Scripture Reflections

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:22-23)
 
There is so much in these two sentences! The picture of childbirth is a beautiful analogy for the sufferings of this present time, because it demonstrates that they are leading somewhere glorious. Suffering isn’t meaningless, and even though it is a product of sin, God is using it to bring into being—like a birth—something new and glorious. This new and glorious thing, which was described as the “revealing of the sons of God” (v. 19) is now described as our adoption and the redemption of our bodies. Some transformation is coming, when who we are—the sons and daughters of God—will be made evident to all of creation by what happens to us physically.
 
The guarantee for this is the gift of the Spirit. Everyone who has the Spirit will receive this adoption, and it is the presence of the Spirit in our lives that enables us to long for the redemption to come. But Paul says that we have only received the firstfruits of the Spirit!
 
Firstfruits are the initial moment of a harvest, like that early tomato that comes a few weeks before the others, or the pepper that pops out way too soon. (You can tell my favorite plants in the garden…) Firstfruits are something to rejoice over, because they are a gift in and of themselves, but also because they testify of what is to come. That first pepper is a delight, but it also creates the joyous expectation of what is to follow.
 
This is what the gift of the Spirit is now. Every bit of this initial firstfruit is a delight and a treasure, but it is only the beginning. Whatever you have experienced of the Spirit to this point is tiny compared to what will come! There will come a moment when the whole harvest arrives, and the overwhelming joy and strength of the Spirit will flood through us and overwhelm us. Everything will be transformed in that moment—all sadness and fear removed, all guilt and shame washed away, all bad habits and harmful patterns of the mind eradicated. We will receive, measure upon measure, overflowing and overwhelming, the life of God through the presence of the full harvest of the Spirit!
 
As you encounter the moments in life that are not what they should be, remember that the full harvest of the Spirit still lies before us. Set your hope on what God has promised!
 
Steven+