Hope For Tomorrow
(Romans 8: 12-25)
I remember growing up in the 50s and 60s when it seemed there wasn’t much on the television and we only had three channels to choose from as it was. Daytime television was the worst as after the noon news the airways were dominated by Soap Operas, and everyone had their favorite. I couldn’t drop in and visit my grandmother during the week as that was when she watched her “programs”. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I got hooked on one when I was an evening shift police officer in the 1970s. I’d watch it after lunch just before heading out to work, something about “like sand through an hourglass”.
What amazed me was how dysfunctional these families were with all the lying, cheating, double-dealing, dishonesty, and infidelity the writers wrote into each episode just making you want to tune in tomorrow to see what happens next. I think one reason they were so popular with the viewing audience is because there was always something going on that was identifiable and relatable to what was happening in their own lives and through it all there was always a hope for tomorrow that something would change, that the misery in their lives would somehow miraculously go away. And it’s that hope for tomorrow that the Apostle Paul is writing about in our scripture reading for today. The hope that because of the new life they have in Christ, tomorrow will be better.
So, after previously assuring his readers that there is no longer any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and that the law of the Spirit of life has set them free from the law of sin and death Paul gets down to explaining to them what is next. He begins by stating: So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but it isn’t an obligation to ourselves to live our lives on the basis of selfishness. If you live on the basis of selfishness, you are going to die. He’s telling them to put all of that dysfunctional living behind them and to stop living that soap opera lifestyle. He’s telling them that if they’ve put to death the selfish and self-centered actions of the body with the Spirit that they will live. He is abundantly aware that while believers might experience freedom from sin, its disastrous consequences remain. So he tells the Roman believers and us that all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters and that we didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead us back again into fear, but that we received a Spirit that shows us we are adopted as his children. He’s reassuring his readers that the Spirit is not “a spirit of slavery” that leads them again into fear but instead the loving parent that empowers God’s liberated people to live as God wills and confirms to them that they are God’s children. He says: With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.” The same Spirit agrees with our spirit, that we are God’s children. What a relief that must have been to hear that, adopted children of God.
But wait, there’s more! Paul continues by stating: But if we are children, we are also heirs. We are God’s heirs and fellow heirs with Christ, if we really suffer with him so that we can also be glorified with him. I like this idea of being an heir because when my dad passed all I got was the family fiddle and a single shot shotgun. But Paul says something that gives me pause. We’re fellow heirs with Christ if we really suffer with him. I saw what Christ went through for me, and it was pretty humiliating and brutal. Am I really up to it? And then Paul says: I believe that the present suffering is nothing compared to the coming glory that is going to be revealed to us. He’s telling us that whatever it is that we will endure in the name of Christ, it will ultimately be worth it. He continues by telling us the whole of creation waits breathlessly with anticipation for the revelation of God’s sons and daughters, for us to finally get it.
Paul depicts God’s creation as a victim of oppression, having been subjected to sinful humans’ destructive influence as a result of God’s prior, hope-filled decision to subject non-human creation to humans. Yeah, that worked out well.
Creation is waiting for us to get our act together, to put all of our dysfunctional foolishness behind us and get to work repairing the damage and restoring what God created to its intended form. Paul tells us: Creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice—it was the choice of the one who subjected it—but in the hope that the creation itself will be set free from slavery to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of God’s children. He’s reminding us that God’s creation was perfect, that he put humans in charge of taking care of it, and it’s a mess. He says: We know that the whole creation is groaning together and suffering labor pains up until now. And it’s not only the creation. He includes those who have the Spirit as the first crop of the harvest who also groan inside as they wait to be adopted and for their bodies to be set free. Restoring creation, giving birth to new life is a process that can be painful and laborious, but he tells us that we were saved in hope. We hope for what we don’t see, a genuine hope for tomorrow, and we wait for it with patience.
Paul looks forward to the rebirth of all creation, a hope grounded in his belief in Christ’s resurrection, the first crop of the harvest of those who have died. He beautifully describes the Spirit’s participation with “groaning” humanity. Despite the present suffering, believers then and now trust that God will bring good from even the worst of circumstances. It’s kind of like we’d like to tell Paul that if he thought it was tough back then, he should see it now. We’ve taken it to a new level. What we’ve done to God’s perfect creation in the last two hundred years would be incomprehensible to Paul, not to mention the injustices committed upon many of the innocent inhabitants of the world for no justifiable reason, injustices being committed even as we worship here today.
As Christians, our new position in Christ and our reception of the Spirit transfers us from an existence of slavery to one of adoption as God’s children and heirs, and along with this new position comes the obligation to be the somebodies who do something in Jesus’ name to make the world a better place to live as we work to restore the severely maimed creation to which we were entrusted. And we know that this new position may bring suffering now in many forms, but that we will ultimately receive the fullness of God’s promises in resurrection glory.
As Christians, we see the world as it is—physically decaying and spiritually infected with sin. But Christians do not need to be pessimistic, because we have hope for the guaranteed future glory as God’s heirs. In the meantime, we go with Christ into the world where we heal people’s bodies, their souls, and fight the evil effects of sin in the world. We stand in solidarity with creation, eagerly expecting the hoped-for future with patient endurance by the assistance of the Spirit. There is hope for tomorrow, in this we can be sure.
Let us pray.
Farther along we’ll know all about it. Farther along we’ll understand why. Cheer up my brother live in the sunshine. We’ll understand it all by and by. Yes, gracious and loving God, we have a hope for tomorrow because of the sacrifice and promise of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ who came to live and experience what we endure in our struggles against the evil in this world. We take comfort in the fact that we have your Spirit to guide us in our daily lives as we endeavor to lead Christ-like lives for all to see. We pray for your wisdom and guidance so that we may lead the efforts needed to restore your creation to its intended purpose. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
To view service, click link below;
7/19/26
Hope for Tomorrow
Despite the present suffering, believers then and now trust that God will bring good from even the worst of circumstances.