LIBERATION FROM THE PRESENCE OF SIN Chapter 8:18–39

So far in the epistle, Paul has shown that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have a past deliverance from the penalty of their sins and also a present deliverance from the power of sin. He now shows that the fullness of God's salvation for the believer also includes a future deliverance from the very presence of sin in us. This has to do with the eradication of the believer's sinful nature by being glorified as Christ. Paul referred to this in verse 17. This final aspect of deliverance, which will be ours at the Lord's coming (the Rapture), is so immense that its effects will reach even creation itself – but that will not happen until the Appearing of Christ, seven years after the Rapture. At that moment, men, animals and plants will be delivered “from the bondage of corruption” (v. 21).

Since the fall of man (Gen. 3), all creation has been marked by the disease of sin, and its effects can be seen everywhere. Everything is suffering because of what sin brought into the world – disease, famine, sorrow, violence, death, etc. God has promised not to leave creation in this state indefinitely and will intervene to reverse the effects of sin at the Appearing of Christ. Although all creation will experience the benefits of this deliverance, it will not be on the same level that Christians will experience it. Paul shows in this passage that the souls of believers will be freed from the sinful nature and their bodies will be glorified! These are things that men on Earth and the lower creation will not experience in the Millennium.

The Support of Two Divine Intercessors

While the believer waits in hope for this future deliverance, he is seen under all the support and strength of two divine intercessors: the Spirit of God below (v. 26), and Christ above (v. 34). Furthermore, since the believer is still on Earth, he is seen facing trials coming from two directions: first, from being in the creation that groans (vv. 20-30), and then from opposition to the testimony of the gospel (vv. 31-39).

Paul mentions this final aspect of deliverance as follows:

• The deliverance that will be brought to believers and to the lower creation (chap. 8:18-23).

• The comfort and encouragement of the believer in the present time of suffering, while waiting for the promised deliverance (chap. 8:24-28).

• The purpose God has in allowing trials that result from living in a scene affected by what sin brought into creation (chap. 8:29-30).

THE COMING GLORY AND THE DELIVERANCE IT BRINGS Chap. 8:18-30 – Since this final aspect of deliverance has to do with future events, to understand it properly we need some knowledge of these things. The prophetic Scriptures indicate that the Lord's coming has two phases. First, He will come to call all Christians from the Earth – taking them to heaven (John 14:2-3; 1 Thess. 1:10, 4:15-18). Those who teach about the Bible call this the Rapture – a word equivalent in Latin to “catching away” (Acts 8:39; 2 Cor. 12:2-4; 1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 12:5). Then there will be a terrible time of anguish on Earth called the Tribulation (Matt. 24:21; 2 Thess. 2:2-4; Rev. 3:10), which will be a period of about seven years (Dan. 9:27). After that, the second phase of the Lord's coming will occur (the Appearing) when He will come from heaven with His saints to judge the world and establish His millennial kingdom (Matt. 24:29-30; 1 Thess. 3:13, 4:14; 2 Thess. 1:7-10, 2:8; Jude 14-15). We mention this because certain parts of the coming deliverance will occur at the Rapture and others at the Appearing. For example, the Christian will obtain his deliverance from the presence of sin at the Rapture by being glorified at that moment (1 Cor. 15:51-56; Phil. 3:20-21). Creation, however, must wait for the Appearing of Christ before being delivered. At that moment deliverance from the effects of sin will be given – “from the bondage of corruption”.

Chap. 8:18 – Paul ended the previous section speaking of Christians as “heirs” and “co-heirs” with Christ. As such, we are waiting for Him to come and take possession of our inheritance in His glorious Appearing, when we will then reign with Him over the inheritance in the kingdom. In this section, Paul picks up where he left off in the previous section, mentioning “the afflictions of this present time”. This is something we must all face while we wait for the coming deliverance. As mentioned earlier, our sufferings come from two directions: from being connected to the creation that is under the slavery of corruption, and from testifying of Christ in the form of witness. These sufferings are normal to Christianity.

Since suffering is inevitable, Paul continues by giving us the reasons why we will be able to endure it. He says: “For I reckon” [consider – JND] “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”. Thus, we should weigh the present sufferings we experience in this “little while” (Heb. 10:37 – TB) that we are here on Earth against the eternal glory that will be revealed to us. If we “consider” properly, as Paul does here, we will realize that what we experience here on Earth is only temporary and, compared to what we will have, is worth it, even if it were a thousand times more difficult. Therefore, to the extent that we keep our eyes fixed on “the glory which shall be revealed in us”, we will be able to endure the sufferings of this present time.

Ch. 8:19 – Paul goes on to tell us when the deliverance will be proclaimed in creation. He says: “For the earnest expectation of the creature [creation – TB] waits for the manifestation of the sons of God”. The “creature” refers to the whole creation. It includes men, animals and plants – essentially everything we see on Earth that was affected by the corruption of sin. Paul says that the lower creation seeks deliverance from this slavery of corruption, but this could not be by any measure of intelligence, for obviously the creation does not know of the coming of Christ. Even so, it is waiting for that moment. Paul says that this deliverance will occur at the moment of the “manifestation of the sons of God”. This will happen at the Appearing of Christ (2 Thess. 1:10; 1 John 3:2). We are “the sons of God” now (v. 14), but we will then be manifested as such before the world. Today, men are doing everything they can to alleviate suffering on Earth. And we are grateful for medical science, etc., but the suffering, disease and natural death that are all around us will not be removed until Christ appears.

Thus, Paul addresses two things related to the Christian's future:

• The glorification of the sons of God, which will occur at the Rapture (vv. 17-18).

• The manifestation of the sons of God, which will occur at the Appearing of Christ (v. 19).

Ch. 8:20-22 – He explains that creation was made “subject to vanity”, not by its own will, but by the failure of its federal head

• Adam. But despite Adam's failure, there is a “hope” of

deliverance before the ruined creation, at the Appearing of Christ.

Verse 21, as seen in the King James Version, can be misleading. It says that creation will be “delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God”. This implies that the lower creation would experience the same “glorious liberty” (glorification) that Christians will have, which is not true. The verse should be read: “the liberty of the glory of the children of God”. Thus, creation will participate in the liberty that will be brought to the children of God, in the sense of having a deliverance from corruption and suffering, etc., but it will not experience the glorification that the children will experience. Creation will have deliverance, but not glorification.

Ch. 8:23 – In the previous verses, Paul spoke of the future deliverance that is coming for creation. Now he speaks of what Christians will experience in our deliverance from the presence of sin. As mentioned, it will be in a far greater way than creation will have, receiving “the redemption of our body” (Eph. 4:30). This refers to our body being glorified and transformed into the likeness of the Lord's glorious body. This, as we said, will occur at the Rapture. At that moment, our sinful natures will be eradicated from our bodies and we will be freed from the sin in us forever! We will also be raptured from the Earth and thus removed from the presence (the environment) of the sin that is around us now! Thus, we will have deliverance from the presence of sin.

Christians speak of having “new” bodies at the Rapture, but this could imply that we would be given another body, which is not true. If Christians had to receive “new” bodies in this sense, when the Lord comes, what need would there be for the bodies of the saints to be raised from among the dead? Furthermore, what need would there be to glorify the bodies of the saints who will be living on the Earth when the Lord comes, if they were to obtain new bodies? To avoid the possibility of anyone having this mistaken thought, the Scriptures are careful never to say that we will obtain “new” bodies. Instead, it tells us that our bodies will be “changed” (Job 14:14; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Phil. 3:21). This means that we will have the same bodies in which we live – though in a completely different condition of glory (Luke 14:14; John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:51-55; 1 Thess. 4:15-16, etc.). Paul said: “we shall all be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51). This includes the bodies of the saints who have died (“that which is corruptible”) and also the bodies of the saints who are still alive when the Lord comes (“that which is mortal”). The corruptible “must put on incorruption” and the mortal “must put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:53-54).

Having “the firstfruits of the Spirit”, which is the possession of a new life in Christ, and our heavenly blessings in Him, we have the guarantee of the final “redemption” of our bodies. We can enjoy now what is ours through the Spirit, as a foretaste of what lies before us. This does not make us immune to the suffering that is around us. On the contrary, being in our bodies in their current (un glorified) state, even having the Spirit of Christ in us, we feel suffering and “groan within ourselves”. This groaning is because of what we personally feel as we pass through this scene, and also because of what we feel in compassion when we see others suffering. While the Christian groans, he is seen in this chapter as having the present “adoption” of sonship (v. 15), and is awaiting a future “adoption” of his body in a glorified state (v. 23).

Three Things That Sustain the Believer in This Present Moment of Suffering Ch. 8:24-30 – Paul, then, gives encouragement in view of the suffering we are passing through as we wait for our final deliverance. We “groan” (sigh) under these present circumstances, which is understandable (2 Cor. 5:4), but we should not grumble (complain) because God has made provision for us to endure this time of suffering. In this next series of verses, Paul will touch on three things that God has given to sustain us along the way.

1. OUR HOPE (vv. 24-25)