What is the meaning of Romans 8:18? I consider Paul begins, “I consider…” (Romans 8:18). This points to a deliberate, settled conviction rather than a passing opinion. • He is weighing two realities on God’s scale—present pain and future glory—much like he does in 2 Corinthians 4:18 where he urges believers to “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen”. • The verb highlights a renewed mind that evaluates everything through the lens of God’s promises (Romans 12:2). our present sufferings “These present sufferings” encompass every hardship believers face in a fallen world. • Paul has personally experienced beatings, imprisonments, and dangers (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). • Yet he calls them “light and momentary affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17) because they are limited to “the present time.” • Peter echoes this perspective: “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace… will Himself restore you” (1 Peter 5:10). are not comparable The contrast is absolute: present trials cannot be measured against what is coming. • The idea mirrors Psalm 30:5—“Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning”. • Paul piles up language of disparity in 2 Corinthians 4:17, calling future glory “an eternal weight” beyond all comparison. • Any scale that tries to balance suffering against glory will tip decisively toward glory. to the glory “Glory” speaks of the radiant, unveiled splendor of God shared with His children. • Jesus prayed, “I have given them the glory You gave Me” (John 17:22). • Colossians 3:4 promises that when Christ appears, “you also will appear with Him in glory”. • This glory is not abstract—it is tangible, eternal, and climactic, reflecting God’s own character (Revelation 21:3-4). that will be revealed in us The glory is future, certain, and personal—“in us.” • Creation itself “waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed” (Romans 8:19). • 1 John 3:2 assures, “When He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”. • The revelation is both corporate and individual: every believer will display Christ’s likeness, fulfilling God’s purpose from the beginning (Romans 8:29-30). summary Paul’s settled conviction is that no hardship we endure now can measure up to the magnificent, guaranteed glory God will unveil in His people. Present afflictions are temporary; future glory is eternal. We therefore endure suffering with hope, knowing God’s final outcome far outweighs and outshines anything we face today. |
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