Romans 8:18-23
Suffering…That Unwanted Friend

Introduction
1. Look at the Manifestation of the Flesh chart.
2. His Spirit bears witness with our spirit (17) and closes with suffering.
3. In my 54 years of pastoring I’ve seen many things that I have no answer: children in a cancer
ward…the death of children or a mother in her 30s…abuse…victims of rape…desertion…
paralysis…a young father is killed leaving a wive and two small children. Innocent people
suffer.
4. There are tornadoes and floods that kill and leaven innocent people homeless…wars and the
ravages of war…missionaries killed while on a mission for Christ.
5. We all know of those within our own congregation who have gone through it and many are
still going through it.
6. Are you going through it? Suffering is that unwanted friend.
7. Romans 8:18-23 do you know someone who is suffering?

Are you going through it? Suffering is that unwanted friend.
I. THE CONTEXT OF SUFFERING 6-8
A. Sanctification
1. Suffering brings us to the end of ourselves.
2. Without suffering we never realize how weak we are.
3. Without suffering we never realize how much we need Him.
B. Sonship 8:14-16
1. We are given assurance that we are part of God’s family.
2. “Why would God allow any of His children to go through what he or she is going through?”
3. What you may be going through is no indication of your relationship with God.
4. If you doubt His love, look at Calvary. Look at His Son. What is happening is no indication
of how He feels about you. He loves you…period! (Romans 8:35)
C. Sovereignty 8:28,29
1. The suffering in this passage is a part of the ‘all things’.
2. He is in the process of making you and me look just a bit more like His Son.
3. Suffering is part of a process, that He will use ‘all things’ to make me into what He
desires.

II. THE CONTINUATION OF SUFFERING 8:18, 20-23
A.The Comparison 18
1.Suffering Is Plural
*All Christians suffer, there are no exceptions.
*The word used is always plural. “Problems are like bananas…they come in bunches.”
2.Suffering Is Present
*It is a part of this life. Don’t be surprised!
*The ‘now’ time… ‘Healing is in the atonement.’ If it is it is not ‘now’. For the saved this suffering is limited to this present system.
3.Suffering In Perspective 18a
*This isn’t all there is! The sufferings are not worthy to be compared.
*The intensity of our suffering is not even a drop in the bucket compared with the intensity of coming glory!
*Into us…This glory is not like a spectator sport. We are going to be involved.
Nor because we earn it, but because we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ!
B.The Commencement 20
1.Vanity is empty, something that doesn’t measure up to that for which it was intended. Creation doesn’t measure up!
* “God allowed this to happen because He knew you could take it.” God knew we couldn’t
take it! God knows it is too big for us. He always gives us things too big for us! If so, then He
must fulfill the assignment through us!
*We are in a fallen world. God doesn’t stop miraculously every time something comes our
way.
*We are all born defective. Eventually the defect will show up!
2. Not willingly, but by reason of Him (God)
*God is not the author of sin and evil. (Rom 5:12) Where as by one man sin entered
the world.

*Because of Adam’s sin the consequences extended to all of creation.
C.The Condition 21-23
1.All of creation…bondage of corruption…bondage of decay.
*Scientist call it the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Everything is decaying, running down without exception.
*For a while something may grow, eventually it dies. Man pollutes the air, ruins the environment. Greed, materialism, pressure is killing us.
*Food used to contain nutrients. Water is impure. Everything man touches he slowly destroys the world around him.
2. The whole creation groans 22
*Everything is out of joint…sighing.
*Until now…There is no evolutionary process. Things have not continued to improve
from Adam’s sin until now.
*Someone pointed out every sound of nature is in a minor key
*Within the human race: negativism…depression…defeat…despair…disease.
*Travail is birth pains!
3. We groan…looking forward to new birth.
*Have you ever hurt so badly you couldn’t say a word?
*In this unredeemed body don’t get too hung up on this unredeemed world! Our
satisfaction, our fulfillment was never designed to be in that which is temporary.

III. THE CONCLUSION OF SUFFERING 8:19, 21, 23
A. The Longing 19
1.Earnest expectations is ‘to crane one’s neck. The whole creation is standing on tip toes. J.B. Phillips
2.Manifestation of the sons of God.
*Manifestation is ‘unveiling’ ‘to bring into view’
*When? We have the Rapture…Tribulation…Jesus Comes to set up His kingdom (Rev. 19:11-16)
B.The Liberty 21
1.Delivered…(not merely for believers)…at Jesus’ coming!
2.(Isaiah 11:6-9)
C.The Life 23
Paul goes from creation to the Christian.
1. Of Patience
*Waiting…the time is not yet! Waiting is difficult.
*It seems like it will never come!
2.Of Possession
*Ourselves who are the first fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the first fruit. It means there is much more ahead (14, 15, 16) You haven’t seen anything yet!
*The full adoption…only when these mortal bodies are made alive can we appreciate all that is ours!
*Sons…Heirs now we just get a taste!
3.Of Peace
The war is over!!
*Adoption is to move from one family to another. Redemption of the body.
*God has something in mind for our bodies. When? At the Rapture: (I Cor. 15:50ff)
(I Thes. 4:13-18)
Let’s live in light of eternity.
Suffering by design is to get us to realize how frail, fragile, futile this life is and set your heart of things above.
Nothing touches me that isn’t passed through the hands of my heavenly Father. NOTHING.
Everything I endure is designed to make me look just a little bit more like Jesus.
EVERYTHING.

Facing Life’s Tragedies:
Acceptance…don’t fight and try to figure out, ‘Why me?’ Why not me?
Adjustment…things happen, we must adjust.
Attitude…right attitude, and a good relation with God.
Adoration…praise and thanksgiving.