In Romans 6 and 7, Paul walks us through a tough reality: we’re caught in a battle with our selfish, sinful desires—what he calls our “flesh.” It’s a constant tug-of-war inside us, pulling us toward wrong choices even when we want to do right. And this sin doesn’t just mess with our hearts—it brings pain, destruction, and even death into our lives and the world around us. We feel the weight of this struggle, and so does everything around us.
“For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation… For the creation was subjected to futility…—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.”
Can you feel it? The world around us is groaning, almost like it’s in pain, longing to be made new. It’s trapped in a cycle of ruin—disease, disasters, death—all because of sin. Creation can’t wait to be free from this brokenness, and neither can we. We’re tired of the selfishness, pride, and hurt we see everywhere, and the death that sin brings. We want it all to change.
“Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
If we’ve trusted in Jesus, we have His Spirit in us—a little taste of what’s coming. We’re waiting for the day when our bodies, so full of sinful desires right now, will be made new. No more tug-of-war, no more giving in to wrong choices—our new bodies will be free from sin, completely pure, just as God intended. We’ll be fully welcomed as God’s children, living with Him without the pain of sin or death.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.”
Paul, I’m with you—this hope is everything! Yes, life is hard right now. We face suffering, our selfish desires pull us down, and death touches us all because of sin. But what God has planned is so much bigger. It’s not just a short fix for our 70-100 years here—it’s joy and life with Him forever, free from sin and death. Creation will be made new, and so will we. Do I let this hope lift me up when life feels heavy? Let’s thank Jesus for this amazing promise, holding onto the hope of His return, when everything broken will be made right. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
