Creation Longs for God

Romans 8:18-21

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

            Paul starts this passage out with a statement that brings together the response Christians should have in this life. He shows that because he is a man with his mind set on the Spirit, nothing else matters compared to God’s glory that is being revealed. Paul is setting up the rest of the passage in showing his response to Christ’s revelations and the glory of God not just bring us into his family as slaves but as also heirs. Paul then shows that the rest of creation is also excited for the glory that is being revealed. This glory is what God is doing in the lives of humans who cling to Christ. Paul shows that creation and nature are opposed to what humans have been saying is in their “nature.” Through this idea of creation, Paul shows us that nature is enslaved to man as man is enslaved to their own wills, and creation is waiting for what God is doing in His heirs. Paul shows the idea is not just about people freed through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but in turn those people are going to free creation itself through the same power. Man has subjected creation to decay which is a callback to Genesis and earlier in Romans. Paul is showing that the People of God, the heirs through Christ, will bring about freedom for creation.

            How many times do we as Christians say we have this kind of idea about life, and how many times do we actually believe it? This is the kind of mindset that is going to take us from where we are at into where God wants us to be for His glory. We have to have this idea Paul is setting up—that we have no problem with any suffering we might experience in this life because we know who is in control and where we are going in the end. Paul emphasizes this glory—not only the glory of God but also the glory of what is being done in the people of God. We see that creation itself is waiting for us as believers to appear. This shows that creation itself has been changed due to the corruption of sin and the flesh. Even creation is being made right by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and it awaits that glory just like us believers. Paul shows, through the corruption of nature, that our sin has more of an impact than just ourselves but on the world around us too. We need to live like people who fight back the corruption of sin and understand that through the glorification of God we are setting creation free from bondage.

            For those who are not Christians, this passage shows there is another way. There is an answer outside of global warming as to why the world is on a decline. It is caused by sin and death and reflects the hearts of men and women that live in it. There is another way, though, as Paul shows, and that is the way that creation waits for and is excited for, the glory of Christ revealed through the people who follow Him. It reveals the subjugation of creation from sinful man is coming to an end and the better way forward is Christ. For those that do not believe, there is a better way forward when it comes to feeling hope every day just as Paul shows. Jesus is that hope. Knowing Christ makes those things that seem so big, suffering and hardships, become so small because that is how great the glory of Jesus is. It makes all of creation excited.