Louie Giglio - Epicenter - Part 3
Now, interestingly, about this text, we’re starting right here in verse 18 with future glory. But it’s all hinging on what he’s already said to us back in verse 17. We’ve come down, we’ve received this adoption to sonship, now we have the Spirit of God inside of us, the Spirit of God in us, Christ out, Abba, Father. And that’s how we know that we are the children of God. And we know that, now, we’re not just free floating agents on earth but we are God’s children. «The Spirit,» It says in verse 16, «Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children».
But then look at verse 17, «Now, if we are children, then we are heirs…» In other words, your kids are your heirs, unless somehow you’ve written them out of the will, they’re gonna get what you’ve got. Everything that you have is on its way into their hands at some point. Because they’re your children, they’re your heirs. And, he’s established that we’re God’s children, so therefore we’re God’s heirs. And then, he goes on to amplify that to say we’re, «Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ». So, everything Christ has coming, all of His triumph, all of His victory, all of His rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, all of the riches that are coming to Him in glory, we’re in that. Not because we deserved it, not because we earned it, not because we are the people who amassed it, and not because we’re king.
We’re not King Jesus and we’re not Lord of lords, we are in the one who is King of kings and Lord of lords. And so, when He comes in all of His glory, we’re gonna be the heirs of all of that. «Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ». But then, of course, there’s always in scripture the annoying conditions. «If». And this if isn’t a conditional as if your salvation depends on some performance of yours, but to condition is more explanatory of letting you know how this transfer of wealth is gonna work in your story and in your life.
And here’s how it’s gonna work. «If indeed we share…» So we’ve already shared in being joined to Christ, so we share, in our new position we share in His holiness, amen, we share in His righteousness, we are justified. We share in His position where we are seated with Him, we share in knowing that we have eternal life in Him, we have the mind of Christ in Him, we have the word of God in Him, we have the Spirit in Him. So, we share a lot with Christ. But he’s saying there’s one more thing you need to share with Christ. And what you need to share with Christ are, «If you share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory».
So, there’s not a tear that you have shed that He doesn’t understand because He suffered, the scripture says. He didn’t just die on a cross, He suffered and died. And we’ll see why in just a moment. But then He had this amazing moment of glory. He came out of the tomb, He already had a transfigured body so that He could go through walls. He eventually just was lifted off into Heaven again and now is seated at the right hand of God. But this time He has a scroll in His hand that He knows He has the authority to open and redeem all of humanity and to make it right again. The context of this isn’t necessarily sufferings like persecution, as a believer but it could very well include that. It really just means the sufferings of living on planet earth. And to live on planet earth is to suffer and to share in what Jesus suffered.
So, let’s let Paul take us through this. This is his presupposition, right here. This is his major, you know, kinda plank of here’s what’s gonna happen, this is how this works, right here. But then he comes on down to the next section when he shows us a little bit about how we’re gonna be able to navigate that. The first thought he’s saying to us is, «I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us». So, he’s saying it’s important that you live with an understanding of present and of future. Your present is mostly gonna be navigating suffering. Your future is gonna be about enjoying all of glory. Your present isn’t gonna be as it’s supposed to be.
So, there is going to be disappointment, there’s going to be family tension, there’s going to be fractured relationships, there is going to be disease. People are gonna die. There are going to be accidents, there is going to be injustice, there’s going to be mistreatment. There’s going to be calamity, there’s going to be war. There is going to be natural disaster, there is going to be failure. There is going to the tension and the brokenness of a human body that still has residual of sin in it and a renewed spirit made in the image of God, and with the ability to obey and follow Him, now, through the work of Jesus.
There is going to be all manner of hardship. There is going to be opposition, there will be some forms of persecution, there will be things that don’t add up and that are not fair. There is going to be mistreatment, people are gonna hurt each other and people are gonna hurt themselves. There is going to be a lot of suffering in the present, but there is a future coming that’s not even worth comparing to what we’re enduring right now. And if you will endure with faith, right now, then you’re gonna experience this glory that doesn’t even compare. And then, he unpacks all this and… Let’s just work through it for a little bit, together. The creation… So now, now we’re gonna put this on a grand scale. «The whole creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed».
Now, let me just stop here for a moment because this one I had to kinda reread it three or four times, and then when I did it was like, «Okay, this is not what most of us are thinking in our minds». This verse is telling us that the broken world… So, the whole world which is broken. God didn’t create natural disasters in the Garden of Eden, that happened because of our sin, because of Adam and Eve’s sin. But it would’ve been my sin if it wasn’t their sin. If He had taken them out of the garden and put me in the garden, woulda had the same outcome. And so, as a result of that the creation itself is now under a curse, and we’ll see that in the next verse. But the creation itself created by God and for God knows that it’s not functioning the way it’s supposed to be functioning.
So, I don’t care where we are, we’re not trying to get in a big discussion about global warming or climate change or any of that stuff today, but come on, something’s crazy happened. Something crazy is happening. And maybe it’ll all get right again and 2,000 years later they’ll be looking back and going, «This is just the way the earth’s worked for thousands of years». But the earth isn’t functioning the way it’s supposed to be functioning right now, and that’s because it is also suffering. And it’s also in a position, not like we are spiritually, but physically it is also in a position of suffering for a little while for a future glory.
Now, it’s future glory is, it’s gonna be destroyed but there’s gonna be a new Heaven and a new earth. Fortunately, that’s not our future, you’re not gonna get destroyed, you’re gonna get transformed. But the earth, also, is in this suffering glory dilemma right now, and it knows this isn’t the way we’re supposed to be. And so, it waits, «In eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed». Now, what does that mean? The text will show us that what it means is there’s coming a time where God’s true children, okay, I’m gonna go very lightly and gently here. Not all the people that went to church, not all the people who prayed a prayer, not all the people who claimed a denomination, not all the people who thought they were pretty good people.
But there’s gonna come a time when all the true sons and daughters of God… are gonna be revealed. That Spirit who testifies with my spirit that I’m a child of God. That convincing that’s happened, Spirit to spirit, that true salvation that has not only given me confidence of Heaven but has given me a desire to hold on to Jesus while I’m on earth, revealed. Here they all are, the true sons and daughters of God. And then, look at the problem of the creation. «For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice but by the will of the one who subjected it». And you might ask the question, «Well, who is the one who subjected it? Did the enemy do that to creation? Did we do that to creation? Did God do that to creation»? But I see that the outcome here is positive. «The creation was subjected to frustration by the will of the one…»
So, here we’re gonna see who did the subjecting, «Who subjected it,» And there was a purpose, «In hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom,» So, even the creation is coming into, «The glorious freedom of the children of God». So, who would subject something in hope of freedom? Not the enemy. So, the serpent didn’t curse the earth and say, «Yeah, you’re all frustrated now». And we didn’t subject the earth to that. It was our doing that caused God, as we go back and read Genesis, to curse the ground but He cursed it in hope. He cursed it in hope. He does everything He does in hope, that it would also be a part and be brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. And then, he kind of unpacks a little bit of how creation’s doing.
«For we know that the whole creation has been groaning…» We’re gonna see this word a lot. «As in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time…» So even right up to today, right while I’m speaking, right now, the creation’s groaning in the pains of childbirth. It’s like, «Oh man! Oh man»! There’s a lot of groaning, there’s a lot of pain, there is a lot of intensity, there is a lot of… but, it’s the pains of childbirth. I really want us to understand this today. It’s not the pains of death, it’s not the throes of death, it’s not doomsday. Creation’s not going, «Doomsday, is coming»! Creation’s going, «A birth is about to happen». And that mindset, remember the mindset on the spirit is life, the mindset on the flesh is death.
So, the mindset on the spirit says, «Yes, the worlds about to crack a part. Yes, the whole world is not as it should be. There shouldn’t be pestilence and famine and… There shouldn’t be flood and fire. There shouldn’t be disease and death and injustice on earth but there is and the whole earth is even groaning. But it’s not the groans of a dying person, it’s the groans of birth». And so, we’re not headed to doomsday, people, we’re headed to birthday. It’s the groans of childbirth. And not only the creation, but we’re in it. I’ll just speed on down. «Not only creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, We groan…» There’s that word again, «We groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies».
What is he saying? He’s saying: We’ve already gotten the seal of the Spirit, we already have the guarantee of adoption, we already know that He’s on the way to pick us up. We already know that maybe it’s not as it should be, but we already know that He’s coming to get us and when He comes to get us and we get in the car with Him and start heading to the heavenly home we’re gonna realize right away that we are forever home. «For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all,» In other words, we’re hoping for all of this. If we had already got it we wouldn’t be hoping for it. But we haven’t gotten it yet so we’re hoping for it still. And we wait for it patiently. Reading this text I connected it for the very first time. Passion, our whole movement has been rooted in Isaiah 26:8 since day one. «Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your truth we wait eagerly for you, for your name and renown are the desire of our souls».
So, we wait for it patiently. We wait for it at the death bed. We don’t like it, but we’re patiently waiting for it. We wait for it when tragedy comes and nobody has an answer. We say we don’t like it, but we gon' patiently wait because what we’re going through right now doesn’t even compare. Doesn’t even compare. Not worth comparing. Not even gonna be. «Man, that was hard, but this is so good. That made no sense, but all of this makes sense. That was so unjust and so unfair and so jacked up, but this is lovely and good». Nope. Not even worth comparing. When we get into this, it’s just gonna be this. And when we have that mindset, it allows us to wait patiently. «In the same way…» That all that’s happening, «The Spirit helps us in our weakness».
So, we got all kinds of problems on this world. We got weakness going on, we’ve got decay, remember that, we have bondage, remember that, we have pain, remember that, we got all kinds of stuff that’s not going right. We do not know what we ought to pray for. Now, let me just add in, why not? Because, we know there’s a big story going on so if can just say this in a really fast way. Yes, we wanna pray through healing but we already know we got healing and a thousand times more coming. So, is it the healing you wanna do right now, or is there something else you wanna do right now? We don’t know how to pray. We don’t even know what to pray.
We got this person against this person, we don’t really know who’s right, who’s wrong. This nation against this nation. We got this going against this thing. We don’t really know the behind the scenes, we really don’t know much of the information. We’re all getting this much from a news feed. «I don’t know, God, what’s happening»? Sometimes we do know how to pray, but a lot of times we don’t know exactly what to pray. «But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans…» There they are again, «That words cannot express».
Now, this text just, really quickly, does it? I don’t think, say that the spirit is groaning for you. Why would He do that? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all understand each other, they are all always in sync. The Holy Spirit doesn’t need a groan to let the Father know how He wants to pray for you. What’s more likely, in the context of this, is that the Holy Spirit is the one who’s stirring up the groan inwardly as we wait eagerly. We are the ones who, with the first fruits of the Spirit, who are groaning inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption. That means, sometimes, we’re so in the thick of it that we don’t even know what to pray and so we’re just like, somehow, inside groaning happening. Amen? And now, a few verses later, he’s saying that’s the Holy Spirit. He’s stirring up the inside groaning and actually turning it into something that translates into meaningful intercession before Almighty God.
You say, «Well, how do you know that»? Well, you just see the next part. Because it says, «And He,» That would be the Father, «Who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,» So, this groan that the Spirit is stirring up in us is understood by the mind of the one who knows the mind of the Spirit. But then he adds on at the end, «Because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance to God’s will». So, while we’re stuck in the now, got so much from God right now. In the not yet there’s so much about what God’s doing in our lives that isn’t here yet. We’re stuck on a earth that even knows things aren’t right and is knowing it’s about to give birth. We have the first fruit and so we know who we are. But we’re also waiting eagerly for that moment where our bodies get caught up in what our spirit is already experiencing.
Now, that is a tough place to be for 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 90, 100 years on earth. But praise God, we’re not by ourselves stuck in the middle. The Spirit of God says, «I’m gonna help you. I’m gonna stir up prayers inside of you that are not even words that you would understand, and I’m gonna intercede for you». We got Jesus interceding a few verses later, we already looked at that, now we got the Holy Spirit interceding. I’m telling you, friend, you are not as bad off as you think you are. You have the Holy Spirit and the Son of God interceding before God on your behalf, right now. And how’s the Holy Spirit praying for you? I love this. He’s praying for you in accordance with the will of God. I can’t pray in accordance fully with the will of God for my life 'cause I don’t really understand all of the will of God for my life.
And this text we’re gonna see next week is mostly that I be conformed to the image of Jesus. That’s the will of God for my life. And so many people, you know, it’s interesting. And, it’s not really the message today but, there isn’t a faith prayer that you can pray to make sure that you don’t have any disease, or hardship. That’s not the gospel. This text is a firm rebuttal to anything that wants to say to you, «If you just have enough faith and know how to pray the right prayer, you can get off a groaning world and have no hardship, no injustice, no suffering, no pain, no cancer, no death. You can get through life suffering free». The Holy Spirit says otherwise. He says, «I’m here to help you in the suffering on a broken planet until that day. I’m here to help you. And here’s how I’m gonna help you. I’m gonna pray for you in accordance with the will of God».
So, don’t let anybody tell you that it’s a cop out to pray for God’s will to be done. Well, why don’t you just step up and have faith and pray that they’ll rise up from death to life? It’s like, you know what, I know, maybe I hope, other people share what I’m saying here, but I’ve prayed for dead people before. Why wouldn’t you, if you walk with Jesus who raises the dead? I haven’t seen any dead people raised from the dead before, but I’m not gonna be in the you have not because you asked not line. I’ve prayed for many, many people to be healed of physical ailments in my life time. And Shelley and I have seen people healed.
Why wouldn’t you pray for people’s healing? Why wouldn’t you believe for miracles? Why wouldn’t you speak breakthrough? Why wouldn’t you call on Heaven to do the impossible? Of course, you would. But in that and with that, it is a good thing to join the Holy Spirit and say, «And yet, God, ultimately what we’re praying right now is for your will to be done». And we’re not praying that as a cop out, like, I don’t wanna pray a faith prayer and then not have it be answered and people go, «Well, I guess you don’t have much faith, so I’m just gonna go with the safe middle road. Lord, we just pray your will be done». That is not the safe middle road. I think that’s my savior saying, «Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven». And the Holy Spirit, He’s praying that prayer so I can have confidence. The world’s broken, we got a birth that’s coming any day now, the sons of God are gonna be revealed. Everything is gonna be put right. This glory doesn’t even compare to the sufferings of this earth.
So Lord, I can trust you right now. I’m just praying in the middle of it all, let your will be done. Whatever you’re thinking, whatever you wanna do, whatever your planning, whatever you see, whatever you understand, whatever you’re ruling over today, let your will be done. In my life, in our lives, in this situation, in our world, let your will be done.