the revelation and the longing

 

This week at KI, Chad walked us through the book of Romans. It was so interesting, but doing it in one week (read: three days) was rather intimidating. Romans is perhaps the most comprehensive yet concise picture of the Gospel and theology in Scripture. If you want to dig in more, John Piper has a sermon series on Romans that consists of 200+ sermons (I mean...) and my college church, Austin Ridge, studied it for the entirety of 2021. Both are great series from great expositors' of the church.

Today, I want to hone in on something specific, though. I love the mountains. Every time I go hiking, I feel the presence of God profoundly and am blown away by His creativity. How small are we in light of His great creation, but how great that He allows us to be part of it and caretakers of it!

Paul opens Romans by greeting the church and encouraging them. Paul really wanted to go to Rome, but it took him a long time to get there. He tells the church that he is proud of them, and that he is not ashamed of the gospel because he knows that it is the reason for salvation. Then, he talks about why salvation is needed: God's wrath has been revealed to those who suppress the truth and choose unrighteousness.

Ok... hold on... suppress? Some people have never heard the truth, so how can they suppress it– they never knew? Paul explains what I talked about earlier. Creation points to a Creator. The mountains speak of a Sovereign Lord. The beach speaks of a Peaceful Father. Forests create a sense of Caring Friend. Green pastures show us a Comforting Shepherd. In all of it, we see a picture of a precise God. Someone who cares and longs for His people to come and know Him. Creation leads us to worship a wonderful Creator.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Romans 1:20

But, people have neglected creation. We have not been the faithful stewards we are called to be in Genesis. We have traded what is natural for the unnatural. We have replaced the glory of the incorruptible God for the image of corruptible man and animals (Romans 1:21). Creation has been glorified, and the Creator has been pushed to the wayside.

We must not lose focus of the celebration and glorification of our Creator as we consider his creation. How much greater is the Artist than His art?

Paul follows chapter 1 by explaining the ways that our misaligned focus puts us at odds with God. He is impartial, and whether Jew or Gentile (or whatever the distinction), we have all made choices that rob God of the glory He is due. Paul continues to explain the condemnation of creation and especially mankind in chapters 2-3:20.

He picks up in 3:21 with his explanation of justification. He walks the church in Rome– and everyone who may ever read this letter– through Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross and the ways in which our sins our covered through the death and resurrection. His sacrifice atones for our sins, and through faith we are invited into eternal life with Christ. From the beginning of time, faith justified the children of God and it is through our faith that we become recipients of God's grace. This theme carries Paul all the way through the end of chapter five.

Chapters six and seven talk about the license to sin. Shall we continue in sin that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 6 is similar 2 Corinthians 5, we are a new creation so why would we still subject ourselves to sin. We have been offered the most unbelievable gift we could ever be given. Likewise, Romans 7 reminds us that the Law is a good thing but because Jesus fulfilled it, we can never allow our selves to be in bondage to the Law again.

Romans 8 begins with an amazing truth:

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

Hallelujah! There is no longer any condemnation from sin or from the Law when we are following Christ. We are to live lives of worship led by the Spirit of God.

However, sin still exists in our mortal bodies. We are invited to suffer for the sake of righteousness and glorify our Father in it. One day our suffering will give way to sharing in the glory of the Son.

This is where Paul invokes the second idea of creation. Our sin has infected creation, and creation is in subjection to the fall. Creation is groaning in preparation for the consummation of Christ with His new earth. How heartbreaking, yet desperately beautiful. 

Creation shows the glory of the Father. Creation portrays His invisible attributes. Creation shows the hand of God, and is eagerly awaiting the second coming of His Son. 

"For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God." Romans 8:19-21

Through Romans 1 and Romans 8, Paul introduces a divine tension that exists in creation. Romans 1 says that creation is one of the clearest displays of the divine nature of God, but Romans 8 says that creation is enslaved to corruption. How can both be true?

Creation knows of the glory coming– and even is a completely sufficient preacher of it. We feel awe in the mountains, rest on the seashore, and wonder in the woods. Creation most definitely leaves us without excuse. But... it feels the effect of sin. Lions eat mice. Birds carry disease. Nature dies.

Creation rejoices in the glory of the future but still feels the pain of the present.

Just as Jesus wept in John 11 for the death of Lazarus when He knew full well He would raise His friend from the dead, creation is in agony even now for a little while it suffers the effect of a fallen world.

So, if creation proclaims the glory of God, if creation shows us God's beauty, let us also be adequate message carriers. Let's not leave it to creation, because "How delightful on the mountains Are the feet of one who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'” (Isaiah 52:7) Let us proclaim that our God reigns, using His creation as proof. 

May we be in the world and not of it– feeling the pain of a fallen world but glorying in the world to come. Our God is not done with us yet, may He be glorified in all!

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12

What a gift we are given in creation, but all glory and honor and power to the Creator of it all. May our gaze never shift!



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