Romans 8:23-25 - Our Longing for Bodily Redemption

Romans 8:23-25 - 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.

Message:Hope sustains

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying:

Set up
"And not only this," - that has to be best statement so far in the book of Romans. No wait, there is more. The chairman of detail and explanations, Paul, tells us to hold onto our hats and get ready for more.

In this section of Romans Paul continues to remind us that our current suffering is nothing compared to our future glory. And all of creation wants this future glory. But, for now man lives in the pains and groaning of this present life (even though we try so hard to make out that nothing is wrong). 

In verse 22 was the proclamation that whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth. Every one. No one is exempt. The pain that a woman experiences in childbirth sure does look excruciating. I don't like pain. I don't like being uncomfortable and that pain looks very uncomfortable. And glory awaits at the end of the pain so I guess what is remembered is not so much the pain but the aftermath of the pain. Paul I think there is also wanting people to see that that utter pain and discomfort is what mankind is experiencing through time. But, deliverance awaits man if man will take it. And Christ followers possess the answer. We must share it with others. We must at least try.

First fruits
Verse 23 shifts to the Christian. Verse 22 was all of creation. Verse 23 is the follower or those in Christ, having been justified or made right with God. And in this verse, the calling card of the Christian is they have "the first fruits of the Spirit." This is a key phrase and in this verse, Paul obviously chose His words carefully. He could have said anything, so why did he say this?

First fruits represent the beginning of the harvest for the Israelites that is often offered as a sacrifice. God only wanted what was best. Even in our tithing to the Lord, I need to get paid and immediately give. He should get what is first out of my pocketbook. He is the priority.

Exodus 23:19 - “You shall bring the choice first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God.

Leviticus 23:10 - “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.

Deuteronomy 18:4 “You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.

Deuteronomy 26:1-4 - “Then it shall be, when you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and you possess it and live in it, that you shall take some of the first of all the produce of the ground which you bring in from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare this day to the Lord my God that I have entered the land which the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.

So Paul takes this idea of first fruits and basically turns it around to express to me what I have received by way of my faith in believing in Jesus and what he did for me that I could not do. Just as God received the first fruits, I have basically received the first fruits. So I have what is most important in regards to my belief in Christ.  Are there future glories? Yes indeed, but what I have now is the best. Once again that should be a reminder to the Christian that nothing can separate us from God once we have placed our trust in Him.

Of the Spirit
But it is not just the first fruits by themselves but it is the first fruits of the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13 - In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.

I have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Just from Paul's words I know that I have something pretty amazing in having the Holy Spirit. Again, I have what I need to now live in peace beyond the pains and groans of childbirth. The Holy Spirit has been pledged or given to me. I have it and it is the promise that I have being sealed in God. God is with me.

We wait eagerly
The Christian waits eagerly, just as the non-Christan wants to see the true Christians in verse 21. The Christian is waiting eagerly for his full adoption as sons of God that will come upon his glorification. This is not to be confused with us being declared as adopted in verse 15. That was in the present tense when it spoke of our adoption at our justification.

We hope
In verses 24 and 25 the word "hope" is mentioned 5 times. The opposite of futility seems to be hope. And Paul wants to make it clear to us that our lives are about hope. We have been saved in hope. But, hope isn't what we see. It is in the unseen. That needs to be clearly understood that our focus is on the unseen, but the surety of it.


Promise: Tabletalk, June 25, 2014, "Since we know that we will be glorified, we can endure all of our shortcomings in the present, repenting over them as we look forward to what is to come."