HOPE OF LIBERTY AND GLORY

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it IN HOPE” – Romans 8:20

GOD’s Goal for creation and especially His Redeemed, is a transition from Futility into the HOPE of LIBERTY and GLORY: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it IN HOPE” (Rom.8:20). Humankind in general, and the whole visible creation lost their original beauty, felicity, glory; a tragic transformation overwhelmed humankind and his place of abode; the whole face of nature was obscured, and all creatures were subject to vanity and wretchedness in a variety of forms. Everything seemed perverted from its intended purpose. Abuse, cruelty, corruption, suffering, pain, and death usurped the reins of creation. It all summed up as “Vanity of vanities” (Ecc.1:2).

Through the entrance of sin, the vastness of creation was “subjected to futility,” vanity, emptiness, or nothingness (v.20). The Greek word “mataioteti implies something that’s deformed, infirmed, warped, sickly, weak, or false. This futility emerged when sin entered into the world. God did not create the world warped, and creation itself did not choose this state of corruption. The trees, streams, sky, and seas did not choose an existence of frustration. Rather, God subjected creation to frustration in response to Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. God did not design creation to suffer. Hardship and the existence of struggling and sweating emerged when God judged creation due to human sin (Gen.3: 14, 17-19).

Inevitably, Believers are involved in the everyday pressures and sufferings experienced by this infirmed and deformed creation. We all groan together as a woman in labour while waiting for the Father to complete our adoption by redeeming our bodies so that we can be with Him (vv.22-23).  Meanwhile, in this season of waiting, God’s Spirit “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (v.16-17a). Praise God! The world is not always going to continue as it is. Our Living Hope in God assures that there will be a New Day: “The SUFFERINGS of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the GLORY which shall be revealed in us” (v.18).

Verse 19 declares that all of creation is waiting with eager longing for the day when the children of God – those who are in Christ – will be revealed as who we truly are: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1Jh.3:2). Paul goes on to explain why the creation longs for that day when God will reveal His children, and Himself, in Glory. If creation were perfect, and were fulfilling the noblest possible purpose, there would be no cause for looking forward hopefully to a better future. The one thing which removes the sting from creation’s impoverished and degraded condition is HOPE!

The Word of God assures us that creation is not doomed to remain subject to vanity and misery. A ground of Hope is afforded: “because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious LIBERTY of the children of God” (v.21). Our Living Hope affirms that the present “vanity” will ultimately give way to a future Liberty. There is a glorious future which God’s children have a foretaste of already, and shall enjoy more fully when all the former things are passed away. There is an imminent future when Satan, all wicked creatures, sin, misery, diseases, and Death, will be consigned to hell; and the rest of God’s creation will emerge glorious, pure, beautiful, orderly, and perfect; in every respect answering the purpose for which it was formed (Rev.20: 11-15; 21: 1-4).

The Creator is full of promises of far better manifestations than this warped world has ever seen. Soon and very soon, the bondage of corruption will bow to the Hope of Liberty and Glory! Let’s keep our Hope firmly established on these truths!