Turning Hurts into Hallelujahs | Part 2

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Welcome to Love Worth Finding. More can it control us. However, though we have been freed from the curse of sin, we can still feel the hurt of it. If you have your Bible, turn now to Romans chapter 8, as Adrian Rogers delivers the powerful conclusion to turning hurts into Hallelujahs.

Look, if you will, how Romans 8 begins in verses 1 through 3. There's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Underscore the word condemnation. Who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Underscore the word flesh.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Now there's several words I want us to think about. The first is the word guilt.

Guilt. That's a description of the world today. We are condemned. We are living lives according to the flesh, not the Spirit.

Oh, but friend, there's the grace that we experience. Again, look in chapter 8, verse 1. There's therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. The third thing, there are the groans that we endure.

Continue to read. Look, if you will, in verse 18 of this same chapter here. And he says this, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy, not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature, and for the word creature you may write in your margin, creation, because that's what it literally means. For the earnest expectation of the creation, he's talking about all nature, waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity.

That means it is not living up to its original intention. Not willingly, but by reason of him, that is God, who has subjected the same, that is the creation, in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know, now listen, here's the key. If you don't understand this, you're going to stumble in your Christian walk. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Now what does he mean by that? The whole creation groans. That means pain and pang and moan and groan and crying and dying and sighing. Look at nature, bloody tooth, sharp fang, claws, decay, corruption. Everything that you see is dying and crying and sighing. The foul breath of decay, the gnawing tooth of corruption. It's on everything, everything, and it's on you.

It's in creation. Now what Darwin called the survival of the fittest is really the bondage of corruption. But there's a better time coming.

There's a better time coming. All of creation is standing on tiptoes waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. And God, when Adam sinned, God said the worst thing that could happen to a sinful creature would be to live in paradise. So God took Adam out of paradise and God put Adam in a world that has the curse of sin upon it, thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee.

You're going to earn your bread by the sweat of your face. Why? Because I want you to know there's something deadly wrong in this world. And all of the pain and all of the sorrow that we see in creation, that's the fever of the infection which is sin. Aren't you glad that God gives you fever when you have an infection? You see, if you didn't have a fever, you wouldn't know you had an infection, would you?

So the fever is the symptom of the deeper problem. And so there's the groaning of creation. Look around at the world today. God didn't make the world this way.

God made the world perfect. But we see a world that is marred and scarred and all of creation is groaning. Listen even to the wind as it goes through the trees.

It's in a minor key. Everything is groaning and sighing and dying. There's the groaning of creation.

Now watch this very carefully. There's also the groaning of the Christian. Notice in verse 23, this is talking about you. And not only they, what, the creatures, but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of the body. Folks, your body is not yet redeemed. Your spirit is redeemed, but your body is not yet redeemed.

You are waiting for the promise of Easter. And so therefore you live in a body that has the curse of sin in it. And because you live in a body that has the curse of sin in it, I hate to tell you this, but I need to tell you this. You are not immune to suffering. Now you want me to tell you why we have so much suffering in the world today? I'm talking about those of us who are saved. Well, number one, we live in a creation that has a curse upon it.

It's just here. That's the way nature is, and that's where we live. And also, not only do we live in a world that has the curse of sin on it, we live with other sinners. There are other people in this world, and there are other people who would harm us. There are other people who make choices, and we suffer because not only do we live in a world that has the curse of sin upon it, but we live in a world with other sinners.

And then I'm going to tell you something else. We live in bodies that have the curse of sin upon them. Your body is not yet redeemed. You are a son, a daughter of Adam, and you were born out of a polluted gene pool. I'm telling you, folks, you have a polluted gene pool, and so sooner or later, you're going to get sick. Sooner or later, it's going to get you.

Sooner or later, the doctor's going to thump on your chest at $50 a thump and say, you've got a problem. Now, I'm telling you this. Sooner or later, just sooner or later, it's coming. It's the bad news that makes the good news good. Now, I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory, which shall be revealed in us.

And I'll tell you something else. Not only do we live in a world that's cursed, not only do we live with other sinners, not only do we have a corrupted body, but sometimes we still choose to do wrong, don't we? And God has to chastise us. David said, before I was afflicted, I went astray.

And whom the Lord loves, he chastens. And then, friend, they're just mysterious reasons why people suffer. Now, if anybody comes to you and they say, well, I just have all the answers, just walk on, friend.

They don't have all the answers. I'm telling you that there are mysteries in this world today. But put it down big, plain, and straight. There's the groaning of creation. There's the groaning of the Christian.

Now, here's the good news. There's also the groaning of the Comforter. Look, if you will, in verse 26. We're talking about groanings now.

Look at this. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. That's our weaknesses. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit itself maketh intercessions for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now, what does the word Comforter mean? Jesus said, I'll send you the Holy Spirit. And he says, he is the Comforter.

That's the Greek word paraclete. That means somebody who's called alongside of you like a doctor, alongside a sickbed, like a fireman, alongside a fire, like a lawyer, alongside a person who's accused. The Holy Spirit comes alongside of us in all of our sorrow.

Phillips translates this verse this way. His Spirit within us is actually praying for us in those agonizing longings which can never find words. Have you ever heard so bad you couldn't even pray?

I have. All you can do is just groan. But you know, it's the Holy Spirit who says, I will groan with you and I will pray for you and I will intercede for you before the Father. And so we have the Holy Spirit making intercession for us before the throne, to the throne, and we have the Lord Jesus on the throne making intercession for us. And so there is the guilt that we exhibit. There is the grace that we enjoy. But still there are the groans that we endure, the groaning of creation, the groaning of the Christian. And thank God, the groaning of the Comforter.

Now, now we come. Now we come to what I'm trying to say about Easter where Easter turns every hurt into a hallelujah, every tear to a pearl, every midnight to a sunrise, every Calvary to a resurrection. Go back again now to verse 18 and look at it. Now remember, Paul is doing some figuring and Paul says, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. So now, the guilt we exhibit, the grace we enjoy, the groans we endure.

Now here it comes, the glory we expect. That's verse 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Now folks, that's what the 8th chapter of Romans is all about.

There's not a greater chapter in all of the Bible than the 8th chapter of Romans. Now you see, folks, we've been prepared for glory. We've been prepared for glory by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is the gospel. That is the gospel. Not just simply by trying to be better people. Salvation doesn't come by learning lessons from the life of Christ, but by receiving life from the death of Christ.

Do you understand that? And so, we are prepared for glory, but watch this, look in verse 28. Not only are we prepared for glory, but we are predestined for glory, and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to his purpose, for whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he, God's Son, might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, then he also called, and whom he called, then he also justified, and whom he justified, then he also glorified. He puts it in past tense.

It's as good as done. Do you know what predestined means? It means settled.

I mean, it means settled. You're looking at a man that's glorified. You say, well, you don't look glorified. Well, you're just seeing through your eyes.

You haven't seen me through God's eyes. In the heart and mind of God, it is settled. And, friend, what has been decreed in heaven cannot be annulled by hell, and it cannot be annulled by humanity because predestined means it's done. I have been prepared for glory. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus did that. I am predestined for glory.

The burial and resurrection of Jesus did that. And, friend, I, therefore, must be preserved for glory. Look, if you will, now in this same chapter, beginning in verse 31.

What shall we say to these things? Friend, if God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? If God loved us enough to give Jesus, he'll give anything else we need.

And now you ask this question. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?

It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again. Notice the word it is is in italics. Italics mean that's been supplied by the translator to make it read more smoothly.

In this case, it doesn't make it read more smoothly. He's asking a rhetorical question. Who is he that condemneth? Christ that died? Yea, rather, that is risen again. Who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us? He says, do you think my lawyer's going to condemn me?

No! No, listen, he is saying that there's nothing that can condemn us. Listen, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? He mentions seven enemies. Tribulation, our distress, our persecution, our famine, our nakedness, our peril, our sword. Verse 37, nay in all these things. We are more than conquerors, not just conquerors.

We don't kick a field goal the last three seconds and win. Super conquerors! What he's saying is, no foe can conquer us. And friend, no fault can condemn us. These seven enemies that Paul mentions have been the enemies of Christians from time immemorial. Paul had experienced every one of these seven enemies, persecution, trial, peril, all of these. He said, they can't separate you.

Why, all they can do is draw you closer. Listen, folks, no foe can condemn us because of Easter. No fear can conquer us because of Easter. No fault can condemn us because of Easter. Look in verses 38 and 39.

Paul says, for I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities, no powers, no things present, no things to come, no height, no depth, and in case he left anything out, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Do you know what they would do in Roman times? When a person would be adjudicated guilty of a crime, they would put that person in prison, and then they would nail on the prison door a list of the crimes he had committed. And they would put under there the number of days, months, years that he must stay in prison to pay the debt. It was called a certificate of debt, and it was nailed to the prison door. When that man had paid for his crime against the state, they would take that certificate of debt, the bailiff would go to the judge and say, here is John Doe prisoner. John Doe prisoner has paid in full his crime against the state. The judge would take that thing called a certificate of debt, and he would write across it, paid in full.

One word in the Greek language, tetelestai, paid in full. He would hand it to the condemned prisoner, and then if anybody ever tried to bring him into double jeopardy, he could show that certificate of debt, written, paid in full. Jesus Christ took my sin and your sin to the cross. The Bible tells us in Colossians that Jesus took the handwriting that was against us and nailed it to his cross.

Nailed it to his cross. And then he bowed his head and he died and he said, paid in full. It is finished.

That's exactly the same word, tetelestai. I have paid. That's in debt. It's paid. It's paid in full. He took your certificate of debt and he said it's paid.

Paid in full. No foe can condemn us. No fear need control us. No fault can separate us. And I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not even worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us. There's the guilt. There's the grace. There's the grief. And thank God for the glory. That's what Easter's all about. God doesn't destroy evil.

If he did, you wouldn't have a choice. God defeats evil with a cross and a resurrection. Isn't that good? I don't mean the preaching. I mean that's good.

That's good stuff. Friend, that's what Easter's all about. That's why you need to be saved. Why don't you pray a prayer like this? Dear God, I know that you love me. I am a sinner. I acknowledge my sin. My sin deserves judgment.

But I need mercy. Lord Jesus, I turn from sin to you. Right now, by faith, I receive you into my heart.

I'm not asking for a special feeling. I just put my faith in you, Lord Jesus. I receive you now into my life as my Lord and Savior.

Thank you for saving me. I receive it as the gift of your love. Now, Lord Jesus, I will follow you all the days of my life and help me never to be ashamed of you. In your holy name I pray.

Amen. Welcome to God's forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today. Now, if you'd like to order a copy of today's message in its entirety, you can call us at 1-877-LOVEGOD. Mention the title, Turning Hearts Into Hallelujahs.

This message is also part of the insightful series, Foundations for Our Faith, volume two. For the complete collection, all 27 powerful messages. Call that number 1-877-LOVEGOD.

Or you can order online at lwf.org slash radio. Or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. Are you facing suffering of some kind or a hurt that you want to turn into a hallelujah? Remember, because of the resurrection, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our pain.

Spend time with God today and ask for His victory over your life. And join us next time for more from Adrian Rogers right here on Love Worth Finding. A Facebook friend reached out to us recently with this powerful message, different ministers affect different individuals. As I listen to Adrian Rogers' messages, I am regularly brought to my knees.

They are very humbling as they lift me up and get me back on track with my Lord and Savior. That is such a beautiful tribute to the power of these profound yet practical messages and resources from Adrian Rogers. When you donate to the ministry right now, we want to send you a hard copy of the new resource, Good Morning, Lord, acting as an accessory to your daily quiet time. This book provides beautifully crafted devotions from trusted pastor, author, and teacher Adrian Rogers. Request the book Good Morning, Lord when you call with a gift at 1-877-LOVEGOD or give online at lwf.org-slash-radio.