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Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.
Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.
Subject 9 : Romans (Commentaries on the Book of Romans)
[Chapter 8-7] The Second Coming of The Lord and The Millennial Kingdom (Romans 8:18-25)
(Romans 8:18-25)
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 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.”
Those who are righteous by believing in the in the righteousness of God have received the glory of heaven. This is why they suffer with the gospel of the water and the Spirit of Jesus, to clothe all people with the glory of heaven. Believers dedicate themselves to the gospel of the righteousness of God and suffer on earth because partaking in Christ’s sufferings is glorious and righteous.
Is it not honorable for us to suffer for God, whom we deeply honor and respect? It certainly is; it is a glorious suffering. This is why those who believe in God’s righteousness suffer for His righteousness. For whom are you suffering right now? Are you suffering for the world and your flesh? What good would it be for your soul to bear the world’s suffering? Suffer for the righteousness of God and believe in it. The glory of God will then be upon you.
Inheritance with which we will be blessed in the future
Let us think about the inheritance that we will receive. The inheritance that we will receive in heaven is the reward of reigning with Jesus in the new heaven and earth. The glory we will receive in the Thousand-year Kingdom and the eternal Kingdom of God is so great that it cannot be measured. Only the born-again believers themselves can know and will possess this glory that awaits them.
The incomparable glory
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
Comparing the glory to be received by the believers to their sufferings of the present time, Paul said that their glory would far surpass their present sufferings. This is absolutely true; the glory that awaits us is most definitely far greater than the suffering that we bear now.
The earnest expectation of the creation
“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” (Romans 8:19-21).
All of God’s creation yearn to be released from the corruption from sin. To be released, the Kingdom of God must be established on this earth. These creations also wait for the children of God to become the masters of the Thousand-year Kingdom. All creations thus wait for the day when the sons of God reign with Him clothed in God’s glory, for the Kingdom of God to come.
Waiting for the redemption of our body
“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” (Romans 8:22-25).
Those who believe in the gospel of the righteousness of God are saved from all their sins. They wait for the Kingdom of God, for the day when it comes, with perseverance through all their sufferings. They suffer incessantly for the gospel, and, through suffering, their hope for the Kingdom of God becomes even more earnest. This is only natural for them. They do not wait for the kind of hope that is seen through the eyes of the flesh, but instead, the Kingdom of God that is not seen and their own transformation.
People and all other things in today’s world live an indescribably exhausting life. As time goes on, the world changes, and as technology and civilization grow, people’s hope for the future increases in their hearts. They expect to see a paradise on earth in the future and yet become anxious, nervous, and dreary, wondering why the process takes so long, despite all the progress. Computers, automobiles, and other technological and scientific advancements continue, yet it has become harder and harder to hear people’s laughter.
Is there hope for the future of the humanity? The answer is an unfortunate no. According to the Word of Revelations, as well as in the opinion of scientists, disasters await us with the shortage of water, the destruction of the ozone layer, draught and deforestation that will lead many people to die of thirst and heat. Can you feel all these disasters awaiting us in your heart?
Are we living in a pleasant world? It may seem pleasant in some ways. What is there that cannot be bought with money? But we need clean water and a healthy environment. Yet the ozone layer is being destroyed, allowing deadly rays to pierce through the atmosphere, while ultraviolet rays causes plants to mutate and the people’s hearts to harden. People increasingly worry, “What will happen to this world?” But unlike the people of the world, we the born-again believers have faith that we will be partake in the first resurrection and reign with Jesus for a thousand years.
The Bible tells us that the Lord Himself will descend again from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16). The question is “when” He is coming. Our Lord promised that He would come down to take those who believe in the gospel of the water, the blood and the Spirit, and so we are waiting for that day.
Those who are born again believe in this gospel. “My sins were passed onto Jesus when He was baptized, and I believe in the Lord as the Savior who was judged for my sins, in my place.” God has granted us salvation through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He is coming again to resurrect His people and to let them reign for a thousand years on this earth. The Bible is like a picture puzzle that must be matched together by its readers.
When Jesus first came down, He came to call on the sinners to repent. He bore their sins in His body through His baptism and was judged for them through the blood that He shed on the Cross. When the Lord, who now resides heaven, comes again, He will resurrect all those who believe in God’s righteousness to reign with Him for a thousand years.
The Millennial Kingdom
Those who truly love others in this world are the children of God. They are the only people who deliver the gospel of God’s righteousness to every lost soul to win them to Christ. Do people of this world reward the children of God? No. Then who does? When Jesus comes again, He will reward them by resurrecting those who are born again and allowing them to reign for a thousand years.
The Thousand-year Kingdom is for us, the born-again believers. Even as the present world is becoming desolated, when our Lord comes again, we will live in a new world. There, the Lord will allow us to reign with Him and live happy and joyful lives for as long as we want.
Paul said in Romans 8:23, “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.” Are you waiting for that day? Even we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the redemption of our bodies. God said that He would resurrect us, change our bodies, and allow us to live with Him. We, who have been born again as the righteous, hope and wait for His second advent through the Holy Spirit.
We groan within ourselves. The born-again believers know what this world is going to be like. What the fortunetellers foretell of the future means nothing. The born-again believers know precisely what will happen in the future. Even if the world were to change into what we had exactly predicted, no one would believe us now. But those who believe in the written Word of God just wait without boasting. Even if other people who do not recognize God’s Word regard them with contempt, they live with hope.
Those who do not believe, therefore, must receive salvation before their lives come to the end. They must believe that Jesus took upon their sins by His baptism and was judged in our place on the Cross. Only then will they be able to enter the Kingdom of God when the final day comes. We will be rewarded then and enter His Kingdom to have eternal life.
Are you sad? Are you weary? Or, are you satisfied with your life? We must clearly know and believe how Jesus became our Savior before we pass away. We must also prepare for our lives in Heaven. This world is not everything; knowing this truth, we must prepare to live in Heaven. This is what the wise do. Do you live in pleasure day by day? If so, you are a foolish person. Those who desire the better, that is, a heavenly country, and prepare to make their dreams come true by entering it, on the other hand, are the wise who truly build their house on the rock.
In the Millennial Kingdom
God made us in His own image and wanted us to live with Him forever. That is why the Lord came to this earth, received His baptism, and shed His blood to deliver us from all our sins. Those who believe in the righteousness of God live with the Lord, and the Lord will reward them for it. Our Lord will wipe away the tears from our eyes and reward us for all the hardships and loneliness that we have suffered.
God renews all things. He will allow a new world to come, where a weaned child can put his hand in a viper’s den and will not be bitten (Isaiah 11:8). We must believe in and eagerly wait for what is not seen, hoping for that day with perseverance. If we say that we wait for what is seen, we are foolish. If, on the other hand, we wait for what is not seen and believe in the Word of God, we are then wise. After our salvation, we wait for the glory that, though presently unseen by our eyes, is sure to come.
God Himself groans more than we do but still makes us wait. We are eagerly waiting for our flesh to be changed into spiritual bodies and to reign when our time comes. What does the Holy Spirit who dwells in us say? For what does He make us wait? He is making us wait for the Millennial Kingdom. The Lord is waiting to renew our bodies and live with us. We are also waiting to reign for a thousand years together with God.
Hallelujah! We give thanks to our Lord.
Christians live with their hope for heaven and confidence in their hope. This confidence is based not on our emotional feelings, but on the Word of God, who does not lie.
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