By Pastor Greg
Often times the message Jesus proclaimed is called the Good News. And perhaps you’ve wondered what that Good News really is. According to the Apostle Paul, in the book of Romans, the Good News is that from the very beginning God had a plan to restore humanity’s broken relationship with Him. It begins by revealing our sin, condemning our sin, and judging our sin. And although we object to being judged, our actions demonstrate our sinfulness. We might argue that God’s judgment is unfair, but in the end His judgment is justified. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s holy standard of living. But . . . rather than leave us eternally separated, God established a way to restore that broken relationship. Because of our faith in Jesus, we can finally be at peace with God. And this peace results in a new life, a new master, in being conformed and in being comforted. God grants us His Spirit which equips us with the ability to become sanctified; set apart and holy, and to act in ways that please God.
This is the Good News found in Jesus the Messiah. Because of His sacrifice upon the cross, we have been delivered from the penalty of sin, and because of the Holy Spirit we have been delivered from the power of sin. Yet there is more. God’s plan for humanity does not stop there. Paul actually speaks of a day when we will be delivered from the presence of sin; when sin is cut away, no longer having its influence in our lives. There is to be a glorious redemption for those who have placed their faith in Jesus (Read Romans 8:18-25).
There is a central point Paul is making in this sections, and that can be seen in the word groaning. Creation groans. We groan. The Spirit groans. But what are these groaning's? It is the longing to be free from the presence of sin, and for God to finally fulfill His promise. There is a longing to make things whole again. There is a deep desire within us to be holy and set apart, and a growing weariness within us as we are daily confronted with sin, death, and moral decay. We groan and desire to become the kind of person that honors God. And yet even though there is the desire, sin is still present. And we are faced with it every day.
My heart aches. My heart aches because I know that life can be, should be, so much better than it is. Some days I feel powerless to overcome the darkness around me and within me. From the depth of my soul and with every fiber of my being I long for the day when God’s great plan will finally be realized and the world will be free of sin. But not only the world, for you and I and all who have confessed their sin and believe in the work of Jesus upon the cross, we too will be finally free from sin. And the Good News is that this is what God had planned all along.
How deep the Father’s love is for us that he would not merely free us from sin’s penalty and sin’s power, but that He planned all along to free us from sin’s presence. This was God’s plan all along. He predestined (or predetermined) this from the very beginning. For those who have been adopted into the family of God through their faith in Jesus Christ, God planned from the very beginning that they would be conformed into the image of the Son, that the penalty of their sin would be covered by the Son, and that they would be glorified when sin’s presence is removed.
Oh how I long for that day; to finally be free from the presence of sin within this world and within myself. What an amazing day that will be! We will no longer struggle to do what is right. Overwhelming victory will be ours. On that day we will no longer see ourselves through the eyes of sin, but through the eyes of God. And on that day we will see ourselves as God sees us. We will not be identified by our weaknesses, our sin, our hurts, and our sadness. We will know ourselves and be known as the person God intended us to be all along. This is why there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). God sees us already as we will be, not just as we are.
What Paul is talking about in this section speaks about God’s plan of redemption, which means to purchase back something which was lost. And as Paul points out here it is not merely our souls which have been redeemed, but our bodies as well (verse 23). However, it is not just humanity that will be redeemed but also all of creation. One day even this earth will be free from the presence of sin. Just as we are promised a new glorified body, so too will there be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1).
God causes redemption to happen. He causes sanctification. And He planned this from the very beginning. And a believer can be assured that this has happened, is happening, and will happen. So no matter what a believer might face in this life, they must persevere knowing that regardless of the circumstances, the fact remains that God has adopted us as His children, and that He has confirmed this by pouring out His Spirit. We have been, are being, and will be redeemed. And nothing will ever keep that from happening. That, my friend, is the Good News.
Epilogue: this section of Romans, along with chapter 9, leaves many theologians with a difficult question. Where does the desire to begin this whole process come from in the first place? What happens in a person’s heart to convict them that their sin has separated them from God? You see, a person who has no desire to restore their relationship with God will not begin this whole process that leads to redemption. Theologians throughout the ages have endlessly debated this topic. It’s one of those questions we wish we could ask Jesus. “Hey Jesus, so did I become saved because you predestined me to be saved? And what about the person who seems to really hate You? Did God make them hate You?” But somehow I get the feeling that even if you and I did have the opportunity to ask Jesus about predestination and free will, I suspect Jesus would respond by saying “What is that to you? As for you, follow me” (John 21:22).
By focusing on predestination and free will, I believe we miss the main point here. Regardless if God predestined you to be saved or if you have the free will to be saved is not the point Paul is trying to make. His point is that God intended all along to purchase you back, all of you; mind, soul, and body. He intended to free this world of sin. And honestly, maybe we should be reading this section in a positive note instead a negative one. Instead of focusing on who is excluded, maybe we should be looking at who is included. Maybe we should be praising God that once former sinners are now hungering and thirsting for righteousness. I can picture Paul pointing to the repentant Gentile and asking the Jew, "You can deny it all you want, but the truth is that God planned all along to bring these people into His Kingdom. He didn't just choose you. He chose them as well. And we know that He has because He placed within them the same Spirit He placed in you".
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