ELCoG 2023 02 12 Message Pr Samkutty Mathew - "From GROANING to GLORY"
Channel: Eternal Life Church of God
Date: 22/02/2023

Eternal Life Church of God, Sacramento, CA

Speaker: Pr. Samkutty Mathew
Theme: 
“From GROANING to GLORY” 

“ഞരക്കത്തിൽ നിന്ന്    മഹത്ത്വതിലേക്ക്”
 
कराहनें से महिमा तक   [Rom.8:18-27]

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.


The groups that groans for glory
1. The whole creation groaning [Rom. 8:19-22]
2. Believers groaning [Rom. 8:23-25]
3. The Holy Spirit’s groaning [Rom. 8:26,27]

"Groaning" is a spiritually positive term. 
We cannot separate suffering from glory. 

Progressive steps of Groaning to Glory:
                         |
Origin of Groaning -- Groaning -- suffering & downfalls -- Kingdom experience [Righteousness, Peace, Joy in the Holy Spirit] --Temporary -- Overcoming -- Enter Glory
                         |
Remember: The suffering and the glory are inseparable

1.The whole creation groaning [Rom.8:19-22]
Seven stages of earth through Bible history
• The Original Earth (without Form and Void – Gen. 1:2)
• The Chaotic Earth (Six days of restoration – Gen. 1:3-31)
• The Edenic Earth (The ground cursed – Gen. 3:17-19)
• The Antediluvian Earth (The Flood – Gen. 7:1-24)
• The Present Earth (Physical Changes – Zech 14:4, Ezek. 47:1-12)
• The Millennial Earth (Renovation of the earth by fire – 2Pet. 3:5-13)
• The New Earth

Groaning of earth – Result of man’s sin
• Gen.1:1,2 “The earth was formless and void”
  - unfurnished earth/empty earth
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

 - “Earth became void and formless” [Isa.45:12-15; Eze.28:12-16]
Isaiah 45:12-15

• Gen.3:17,18 – Cursed earth – Result of man’s sin

Extremity of present creation
• Suffering, death, pain, bondage, decay [Rom.8:18,20,21,22]
• The groaning creation will become glorious creation [2Pet.3:7,11,12]

• New heaven and new earth [2Pet.3:13; Rev.21:1-15]
2 Peter 3:13
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

• Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, earth! This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against me.The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. [Isa.1:3]
• ആകാശമേ, കേൾക്ക; ഭൂമിയേ, ചെവിതരിക; യഹോവ അരുളിച്ചെയ്യുന്നു: ഞാൻ മക്കളെ പോറ്റി വളർത്തി; അവരോ എന്നോടു മത്സരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.
കാള തന്റെ ഉടയവനെയും കഴുത തന്റെ യജമാനന്റെ പുല്തൊട്ടിയെയും അറിയുന്നു; യിസ്രായേലോ അറിയുന്നില്ല; എന്റെ ജനം ഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നതുമില്ല.


The Holy Spirit’s groaning [Rom.8:26,27]
• Holy Spirit groans with us
• Helps in weakness
• We do not know how to pray
• Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groaning
• Helps us to know the will of God [1Jn. 5:14]

Believer’s groaning [Rom.8:23-25]
• “We experienced the First fruits of spirit” = Blessings of heaven
• Num.13:23-27
• Rom.8:23 – Adoption as sons = Redemption of our body [Phi.3:20,21]
• 1Thess.4:16-18 – The rapture of the church