Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves… I. THE DESCRIPTION WHICH IS GIVEN OF CHRISTIANS BY THEIR PRESENT PRIVILEGES. In this chapter we have a remarkable distinction of character. Those in a state of nature are described as in the flesh, aa carnally minded, etc. Those in a state of grace are said to be of the Spirit, to mind the things of the Spirit, to be spiritually-minded, to be led by and to walk in the Spirit. 1. Their character, therefore, is formed by the influences of the Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26, 27). Our Saviour stated the necessity of being born of the Spirit, and he told His disciples that He would send them the Spirit of truth, etc. The apostle says that we are to "be washed by the renewing of the Holy Ghost," etc. By this the earthliness of the affections is refined, and the whole soul is changed into the image of God. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." 2. Those who have the Spirit are placed in a high and beautiful relationship. They have adoption into the family of God (ver. 14-16; Galatians 4:4-6:1 John 4:1, 2). The heir of God has to remember that much of his good is future, and he must sketch out to himself those prospects where faith will be lost in sight, and hope in endless praise. "We have the firstfruits of the Spirit." Whatever blessings the Spirit has bestowed, or whatever characters He has impressed, are pledges of the future possession. Has the Spirit destroyed the love of sin, induced a desire for purity — inspired faith, hope, love? These are all to be regarded as pledges of what you shall be in the future; your heaven begun upon earth. These are the seeds of the harvest of glory; the roots of the future tree of blessedness; the embryo of the perfect man; the outline of the picture which shall be finished in eternity; the first streaks of light; the first gleams of that dawn which shall brighten into the splendour of meridian glory. II. THE STATE OF MIND IN WHICH THEY ARE CONFESSED TO EXIST. "We groan within ourselves," etc. These emotions are to be considered in connection with similar emotions through the creation. The whole creation is represented as longing for the glorious period when all its misery shall be over, as if in the throes of a new birth. Yes! and man and brute, hills and valleys, earth and ocean, times and seasons, are passing onwards to a glorious deliverance. Yes! and every cloud that darkens, and every affliction that troubles, and every injury which brute sustains from brute, and the rolling of the storm, and the belchings of the volcano, and the commotions of the deep, and the tremblings of the earthquake, are to be all considered as the pangs of nature passing onwards to that end. Oh, when shall these pangs cease! Then the apostle speaks of the children of God, and he declares that they are not in a higher sphere. We are all in this respect in one mass, "we also groan," etc. 1. Our state of mind is one which involves — (1) Pungent sorrow on account of present imperfection. (a) Sorrow on account of what we see in the world around us. I look on the world around me; it came from the hand of God; it abounds with beautiful views; but still it affords cause for mourning. Look at its sinfulness. It is a world of wickedness. See its misery. Because there is sin there is sorrow. We witness the groanings of poverty, the wasting of disease, the scorn of contumely, the oppressions of power, etc. (b) Sorrow when we consider our own characters, and our individual experience. Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am free from sin"? Who has not cause to exclaim with Paul, "I delight in the law of God, after the inward man; but I see another law in my members," etc. Again, we are not only sinners but sufferers. We have much to enjoy, but we have also much to endure; and who among you is not ready to say, "we ourselves groan within ourselves," and long for wings, "that we might flee away and be at rest"? (2) Earnest desire as to the future. "We wait for the adoption," etc. Civil adoption was private and public. Now every child of God is adopted privately at the time of conversion; but there is a day appointed for his public adoption when he will be declared as a son of God. We as Christians wait for this. The time when this shall be is not revealed. But the time shall come when all the redeemed shall appear with Christ in glory. 2. The emotion in reference to this fact, "we wait for it." We stand like men on the summit of a lofty mountain, taking a transient view of the intermediate landscape and looking to the distant horizon for our intended dwelling. We wait for it, our minds are fixed upon it, our desires are influenced by it. Prove that you wait for it — (1) By avoiding the pollutions of the world. (2) By refusing to place your affections on the world. "If ye then be risen with Christ," etc. (3) By showing in constant and active exertion all the principles of the vocation by which you are called. Are you called to love? then love; are you called to vigilance? then be vigilant; to zeal? then be zealous. (4) By anticipating with joy the time of your departure from the world. (J. Parsons.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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