In verse 17 of Roman 8…Paul tells us the gift of God is:
if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ [17].
What a promise…I think at times Christians don’t fully grasp the blessing associated with being a co-heir with Christ…we have become numb to the fact that we have been elevated into the position of being a co-heir in Heaven with Jesus…a position that cannot be repealed…or annulled.
The moment you trusted Jesus as Savior…not talking about head knowledge… but an identification with Jesus that results in obedient actions…that is the KEY …that is the single identifier that defines us as being a Christian.
You can tell me all day long about how you pray…that you go to Church…that John 3:16 is my promise to be in Heaven…but what lifestyle do you live?
With respect to being a Christian…it’s a lot like throwing a football…three things can happen and two of them are bad…three types of “Christians” and two of them are bad.
1) – A Professing Christian – Bears the name of Christ but does not genuinely belong to Him….he has no sensitivity to the things of God…he is still inclined toward the things of the flesh…he longs for the things of the flesh….his life is characterized by the things of the flesh…he is still in the flesh because his mind is set on the things of the flesh…he is spiritually dead…there is no difference between a ‘professing’ Christian and a non-believer.
2) – A Carnal Christian – This is someone who has made a profession of faith…BUT…for some reason…has forsaken God and has taken up with something else…unlike the unbeliever…a carnal Christian does know what God’s grace is…does know what sin is…does know what salvation is…BUT… has deliberately gone back to their formal lifestyle…their heart is frozen…they are not convicted of sin…they are dull and dead toward God’s working in their lives.
So, if a person claims to be a Christian but lives carnally do they lose their salvation?…2 Things…1) NO they do not lose their salvation…they do lose rewards…2) BUT more than likely they were never truly saved in the first place [1 John 2:19].
3) – A True believer – Will be evident in their lifestyle…that is the single identifier that defines us as being a Christian…they will show that they profess Jesus as Lord and Savior by the way they live their lives…they habitually put to death the sinful and ungodly deeds of the body…a life not characterized by worldly…fleshly concerns but by the things of God.
As a true Christian…a true believer you are born into a heavenly inheritance that can never perish…spoil…fade…or be lost.
But in the second part of that verse Paul reveals a transitional bridge that shifts from the glory of being co-heirs with God…to addressing the suffering of this present world…if indeed we suffer with Him [17].
Didn’t we talk about this already? YES…and I’m talking about it again today because the second part of this verse in conjunction with 8:28 opens up a whole realm of issues that have been misconstrued to promote a works-religion system.
Let me explain…the basic premise is while all Christians are “children of God” and all Christians are “heirs of God,” only some Christians are “joint-heirs with Christ.” …there’s a kind of exclusivity that only certain people enjoy.
This is another example of how Scripture is twisted to fit the ideas of those who ignorantly abuse God’s Word…let me share with you how this absurdity works.
And it centers around the two ‘if’s’ in this verse that don’t mean the same thing:
if (εἰ 1487) children, heirs also…if (εἴπερ 1512) we suffer with Him…
A casual reading of this verse in conjunction with the two ‘if’ words in this verse seems to imply a condition…the two ‘if’s’ are actually two different words that have two different meanings…the English translation further adds to an inaccurate meaning that results in confusion.
No confusion in the Bible…God is not the author of confusion [1 Cor. 14:33] so why would Paul write a statement that seems to be ambiguous… he hasn’t.
The first ‘if’ (εἰ 1487) expresses a condition, thought of as real…if you have placed your trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior then you are heirs of God and joint heir with Jesus…that all the blessings coming upon Christ are shared with those who are one with him…the condition is thought of as a true statement.
By using the word ‘if’ Paul is not questioning whether or not we have the indwelling Holy Spirit because we do [v 1-8 and 10-16] …that’s already been substantiated.
The Holy Spirit permanently seals the believer the moment you believe in Jesus as your personal Savior [1 Cor. 3:16 / 6:19 / Eph. 1:12-14 / 4:30 / 2 Tim. 1:14].
Every member of the Body of Christ will go to Heaven…that is the promise of Romans 8:17 that is given to all who are “children of God” (verse 16).
Paul’s point is that the one who does not have the Spirit of Christ [9] ‘does not belong to Him’. They are not “owned” by Christ and thus are an unsaved person.
This is what clearly separates those who are saved from those who think they are saved…goes back to the ‘Professing Christian’ a person who claims the name of Christ because of a prayer they prayed that was only superficial.
Paul has given us a definition of what being a Christian is…that’s the significance of …if (εἴπερ 1512) indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you”.
The second ‘if’ (εἴπερ 1512) is not so clear…and seems to suggest that…“if we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” …sounds like a condition for salvation.
Now to many… the significance of the phrase [17] if (εἴπερ 1512) indeed we suffer with Him…may not be a big deal…until someone tells you that because American Christians aren’t suffering persecution like our fellow Christians overseas are…we are excluded from sharing in God’s Heavenly glories and they use this verse to prove it.
The wording in verse 17 is used to promote a division in the Church…it is alleged that we must first suffer before we can be joint heirs with Christ…hence the wording…if indeed we suffer with Him.
Does Paul mean that believers are joint heirs with Christ only “if we suffer with him,” …is he really suggesting that if you haven’t suffered with Him…then you really aren’t an heir of God…that somehow suffering is a condition for being joint heirs with Christ?
On the surface that’s exactly what that verse seems to imply…that only ‘if’ we suffer with Him can we then be heirs with Him…this is an appalling mistreatment of the Bible.
It is at that point we have no response to such a ridiculous assumption because we don’t know how to respond…so we leave confused…possible defeated…and unsure of our standing before God…BECAUSE…of a verse taken out of context that claims that unless we suffer with Him there is no guarantee we’ll share in Heaven’s glories.
Notice Paul makes an inclusive statement…mentioning “the sufferings of this present time” …here he is referring to an especially difficult period in the history of the Church…BUT…the application can also be applied to the present age as well.
The whole history of creation since the fall has been marked by…struggles… wars…natural disasters…internal conflicts…and crime…all that falls under the heading of “the sufferings of this present time.”
Including any suffering that you meet on the road to heaven as a result of life’s impending… calamities…diseases…or any other hardship.
Three observations Paul shared regarding suffering:
- The whole CREATION Suffers because of Man’s Fall into Sin
- The whole HUMAN RACE Suffers Because of Man’s Fall into Sin.
As humans we might wish things were different…we might wish God would remove the suffering in our lives and in the world…the reality is it is here.
So Paul gives us a verse to help explain how God deals with us on a personal level as a result of the suffering in this life…he’s not explaining the ‘why’ of suffering…he’s already done that…suffering occurs because of our sin nature… here Paul is telling us how God deals with our suffering.
NOW…said all that so I can share with you the results of suffering…it seems to be found in one verse…for the Christian, God has a purpose in suffering:
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. [8:28]
In Eric J. Bargerhuff’s book The Most Misused Verses in The Bible this is one of them…just what you wanted to hear…a verse that is frequently used as a source of comfort is actually one of the most misused verses in the Bible.
Many of the “Frequently Abused Verses”, and there are many in the Bible…are ripped from their context…twisted…and misapplied from their original meaning to make a fraudulent claim…this is one of them.
These kinds of verses are what is known as “needlepoint theology” …passages of Scripture that often wind up on a wall hanging…or on a throw pillow.
In some cases, the abuse is much more flagrant…that’s true of Romans 8:28.
At first glance it might be hard to imagine how such a simple, straightforward verse could be so misconstrued…misrepresented…and abused.
If you have been in church any length of time you’ve probably heard this verse applied to virtually every hardship…disappointment…and trial that believers encounter…it’s an all-purpose catch all spiritual salve for every situation.
Paul refers to the suffering we experience in this life as ‘pains of childbirth’ …the sufferings we experience in this life are not death pangs but birth pangs.
Here’s the issue…if God is fair and He promises to work all things together for good…the question is…for whose good…reality says…it’s not always for my good.
That’s the mistake we make with this verse by telling people that whatever occurs in their life God is going to cause it to somehow work out for their good…that is a lie…this verse is not suggesting that.
Anyone knows that all things aren’t good…that’s absurd…it’s mockery to say that they are…the death of a child is not good…cancer is not good…drug addiction is not good…war is not good.
What’s important for us to understand…even though life is not always fair… God is always fair…and He promises two things:
Promise #1: You Will Have Trouble
First I tell you that a verse frequently used as a source of comfort is actually one of the most misused verses in the Bible…and now I tell you God’s promise to you is…you will have trouble…He doesn’t tell unbelievers that.
In the middle of John 16:33, Jesus tells His disciples, “…in this world you will have trouble.” …that’s not something we share with someone on the verge of accepting Jesus as their Savior.
At conversion the pastor usually asks four basic questions:
Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead?
Are you trusting Jesus and Him alone as your Lord and Savior?
Do you wish to be baptized and live for him?
Here…lets add a fifth…do you know that as a Christian God promises that you will have trouble? Because as a Christian that’s exactly what’s going to happen…you will have trouble.
That kind of summarizes a whole list of bad things Jesus said would happen to the apostles…from being hated and persecuted…to being murdered…Jesus was
being real – hard times were coming.
Peter, who heard this straight from Jesus, passed on the same message to Christians in his letters…he tells believers not to be surprised at the “fiery trials” they were going through, as if something strange was happening to them. [1 Peter 4:12] …he’s basically telling them, “it’s not strange that you have trouble now that you’re a Christian. In fact, you should expect it!”
An important part of this first promise is to know when trouble happens in your life, whatever it is, it shouldn’t make you turn your back on God or think that He doesn’t love you…instead, remember that He told you it would happen.
Promise #2: God works for our good…not our comfort.
There is not a promise in the Bible that says God is going to miraculously deliver you from your earthly problems…sorry Joel…the good is not the kind of good you’re thinking about.
Thankfully, Jesus didn’t just stop with “life’s going to be hard, deal with it” but God does promise that things will turn out for good…just not your good.
Third observation Paul shared regarding suffering:
- God works everything – even bad things – for His good.
That’s what the ‘good’ in that verse means… here we see the error in 8:28 …the mistranslated phrase says God ‘causes’…the word ‘cause’ is not in the original text.
I put the wording God causes all things to work together for good…right alongside “everything happens for a reason,” …both are not found in the Bible.
We should be careful to understand what the promise is not…it is not for our circumstances to change…it’s not the promise of a new and better job…not the promise to give us a more comfortable existence…of a complete physical healing…of acquiring money …it’s not a promise for our ease and comfort.
Now we come to the true meaning of 8:28…The Living Bible translates it this way:
we know that all that happens to us is working for our good…”
NO it’s not…and YES it is…the NO it’s not part is the mistaken idea that when something happens we believe God is now OBLIGED to make something good happen from it for our sakes.
Events that happen in our life are not “the cause” to make God act – they are the effects of His eternal purpose…we need to realize that God’s idea of good is often different than ours.
Anyone knows that all things aren’t good…that’s absurd…it’s mockery to say that they are …the death of a child is not good…cancer is not good…drug addiction is not good…war is not good.
The more correct translation is ‘that in all things God works for the good.’
The word “good” does not mean what we often think of as ‘good’…being happy …painless…or financially successful… Purpose Driven Life — PAGE 173 — Faithfulness to God is not a guarantee of success in life.
Here’s the YES it is part…God is working all circumstances not to fulfill OUR purpose for our lives…but to fulfill His purpose through our lives.
Nowhere does it ever say God causes thing to work together for your perceived good.
So what is the ‘good’ that God is pursuing…the answer of what is the ‘good’ is found in the following verse: to be conformed to the image of His Son.
Ultimately, everything that happens in our life…good or bad is:
…God’s purpose to bring glory to Himself and His Son
…to find true fulfillment in life that comes not in trying to get God to bless our plans for our lives but instead finding our place in His purpose for us.
…that God will use those circumstances to help us know Him more intimately …to obey Him more fully
…to have our character molded into the likeness of Christ
…to walk in His ways and to be conformed to the likeness of His Son.
Isn’t that the whole essence of the Christian life…to know God more intimately …finding our place in His purpose for us…to obey Him more fully…to have our character molded into the likeness of Jesus…and to walk in His ways and be conformed to the likeness of His Son.
- God’s ultimate goal for your life is not comfort, but character development.
- God uses all circumstances in life in an attempt to achieve that.
- God is aware of your problems and will ultimately work them out for His glorious purpose.
God is not working to make us happy…BUT….to fulfill his purpose…it is only a faithful person who truly believes that God works in ‘all things’ …not just isolated incidents…for good.
This promise is not for everybody…it’s conditional…it’s the second part of 8:28 that can only be claimed by those
“who love God” – “to those who are called” – “according to his purpose”
Goes back to the Scripture at the start of my message…Paul tells us the gift of God is:
if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ [17].
What a promise…everything we’ve talked about this morning is encompassed in that verse…that we have been elevated into the position of being a co-heir in Heaven with Jesus…a position that cannot be repealed…or annulled.