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Today's Pathway: Romans 8:23-25 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

We finished yesterday with Paul's statements that all of creation is groaning as it travails in pain while waiting for the second coming of Christ to remove the curse from nature. Now he discusses the fact that believers are also groaning. In verse 23 he refers to those who groan as people who have the "firstfruits of the Spirit". Since he established in verse 9 that those who have the Holy Spirit are those who have received Christ, he is clearly speaking about Christians,and includes himself in the group. What is meant by the phrase "firstfruits of the Spirit"? Paul is using an expression that came from the Old Testament. "Firstfruits" referred to that which was set apart to God before remainder could be used. Leviticus 23:10 says,

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest."

So those who are saved are groaning within themselves. They are groaning because they are tired of living in this mortal, fleshly, sinful body in this wicked world. They are tired of the sufferings. They are waiting for the adoption. We who are saved have been adopted into God's family, but we have not yet received all the benefits of that adoption, which would include the "redemption of the body". Albert Barnes explained it this way:

"This refers to the complete recovery of the body from death and corruption. The particular act of the adoption in the day of judgment will be the raising up of the body from the grave, and rendering it immortal and eternally blessed. The particular effects of the adoption in this world are on the soul. The completion of it on the last day will be seen particularly in the body; and thus the entire man shall be admitted into the favor of God, and restored from all his sins and all the evil consequences of the fall."

In verses 24 and 25 Paul returns to the subject of "hope". We know that we are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8), but with that salvation comes hope. The completion of our salvation is in the future, and we look forward to it. We don't have all of it yet, for if we did there would be no need for hope. But because we have hope, we can endure the sufferings of this life. When we feel like giving up, our hope saves us. Our hope keeps us moving forward in spite of the difficulties we face because we know that someday we will be with the Lord. Titus 2:12-13 teaches that we should live godly lives because we are

"looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ".

"change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" (Philippians 3:21)

Christian, don't give up.

"Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).