THE EXPECTATION OF FINAL REDEMPTION

Part 8

Rom. 8:19-24

Morning Meditation 1/12/17

Verse19-24 say, "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

Have you noticed that there is something missing in your salvation? This passage explains this and explain to us that what is missing is included in the salvation already received so that we along with creation groan for it. I don't know about you, but I groan for it. Man will never know complete fulfillment until the "redemption of the purchased possession."

CREATION WAITS AND GROANS

First, it waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. Paul brings this out in the words, "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." The words "earnest expectation" translates "apokaradokia" and is made up of three words, "apo" which is the preposition identifying the ultimate source, and "kara" meaning "head," and "doke" meaning, "to watch." It means "to watch eagerly from the ultimate source of God's promise with outstretched head." What a picture Paul is painting with this word as he describes creations waiting anticipation of the manifestation of the sons of God. The word "creature" translates "ktisis" and means "created or anything created." It is referring to creation not just man. The word "waiteth" translates "apekdechomai" and means "assiduously and patiently waiting for." It is a present middle indicative verb. The present tense speaks of continuous action in the present. The middle voice is where the subject participates in the result of the action, i.e., is benefitted by the action.. The continual waiting will pay off when the manifestation comes. The word "manifestation" translates "apokalupsis" and means "a laying bear, making naked, a disclosure of truth." Today creation is a mystery. The guesses of so-called science are many. The scientists differ as to time and purpose. There is one thing obvious in all their thinking. They do not believe in a Creator. The words "sons of God" are referring to the same sons that were being led by the Spirit in verse 14, the same sons that are aided in worship in verse 15 where they address God as Father, the same sons who are "heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ" in verse 17. These sons are already saved, have the firstfruits of the Spirit as a present earnest of the future glorification of the body, which was packaged with the initial salvation. Paul spoke to the Ephesian Christians of the sealing of the Holy Spirit and added, "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:14).

Second, creation groans for the time when it will be delivered. Paul explains, "For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope." The words "was made subject" is the translation of "hupotasso" and is "A Greek military term meaning 'to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader'. In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden". It is an aorist passive indicative verb. The aorist tense refers to the point of time when this happened, i.e., when Adam sinned. Creation did not have a choice. The passive voice shows this. The present condition of creation happened as a result of another's choice. Paul tells us that Adam "subjected the same in hope." The word "subjected" translates "hupotasso" the same as above and means that Adam's choice caused the curse on creation. Adam believed Satan's lie. Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ brings us back under the authority of the Throne. The ultimate result of this is the "manifestation of the sons of God" at which time the creation will also be set at liberty. The millennial reign of Christ will be over a restored creation. The cursed earth feeds billions of people today. Can you imagine what it will produce when the curse is taken off? Amen! This will happen. Paul declares it in verse 21: "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." The words "shall be delivered" translates "eleutheroo" and mean "to make free." It is a future passive indicative verb. The future tense is looking to the future promise of redemption. The passive voice means it won't evolve. It will be set free by the spoken word of Christ. Amen! He is the Creative Word. This is a freedom from the curse that dominates it today. The word "bondage"translates "douleia" and means "a slave, i.e., the condition of a slave." Creation is made to function against its will under the domination of a curse that was placed on it through the will of another.

It is groaning for deliverance. Paul says "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." The words "we know" translate "eido" meaning "to perceive with the eyes." It is like an eyewitness. It is a perfect active indicative verb. The perfect tense means that we know it now as a result of a settled knowledge of it gained in the past. The word "groaneth" translates "sustenazo" a compound word that means "to groan together with, or, to sigh together with." The word "travaileth" translates "sunodino" and means "to feel the pains of the agony of childbirth." This means that creation is in agonizing pain today. It knows it will not always be like this. It waits for the time of its deliverance that it might fulfill the ultimate goal of creation and that time is described as the time of "the manifestation of the sons of God."

MAN WAITS AND GROANS

Paul puts it, "And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."

First, Paul says the we also join in the groaning. We are saved and know it. But like Paul we have to exclaim, "Oh wretched man that I am!" Paul says in Philippians 3:20-21, "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." He says that our conversation (here meaning citizenship) is in heaven. The word "is" in the clause "is in heaven" translates, not the normal to be verb, but "huparcho." and means "exists." It is a present tense verb and means that Paul is saying that we are right now citizens of heaven. Then he says, "We look for the Saviour." The word "look" translates "apekdechomai" and means "assiduously and patiently waiting for." It is a present tense verb which means that Paul was in his day expecting the Lord to return. Did Paul waste his waiting? Absolutely not. It simply means that the Lord's return is to be view as always imminent. I am a premillenialist set in concrete, who believe Paul was also, and verses like this prove it is the right position.. I am also a pretribulation rapturist who believe nothing else has to happen before the rapture. At that time He will change what Paul calls "our vile body." Amen.

Then Paul says, "which have the first fruits of the Spirit." The word "firstfruits" translates "aparche" and means "the first portion." When I was a boy my grandfather always planted potatoes. When they grew, there was a time before the main harvest, that he would go out and dig around the roots of the plants where he found some of the potatoes big enough to eat. So he would get what we called "new potatoes" and my grandmother would cook and serve them. They were good and we knew from this how good the main harvest would be. We have the firstfruits of the Spirit who has glorified us as a new man in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:24) and by this we have tasted in advance the glory that is to come at the redemption of the body.

The adoption is said to be the redemption of the body. We are waiting in anticipation (with stretched out necks) for the redemption of the body. God's salvation is of the whole man. It is Spiritual today and the new birth has to do with the spirit. But salvation comes in a package. Those who have the "firstfruits of the Spirit" will have without fail "the redemption of our body."

Creation is groaning for this event. MAN JOINS CREATION IN GROANING UNDER THE HEAVY LOAD OF THE CURSE. The farmer groans at his loss of a crop through too much rain or not enough. The present world order does not cooperate. There is a man or woman standing by the bedside of a loved one. The doctor has just said, "There is nothing else we can do." We groan with frustration over our inability to do anything. We are in bondage under a curse. The saved and lost share this bondage. We as saved people have a Comforter and a promise of future life, but we continue to be under the heavy burden of the curse and are subject to the same burdens as the unsaved around us.

We as believers in Christ have an expectation based on the promises of God. It is sure and steadfast. Hebrew 6:19 says, "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil." What an anchor of the soul! I have been too lengthy in this meditation. But I cannot close without giving an illustration. Dr. Harry Ironside in one of his books gives the following explanation of the anchor entering within the veil. He said, "the Greek harbors of that day were deep and able to sustain the ships as they loaded and unloaded their cargo. But there was usually a sandbar that separated the harbor from the sea. And when the tides were out, the ships could not enter the deep waters of the harbor because of the shallowness of the water." He said, "there was a small boat that was always carried by these ships called the 'forerunner.' When a ship came in and the tide was out, they would put the 'forerunner' out and put the heavy anchor of the ship into it. Then the 'forerunner' would take the anchor over the shallow waters into the deep waters of the harbor and drop it. Then if a storm arose which often happened, the winds would not drive the ship back out to sea. The ship was firmly anchored in the harbor and could endure the winds until the tide came in. Then the ship would enter into the safety of the harbor." We have a Forerunner who is for us entered. We have an Anchor that is already in the untroubled waters of the Harbor. Hallelujah! Someone hold my mules. The rope of His covenant promise is already attached to me and to the Anchor within the veil. We are connected and the promise and the Anchor holds.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White