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+
Scripture Reflections
Isaiah 55, which we read on Sunday, is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible. The opening offer of grace is so simple and profound—if you are hungry and thirsty, if you are spending your life and energy for something that doesn’t satisfy, if you are poor and in need, come! Come and receive; come and be satisfied!
Verse 2 introduces a theme that runs throughout the chapter: “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good.” This offer of grace—initially depicted in the imagery of a free meal—is actually the invitation to listen to God. In verse 3, things begin to make even more sense, as God says, “Incline your ear…hear, that your soul may live.” It is in listening to God that we are made alive, which is why the free offer of God’s food is really an offer to come into his presence and listen. Just as food gives and sustains life, so does his word.
Verse 11 gives certainty to this offer. God claims that his word “shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.” In other words, the free offer of grace, the offer to hear God, is truly an offer to be enlivened, transformed, and fulfilled, because his word never fails. It accomplishes what it says. (Remember Genesis 1!)
In the context of this offer to come to God, listen to him, and be enlivened and satisfied, we need to hear vv. 8-9. “‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.” The promise to us is not that we will hear what we want to hear, receive what we want to receive, and be transformed in the way we want to be transformed. God’s thoughts, words, and ways are different than our own, different than we expect, different than we might want. When we come to him to listen to him and be transformed, we must humble ourselves and acknowledge that what he will do to us is different than what we might desire.
As humbling as this may be—God isn’t interested in fulfilling our dreams, but instead in fulfilling his dreams for us—it is exactly what we need. We spend so much time spending our wages and labor on things that don’t satisfy. God knows what we need and offers it freely to those willing to quit striving for their own vision of life and satisfaction.
Steven+
Song Spotlight
Several weeks ago we introduced a song called “Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder.” It’s a re-tuned old hymn by John Newton, the writer of “Amazing Grace,” and it exults in Christ’s atoning work on our behalf.
Like many of the classic hymns, this one is loaded with biblical allusions and references. Sometimes it’s helpful for us to walk through language like this—it can help us to see and understand what we’re singing more clearly, and it can unlock these truths so they seep into our hearts. We don’t have space to cover the whole hymn, be we can take a look at verse 1!
The first verse draws on two sides of Exodus 19. In Exodus 19, newly freed Israel is gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai to hear from the God who delivered them. However, the tone is not the joyful celebration one might expect. God warned them not to set foot on the mountain, because his holy presence would consume any unholy, impure creature who came near. The sheer weight of his glory enforced that warning; he came with thick clouds, trumpet blasts, thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire. When he spoke the people trembled. In the next chapters God gives Moses the law that would govern Israel as a people, and that still bears witness to the massive gap between God’s righteousness and ours. The law instructs us and shows us the character of God, and it shows us how badly we have failed to keep it. Without Christ, we would be in the same place as Israel—huddled at the foot of the mountain, overwhelmed by the weight of God’s glory, terrified of his judgment, and exiled from his presence.
But, as our song reminds us, Jesus has overcome the terror of Sinai and the problem of our unrighteousness. “He has hushed the law’s loud thunder, he has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame.” The law constantly reminds us of our unholiness, and of our unworthiness to come into God’s holy presence. But instead of leaving us trembling outside the fence, God has welcomed us into a place infinitely more terrifying than Mount Sinai. He has brought us to “Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22-24). We can go there without fear. Why? Because “he has washed us with his blood.” Jesus’ blood purifies us and his righteousness covers us. We were not worthy, but he is, and his worthiness is given to us. Joined to the Son we receive his status. We have permission to go where he goes, even into the “heavenly places” (Eph. 1:20).
When we sing together this Sunday, let us love and sing and wonder. The salvation God offers begins with forgiveness, but it doesn’t end there. God doesn’t just reset the hard drive with a wink and then leave us to go our separate ways. He has drawn us near to him—both as a people, and as individuals. When we gather to pray, sing, hear his word, and eat at his table, we are in his presence together. He is near to us when we are alone, too. Whether we are busy, overwhelmed, surrounded, alone, joyful, or despondent—even in those times when we feel complete unworthy, we can take heart. Jesus has “brought us nigh to God.”
Listen Here
Justin+