From groaning to glory, part two
OPINION —
Last week we saw that Paul told the disciples at Rome they were headed for glory through the resurrection of their bodies. While many people immediately see the grandeur in this, others are not quite so sure.
I remember an occasion after I had given a message on the resurrection of the body. A woman came up to me and wanted to know if she understood it correctly, that the body she had now would be the body that was resurrected? I assured her that was right — Jesus didn’t receive another body — the body that died was the body that was resurrected (otherwise it would make no sense to speak of it as a resurrection). I’ll never forget her response: “I was really hoping for something better.”
It will be!
John wrote, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Our bodies will be resurrected and transformed to be like Jesus’ body. Is His resurrected body glorious? Absolutely! Then ours will be as well. What God did for Jesus He will do for us.
If we return to Paul’s words in Romans 8, we’ll find that’s not all he had to say on the subject. In addition to the followers of Jesus, there was something else that was headed for a glorious resurrection — creation!
Creation and humanity have the same origin. Both the world and humanity were created by God. He created the earth and then made man from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). Then He placed man in the garden to work the earth (v. 15). So from the beginning, man has had a close connection with the earth.
Creation and humanity are under a redemptive curse. When sin entered the world, both humanity and the earth were put under a redemptive curse. Man would die physically and return to the earth (3:19). The earth was cursed with thorns and thistles making it more difficult for man to grow his food and derive a living from the soil (v. 17, 5:29).
Paul provides commentary of this when he says, “the creation was subjected to frustration” and “has been groaning with the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (v. 20, 22). He adds that disciples also “groan inwardly as we await eagerly our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies” (v. 23).
Creation and redeemed humanity have the same destiny. Both humanity and creation were cursed and now both wait for the glorious day when the curse will be lifted and glory will take its place. Until then, we groan! We groan from infirmity, disability, disease, and ultimately death.
It’s clear our destinies are intertwined. We’ve been paired with the earth from the very beginning, so it makes sense that in making all things new, the restoration of earth and our bodies that come from the earth are inextricably linked together. We’ll think about this next week as we conclude out look at Romans 8:18-25.
Find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: a-taste-of-grace-with-bruce-green.com.
