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Romans - Part 4: SPIRITSample

Romans - Part 4: SPIRIT

DAY 16 OF 35

You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet

Romans 8:18 “ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

When asked to do this devotional, I was grateful for the small verse…but WHOA…I was wrong! (once again). This verse is so packed; so, let’s start unpacking!

It begins with the preposition “for,” which means there is going to be an explanation of the verse before! In verse 17, it introduces the “heirs with Christ” (believers) to suffering and glory. The Christian will not have one without the other! I really like the glory part, but not the suffering part, to be honest! And then, Paul had to add an “s” to the word suffering! It is not a one-time deal for us! (shucks!) The “sufferings” Paul is speaking of are not only physical things, but also things believers suffer because we are followers of Jesus. This suffering is for our entire life, which Paul describes as “this present time.” This suffering is real and painful. In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul tells Timothy, “Everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus WILL suffer persecution.” Paul knew this first hand; he was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, chained, imprisoned, robbed, starved, hungry, naked, and cold, along with experiencing the daily pressure of concern for the churches. ALL for a higher purpose. But why??

God has a purpose for our suffering. We suffer so we can be identified with Christ. How can we identify with Christ if our lives are filled with ease? Christ was beaten, mocked, spit on, rejected, and hated, he took on all our pain and bore all our sins. To truly know Christ, we must experience suffering. We share in Christ’s suffering so we can share in His life. But how??

Suffering keeps our focus off this world and helps us to focus on the Glory that lies ahead. It’s part of our sanctification process. (I’d kinda like to skip that part?) In suffering, I ask, “Why me? Why now? It’s not fair! What for? I didn’t deserve this!” But, in reality, why not me? And why do I question God who is Holy and True in ALL His ways and knows EXACTLY what He is doing in my life? My focus is all wrong; suffering points me to my human limitation; it drops me to my knees in prayer and dependence on God. Through suffering, believers can encourage others, and in that way, we can point others to Christ, as the source of healing and salvation.

We face resistance every day in our Christian life; we live in a fallen, crazy, insane world. We have sickness, death, troubles, flies that buzz around in the house; the list could go on and on. That is why Paul addresses the reality of suffering. He doesn’t pull any punches; suffering is certain, but, it will be used by God for positive purposes in our lives. He gives us the supernatural grace that will carry us through with Him! But one day……it will end!

So…. enough about the suffering, because it is not even worthy to compare with what’s waiting for us! Let’s get to the “Glory which is to be revealed to us!”

What is that?? It is Heaven, and it is eternal. We can’t see into it yet, but we do have a few glimpses in the Bible, small visions that tell us about this Glory. And as Paul writes, one day it will be revealed to us! We will be face to face with Jesus, who knew suffering more than any and didn’t deserve one bit of it…no wonder we cannot compare our suffering with this Glory! This is not because we have earned it or because of anything we have done, but because He chose us out of this world to be with Him forever. What a “GLORY-US” day!!! The bottom line is: we are here on earth, and we can take a quick peek at suffering, but we need to gaze on our future GLORY! What a prize is waiting for us!

-Touche Brunner

Scripture

Day 15Day 17

About this Plan

Romans - Part 4: SPIRIT

This plan is an overview of the unashamed wonder and power of the gospel (Romans 1:16). In this plan, Part 4 of our six-part series through the book of Romans, we will see the role of the SPIRIT. As you read, slow down and enjoy the richness of the truths found within each passage.

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We would like to thank Cornerstone Community Church for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://ccchowchilla.com/