessings, but rather we endure tribulation and difficulties. We endure to the end though not by ourselves, but Jesus promises:  “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)   The problem with the doctrines of prosperity is that they preach better in big buildings with air conditioning, comfortable seats and state of the art sound and video equipment than they do in the streets or in third world countries with poverty, violence and despair. The message of blessings and abundance, while they are indeed promises for believers, can bring condemnation to those who walk in tribulation, sickness or poverty. In Matthew 26:11 Jesus says:  “You always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.”   The gospel we preach should bring hope to the hopeless. The blessings of Christ and the inheritance of the kingdom is both abundance and endurance.   

In today’s text Paul says:    I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us… in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.    Indeed in John 10:10 Jesus says:  “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”       The abundance of Christ is both blessings and endurance. But, regardless of what this life brings, I agree with Paul:  I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.    Life in Christ is a blessing, but the fullness of the glory of the kingdom is beyond our human comprehension.

Like the psalmist I say:  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Amen.