Romans 8:18-30 is the Apostle Paul describing how “the sufferings (afflictions, hardships, pains) of this present time are nothing compared to the coming glory (dignity, honor) soon to be revealed in us, for the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for all God’s children to be revealed at Christ’s coming to midair to catch away His body, His bride-church, as 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes.
Sin we inherited from Adam’s disobedience, unwillingly placed us under sin’s slavery, withholding from us the close, intimate, sweet presence Adam had with God, before he willingly disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because God was Adam’s knowledge of what was good for him and what was evil for him, but Adam chose to be his own god, to know right from wrong, but his foolish, sinful thinking got him and his wife, Eve, driven forever from the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword guarding the “tree pf life” and the entrance, so they could never return (Genesis 3:20-24).
Even we who are mature Christians and have the “firstfruits of the Holy Spirit” (Galatians 5:16-26), “groan inwardly eagerly waiting for Christ’s coming to change our physical, sin and diseased bodies to our spiritual bodies like Christ’s heavenly body”, and this strong, faith-hope is what saves us from making foolish choices that separate Christ Jesus and us, for the Holy Spirit helps in our fleshly weakness, by praying through us, in agreement with God’s will, so He can “intercede or mediate through our prayers”, with whatever or whomever is keeping God’s will from being done, and He mediates until God’s will is done; therefore, only the Holy Spirit knows for what He prays through us.
But only what the Holy Spirit prays through us, so He can intercede or mediate until God’s will is done, works together for good to us who love God and are called in agreement with His purpose, which verse 29 says is for us to become conformed to Christ’s image (Christ’s likeness, representation, resemblance), so people see Christ and not us, for whom God preplanned to represent Christ, He glorified (honored) and justified (make innocent of sin) in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-14).
Romans 8:31-39 describes God’s awesome, pure, perfect love for those to whom He honors as Christ’s representatives, His resemblance, members of Christ’s body, the worldwide church, for Christ protects us from false accusations, by constantly interceding (mediating) on our behalf, so the satanic forces, whether demons or demonized people, can ever separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus, but if we allow it, we can separate our self from God’s love, in Christ Jesus, by either believing the satanic false accusations or by allowing Christ’s protection to become a god- idol of mental pride that destroys our close, intimate relationship with God, through Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit (Proverbs 16:18).
There is always a very fine line between God’s blessings and us becoming proud of God’s blessings; between God’s provision and us proud of God’s provision; between tithing because we love and trust God and us giving to receive God’s financial blessing, even though we know God always blessings all who obey His command to tithe, yet when our only purpose for tithing is to be blessed financially, then our tithe becomes our god-idol, and God cannot bless it, so be very careful to keep our love for God and our love for His blessings totally separate.
If our pure love for God’s plan and will is totally separate from His promise to always bless our pure love for Him, then God’s blessings do not become a god-idol, and will not separate us from God, through Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, so love God with a pure love and sacred trust, allowing nothing else to be important to us but God’s plan and will for us.
Jim Nabors
