Chapter # 8 Paragraph # 3 Study # 2
October 23, 2007
Lincolnton, N.C.
(353)
1769 Translation:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected
the same in hope,
21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption,
to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
25 But if we hope for that we see not,
then do we with patience wait for
it.
1901 ASV Translation:
17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified with
him.
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for
our adoption,
to wit, the redemption of our body.
24 For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth?
25 But if we hope for that which we see not,
then do we with patience wait for it.
- I. The Foundations of the Inheritance.
- A. The impact of vicarious activities by the Christ.
- 1. The redemption that leads to the creation of a "new creature" is wholly rooted in the works of Jesus. In the analogy of a "birth", the child of God comes into his identity as a newly born child solely upon the foundations of the effective work of atonement by Jesus the Christ. When "faith" is exercised, "grace" is applied, and a "new creation" is the result. If, immediately upon this event, the person of "faith" dies, exits this world, and is ushered into the presence of God, his/her Father, he/she enters into the experience of "eternal life" in the Kingdom of God.
- 2. But, this entrance is not, in Peter's terms, "richly supplied" (2 Peter 1:11) because that kind of entrance is based, according to Peter, upon whether, or not, one has had both the time and inclination to "give diligence" (2 Peter 1:5, 11) to develop one's character and, thusly, one's patterns of behavior. It simply cannot be that what one person obtains by "diligence in faith", another gains automatically by being born into the family of God. Thus, there is a distinction made in the "quality of inheritance" in the Kingdom of God.
- 3. Conclusion: the vicarious activities of the Christ make acceptance by the Father possible if "faith" comes into play.
- B. The impact of vicarious activities by the Spirit.
- 1. The Bible is "beyond clear" that God's program is not simply about "birthing" people into His family. He is not particularly interested in populating an eternal nursery filled with spiritual infants. God is "into" producing "sons" to whom He can give the highest privileges of His "Life". But, those privileges and that "Life" are impossible for the unskilled. One simply cannot be the programmer of a highly complex computer system without going through the process of building understanding "line upon line, and precept upon precept". Neither can a human being enter into the works of God without developing the character, understanding, and skills of the application of godliness to "Kingdom business".
- 2. Therefore, God has given His Spirit to those whom He has birthed into His family. This Spirit is given in order to take the infant child through the processes that adult sonship requires. But, if the life that is by the Spirit is really by the Spirit, the Life is the result of a continuing "vicarious" reality: the Spirit, Himself, without our "input" ("vicarious" means one doing something, not another), produces the motivation and wisdom of love that lie at the root of all character, understanding, skills, and actions taken. However, we are involved. Our involvement consists of the cooperation of "faith" under "love". We do not generate the energy that empowers our bodies. We do not generate the wisdom that "connects the dots" of understanding. We do not create the impact that actions create. But, though we are not at the "generation" level of any of these things, we are not out of the overall picture. The part we have in these matters is that of a cooperating secondary person. We are not un-valuable in this status. Not even God can accomplish things through "another" without "another". He does not count us worthless. It is only the arrogance of a man that makes "worth" dependent upon being the undiminished producer. It is only those who lust after the status of deity that make light of being one of God's "cooperating secondary personal creatures".
- 3. Thus, we must conclude that there is a very real "vicarious" character to the activities of the Spirit, but it is not in the same degree of separation between the "Doer" and the one who profits as that involved in the works of the Christ. Christ did what He did completely independently of our "being", "presence", "cooperation", or even "desire". The same cannot be said of the Spirit. We are an integral partner with Him.
- II. The Present Reality Regarding the Inheritance.
- A. Fallen humanity (indeed, even un-fallen humanity) does not learn apart from suffering: Hebrews 5:8.
- B. Therefore, it is by "suffering" that at least some of the skills of Kingdom Life are acquired.
- 1. There are some skills that are acquired through pleasant processes.
- 2. There are others that will not be acquired by those means.
- C. Thus, Paul taught an "attitude" regarding those realms of Life skills that are only acquired by means of "suffering". This "attitude" involves more than one thing. Paul wrote of the "reckoning" that the present suffering is not worthy of comparing to the coming glory. In another place he wrote of "glorying" in his sufferings because of what they produce ("we glory in our tribulations", "I take pleasure in infirmities", etc.).