From here on we need to read more verses from Romans 8 and comment on them, including some of the verses which we have covered in the two previous messages. We may begin with verse 17. “And if children, heirs also; heirs of God and joint-heirs of Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with Him.” Children cannot be legal heirs. In order to become legal heirs the children must grow into sons, and the sons must grow into heirs. When we have reached this stage of growth, we shall be glorified. Although we considered this verse in the last message, I want to approach it now from another angle. We need to understand that the genuine growth of any kind of life depends upon hardship and suffering. Without hardship or suffering it is difficult for any life to grow. In verse 17 we find the matter of suffering. I have already pointed out that the more suffering we undergo, the greater will be our degree of glory. However, the suffering mentioned in verse 17 does not only concern outward glorification; suffering is also for growth in life. The more we suffer, the more we grow and the faster we are matured. If a crop in the field could speak, it might say that it grows not only by the soil, water, fertilizer, air, and sunshine, but that it also grows by suffering. Even the sunshine itself is a source of suffering, for the scorching heat of the sun burns the crop into ripeness. Therefore, if you expect to grow, you need to tell the Lord, “Lord, I don’t reject any kind of suffering. Suffering helps my growth.” We should not expect a life that is free of suffering.
Many times I have used the illustration of marriage. As a young brother, you undoubtedly expect to have as your wife a sister who fits your situation exactly. Eventually, however, you discover that your wife is altogether the opposite of your expectations. Do not think that your marriage is designed to cut you into pieces. No, you must say, “Lord, I thank You for such a good wife. My wife does not cut me into pieces, she helps me to grow.” No husband likes to hear the word “no” out of his wife’s mouth. We all like our wives to say “yes.” How sweet it is! However, it seems that most wives are accustomed to saying “no.” These “nos” render much growth to us husbands. Young brothers, you should therefore be comforted when your dear wife says “no” to you. Do not be troubled or offended, but say, “Lord, I thank You for all of these ‘nos.’” Such suffering helps us to grow and mature. Nevertheless, as Paul says in verse 18, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us.” We have covered this aspect of suffering in the previous message.
Verses 26 and 27 say, “And in like manner the Spirit also joins in to help us in our weakness; for we do not know for what we should pray as is fitting, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered; but He Who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He intercedes for the saints according to God.” Here we have the sympathizing, helping, and interceding of the Spirit. For what purpose do we have these things? The purpose is found in verses 28 through 30. Paul begins verse 28 with the words, “And we know,” words which connect this verse to the foregoing verses. “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 the purpose.” What is the purpose of God’s calling? We find it in verse 29. “Because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He should be the firstborn among many brothers.” Paul does not say that God foreknew and predestined us to go to a happy place or to have a life that will endure forever. These are not our destiny. God predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son. This destiny was determined before we were even created. Before the creation of the world God had decreed such a destiny for us. Hence, it is a predestiny.
God’s firstborn Son is the prototype, and we are the mass production. Christ is the model, mold, and pattern. God has put us all into Him that we may be molded into the image of His firstborn Son. Eventually we all shall be conformed to the mold. Sometimes when the sisters make cakes they put dough into a mold. By being put into the mold the dough assumes the pattern and image of the mold. Furthermore, the dough must also be baked that the cake may bear the pattern of the mold without any change. If the dough could speak, it probably would cry out, “Sister, have mercy on me. Don’t apply so much pressure. I can’t bear it. Please keep your hands off.” However, the sister would reply, “If I keep my hands off, how will you fit into the pattern of the mold? Dear dough, after my molding you must be put into the oven. You may think that pressure is enough suffering for you, but you also need burning. After you have experienced pressure and intense heat you will bear the pattern of the mold permanently.” Likewise, Christ, the firstborn Son of God, is the prototype, pattern, and mold, and we are pieces of dough. We all have been put into the mold, and are now being kneaded by the hand of God.
We have been predestinated to be conformed to the image of God’s Son that He may be the firstborn among many brothers. This is God’s purpose. God’s purpose is to produce many brothers of His firstborn Son. When Christ was the only begotten Son, He was unique, but God desired to have many sons who will be the many brothers of His Son. In this way the only begotten Son of God becomes the firstborn among many brothers. He is the firstborn Son, and we are the many sons. What is the purpose of this? The purpose is that we express God in a corporate way. God’s kingdom is built up with His many sons, and the Body of Christ is built up with His many brothers. Without the many sons God could never have a kingdom, and without the many brothers Christ could never have a Body. Thus, the many sons of God are for the kingdom of God, and the many brothers of Christ are for the Body of Christ. The kingdom of God is simply the Body life, and this Body life in the church is God’s kingdom where He is expressed and where His dominion is exercised on the earth. This is God’s purpose.
Therefore verse 30 says, “And whom He predestinated, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” In eternity we were predestinated and in time we were called.
Why does God arrange our environment, surroundings, and situations in such a way that we experience suffering? We should not explain this according to our natural concept saying, “The whole earth is filled with sufferings and everyone undergoes hardship. Why should we be an exception?” This is a natural concept, and we should not accept it. We must realize that God’s purpose is to make us full-grown sons, not little children. We should not be content to remain children enjoying His cherishing and loving. God intends to make us full sons, completely grown up to be legal heirs that we may inherit all that He is in this universe and that we may express Him and exercise His dominion over the earth. Since God’s intention is to bring us into full sonship, we need to grow. There is no doubt that growth comes from inward nourishment, but this inner nourishment needs the coordination of the outward environment. According to our feeling, most of the outward environment is unpleasant. Thus, the outward environment becomes a suffering as far as we are concerned. I do not say that the outward environment is not good; it is always good, but it may not appear good to your feeling.
Sometimes parents do things to their children which, according to the feeling of the children, are not positive. The children may cry and weep, imagining themselves to be suffering. However, good parents are not deceived by their children’s tears. Some young mothers have been cheated by the weeping of their children, changing their policy when they see the tears of their little ones. It is not a gain for children to deceive their parents with their tears. A mother must tell her child, “I don’t care about your crying. I know that I am putting you into a very good environment, the one that is best for you. You may say that it is a suffering. But I know how good it is for you.”
God deals with us in exactly the same way. He knows in which situation and in which environment we can grow well. He is our Father, and everything is under His arrangement. He can do nothing wrong. Everything He does for us is excellent and wonderful, although to our feeling it may not be good. However, we should not care for our feelings; we should take care of God’s arrangement. Was it you who decided to be born in the twentieth century? Was it you who planned into which family you would be born and which parents and brothers and sisters you would have? Was it you who designed your face? You did none of these things. It was God who chose the place of your birth and the design of your face. God selected us, predestinated us, and caused us to be born at the right time and in the right place. He knows what is best for us, and everything is under His control. I say once again that, according to our feelings, our environment may be a suffering, but actually it is a blessing; it is God’s sovereign provision. Everything we need for our growth in life has been sovereignly provided by God. Everything is all right. Therefore, when we are experiencing pain and suffering, we must deny them and say, “Satan, you are a liar. This is not a pain or a suffering to me; it is God’s arrangement. This is a blessing that I may grow into full sonship.” We all need a proper environment to provide the elements which are required for our growth in life. Nevertheless, when unpleasant things happen to us we may not understand that they come from the hand of our Father for our growth.