The God Pause Daily Devotional - The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Wednesday, 19 July 2017 - Romans 8:12-25
Romans 8:12 So then, brothers, we don’t owe a thing to our old nature that would require us to live according to our old nature. 13 For if you live according to your old nature, you will certainly die; but if, by the Spirit, you keep putting to death the practices of the body, you will live.
14 All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”). 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; 17 and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah — provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him.
18 I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future. 19 The creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed; 20 for the creation was made subject to frustration — not willingly, but because of the one who subjected it. But it was given a reliable hope 21 that it too would be set free from its bondage to decay and would enjoy the freedom accompanying the glory that God’s children will have. 22 We know that until now, the whole creation has been groaning as with the pains of childbirth; 23 and not only it, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons — that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free. 24 It was in this hope that we were saved. But if we see what we hope for, it isn’t hope — after all, who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we continue hoping for something we don’t see, then we still wait eagerly for it, with perseverance.
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We are not alone in our longing for God to reveal Godself, for God's kingdom to come. Indeed all of creation is waiting, groaning, hoping. In this era of increased temperatures, arctic ice melt and rising sea levels, the groans of all of creation are deafening. These groans are intricately connected to the groans of entire communities of people (mostly poor) for whom the probability of being inundated by flooding is greatly increasing.
To be sure, the apostle Paul did not have the same set of geological and ecosystemic wisdom we now have. This is all the more reason to be amazed by the ease with which he references the inextricable connection between humans and the rest of God's beloved creation. We hope with all creation that the effects of climate change and its risks for humanity can be reversed. Even so we also hope Paul's words are equally true for us today, "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us."
Lord Jesus, we trust that nothing can separate us from your love, not even the troubles of a changing environment. Protect all those who are affected by changing climate and give us the strength to help them. Amen.
Shauna Hannan, '98
Associate Professor of Preaching, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
Romans 8:12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--
13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!"
16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;
20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;
23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. [New Revised Standard Version]
We are not alone in our longing for God to reveal Godself, for God's kingdom to come. Indeed all of creation is waiting, groaning, hoping. In this era of increased temperatures, arctic ice melt and rising sea levels, the groans of all of creation are deafening. These groans are intricately connected to the groans of entire communities of people (mostly poor) for whom the probability of being inundated by flooding is greatly increasing.
To be sure, the apostle Paul did not have the same set of geological and ecosystemic wisdom we now have. This is all the more reason to be amazed by the ease with which he references the inextricable connection between humans and the rest of God's beloved creation. We hope with all creation that the effects of climate change and its risks for humanity can be reversed. Even so we also hope Paul's words are equally true for us today, "the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us."
Lord Jesus, we trust that nothing can separate us from your love, not even the troubles of a changing environment. Protect all those who are affected by changing climate and give us the strength to help them. Amen.
Shauna Hannan, '98
Associate Professor of Preaching, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
Romans 8:12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--
13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!"
16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;
20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;
23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. [New Revised Standard Version]
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Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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