Hoping and Trusting: My Thoughts on Romans 8:18-39

I’d like to take a few minutes to talk about my favorite Bible passage, Romans 8:18-39, and what it means to me.

This passage is about hope. Sure, it talks about other things too, but I think the main theme is hope; this theme reflects throughout the entire thing. Hope in salvation; hope in God’s love; hope of Him being with us here; hope of us being with Him in Heaven. And it tells us that we can trust in Him, no matter what, because He knows best. There is no power higher than He, no one wiser, no one who could ever possibly love us more. So it stands to reason that He has a good and holy reason for allowing all trials that come upon us.

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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 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. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

This is saying that no matter what we’re going through here on earth, even the worst that can possibly happen, pales in comparison with the glory of God that we’ll see when we meet Him face-to-face. When we see Him, we'll forget all the agony of this life. It will mean nothing; all our pain will be worthwhile just because we have the privilege of seeing Him. We just need to press on until our day comes.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

The Lord knows our hearts; He knows what’s on our minds and what’s hurting us. Even when we can’t find the words, He knows how we feel and He knows our hurt. He knows. Isn’t that amazing? When we hurt too deeply to find the words to express our pain, He knows how we feel; He knows the words our souls are crying.

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

This is one of my favorite parts.

Let’s look at verse 28 again:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

All things. Not some things, but all of them. Every wound, every heartache, every circumstance, no matter how horrible it is… all things work together for good. It’s not something you want to hear in the midst of something terrible that seems hopeless, but it is true; It’s all working together for your good. God allows the trials we go through, in order to teach, mold, and shape us. It’s impossible for us to see how these things could possibly be for our benefit, but God knows what He is doing. He is sovereign, always. No matter how distant He seems, He is in control. He knows what you’re going through and why it’s happening to you. He also knows how it will change you, and how it will contribute to your growth as a follower of Christ. You can trust that He knows exactly what your limits are, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can take. I know it feels impossible, but He knows best. Always. He's working all this for your good; just keep your eyes on Him.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He loves us. Enough to sacrifice His only Son. That in itself never ceases to amaze me. If you had one child, and you really, truly loved him more than anything, would you give him up to watch him be beaten and mutilated, then put to a slow, torturous death on a cross? All to save a bunch of sinful people? There’s a small chance that some might, but it wouldn’t matter anyway because your child is not perfect. No one ever born of man has been perfect. God’s perfect Lamb, conceived in the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, had to be sacrificed, had to take all the sins of the entire world onto His sinless Self, in order to save us all. This, my friends, is perfect love.

Perfect love from which nothing can separate us. No matter what we do, what sins we commit, how unworthy we feel, we can always come back to the Lord and He will accept us as His children.

If you love Him, He is working all things together for your good.

He is perfect. He is sovereign. He is holy. He is just. He is loving. And in Him we have hope.

Hope in His purpose for our lives.

Hope of a life everlasting.

Hope in His unconditional love.

And hope that no matter how dark the night, no matter how long, there will always, always be a dawn.

So keep on trusting Him, and He will help you through every storm that life brings.