Bible study podcast, episode 62. This is the 11th episode in a series on the book of Romans. I'm

titling Christianity 101. Welcome to the Bible study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen. Today we pick up the study of Paul's

letter to the Romans in Chapter 8. Last week we covered through verse 17, and so today we'll pick up

starting in verse 18. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory

that will be revealed in us.

The creation waits an eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one

who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from

its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning, as in the pains of childbirth right up to

the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit,

groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what

he already has? But if we hope for what we do not have,

we wait for it patiently. One of the interesting things about this section of Romans is

there is something revealed here about the effect of the fall of man on all of creation.

Now, if we go back to the account in Genesis, we would see that God creates the world,

and he puts it under the stewardship of Adam and Eve.

And so with the fall of Adam and Eve, all of creation, it says, is subjected to frustration.

So all of creation is out of whack because our relationship with God

is out of whack. So it says the creation itself waits an eager expectation for the sons of God

to be revealed, that all of creation is groaning and waiting for this restoration to be

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