Hope in a Hopeless World

6/20/25 Bible Thought (Romans 8)

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Anyone who has lived for any period of time has been subjected to the imperfections of our world. Likewise, as we saw yesterday, we’re constantly subjected to our own imperfections as we wrestle with sin.

As a result, at times life can really be a bummer.

Whether it’s things out of whack in creation, or things out of whack in our own lives, there’s always something that isn’t right. Nevertheless, the good news is that this isn’t the end of the story. Not for us, and likewise not for the creation.

In Romans 8, the apostle Paul unpacks so powerfully the future that is coming,

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:18-19).

The creation itself is longing for the future day of redemption! For it was subjected to futility, to emptiness, the same word, mataiotēs, that is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to describe the cry of “vanity!” all throughout the book of Ecclesiastes.

Nevertheless, the world was subjected in hope.

There’s coming a day when everything that is backwards down here will be made right (Rom. 8:21). The creation is crying out like a woman in the pains of childbirth, eager for the pain to be over and to experience new life (Rom. 8:22). We likewise await this day (Rom. 8:23).

Truly, there is a day coming where God will bring about a new creation (see 2 Pet. 3:13) and yet we aren’t there yet. As such, both the creation and its creatures, namely us who believe, await this future day in hope.

What should encourage us along the way though, is that the same covenant-keeping faithful God who is testified to throughout the Scripture is the One who has made such wonderful promises. He is a promise-keeping God and even if these future realities seem far away, they will be sure to come. It’s in His nature to be faithful. He will not fail.

As such, we can and should take heart! As the apostle says,

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).

If we have that same faithful God on our side, the One who brings about the hope of our final redemption and the future recreation, then certainly we ought to be the most hope-filled people on the face of the planet!

For this same God is constantly at work to achieve His plan,

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

His plan is redemption. To redeem His children and to redeem the entirety of the creation. He is at work presently through all things that happen to make us more like His Son (Rom. 8:29) and the story will one day end with Him finishing the work He began when we are glorified (Rom. 8:30; Phil. 1:6).

As such, we are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37).

While we go through a world that is fraught with problems and a life that still faces temptation and sin, we know the end of the story, and nothing can separate us from Him and His love along the way (Rom. 8:38-39).

That is worth hoping in. No matter how hopeless this world may be, we serve the God of hope (Rom. 15:13).