Daily Bible Verses for 5/24/2016

Eagerly Waiting in Hope for Our Revealing – (Romans 8:19-25)

Bible Verse
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Reading Notes
Paul in this section of scripture, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has revealed to us that all of creation is waiting for the return of Jesus and our revealing as children of God. We do not now fully understand the future glory that awaits us when Jesus returns. We will be at His side, having been transformed from our current state, born into a world under the curse of sin, into our glorified state which will allow us to spend eternity in the presence of Christ and His Holiness. Because of sin we live in a fallen world. The curse of sin was introduced into the physical world when man fell and we were removed from the Garden of Eden and the presence of God. Because of this we live in a world where we as children of God have three enemies working against us. They include our sin-nature, which is constantly pulling us away from God and from the things of God.

The fallen world we live in, which is at enmity with God as well as Satan and those demons who follow him, who wage spiritual warfare against us in the heavenly places. The term used here for futility by Paul refers to all creation which is unable to fulfill its intended purpose, because of the physical and spiritual corruption brought about by the introduction of sin into the world. We understand that the world which existed before the fall was forever changed, because sin entered into creation. Therefore, all creation groans along with our spirit for that future redemption. That time of transformation when we see Jesus face to face receiving our glorified bodies. We will be freed from the corruption of this world. Moreover, this will be the time when we return with Christ, forever to be in His presence. The hope and eager anticipation of that time is the first-fruits of our salvation as the Holy Spirit does a work in our hearts. The work of the Holy Spirit causes that desire we have to see Jesus, to grow stronger in us, as the time of His return draws closer.