lesson 34a

We are in lesson 34 of the Romans class, in chapter 8. We have gone through this, and I think Frances, when I talked to her a couple of weeks ago, she said, It's amazing how detailed you've got and how you study this. She said in all her history, she's never had such deep study and intricate, you know, tearing apart of the word. Yeah, that's really good. But I also found as I was preparing this, the lesson for today is from 8 verses 22 through 25. And I thought, you know, and I didn't pass this by you, but what I'd really like to do I'm just going to read from the beginning of 8 through 25, just to get context, especially since we have a lot from the other class in here.

Romans 8, well, 6, 7, and 8 are the crux of our Christian life, our Christian foundation. And 6 about our identification, all the truths that are there, just the base foundation of our identification with Christ, our co-crucifixion, all those bedrock principles. Then you get into Romans 7, where you see Paul struggling to try and do it by himself, and realizing that there's nothing good dwelling in your flesh, and that all your self-efforts are going to end in failure. And when you finally get down to it, it's a person, it's Christ, at the end of 7.

Then we get into the glorious truths of 8, which are just phenomenal. We've been spending weeks, months, on just chapter 8. But I just thought I'd go through it, because there's so many truths in here, and especially what we're going to talk about today, about the longing of creation and some of the things we started last week, and what we have today. It really kind of, if you don't get the context, I think you kind of wonder what's going on with the longing of creation. Do you see it out there? Do you see it longing out there? A lot of weeping trees, weeping willows? Maybe that's why they have weeping willows.

So I just kind of want to get the context. So I thought just for us, our class, but also with you too, just to read through eight through one through 25. So if you just bear with me, I think it's, it's such a good chapter and I think there's so much in it, but I don't want to get the context and we kind of, we've been studying so, you know, minutely these little sections that I thought it'd be good to go back and see the whole context. So beginning in verse one, therefore, There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did. Sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh is an offering for sin. He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit to things in the Spirit. For the mindset on the flesh is death, but the mindset on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mindset on the flesh is hostile towards God. For it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, but if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. If Christ is in you, or since, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give you life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brethren, we are under no obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery, leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which we cry out, Abba, Father." Part of my favorite parts of scripture. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.

For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us, for the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will also be set free from its slavery to the corruption and the freedom of the glory of the children of God. And now the verses for today. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance, we will wait eagerly for it.

So a lot in there. Again, you remember, as said after 7, Paul and his struggles. And now there is no condemnation. So he's talking about that. And then he goes into a lot about the flesh. And is there anything good dwelling in your flesh? Nothing. So any reliance, any attempts by you through the flesh to do anything is going to end in failure. And it's always contrary to God.

We get through this, and one of my favorites is Abba Father, and I challenged it, and I won't name the person here, but she said she couldn't do it. What it says here is Abba Father. What does that mean? Daddy. Daddy. So, it says here, you've received a spirit of adoption by a son's father, which we cry out, Abba Father. And I challenged the class when we went through that, is can you, when you wake up in the morning, or when you pray, can you say Daddy? It says we're supposed to, which we cry out Daddy.

What we find in this part of the scripture too, is that the flesh, the flesh is always the one fighting it. So, who's the one keeping you from saying Daddy? It's the flesh. The flesh doesn't want you anywhere near having a relationship so close to the Father that you can say, Daddy.

And I challenged a class at that time where I went through that lesson about, can you say, Daddy, when you pray? Father, our Abba Father. The other thing is, in Newell's book, it says, a lot of people say, Father God. What does that make Father? An adjective, not the subject. So when you, Father is our Father. Daddy. You have the ability to go before God and say, Daddy.

That's the intimacy that He wants with you. Now, you've seen John 17 about the intimacy that He has with the Son. He wants that with us. And so, we've marched through this in saying about how you do it in the flesh, or you try and do it. Thankfully, there's no condemnation. If you try it in the flesh, the flesh is nothing good about it.

But we have a relationship with God that gives us the ability to say, Daddy. Daddy, the intimacy of that. Now we're getting into the part where it's kind of exciting. You see that in verse 19, for the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

Who is that? Us. Us! Do you understand that? The whole creation is waiting for us to be revealed. How's that? That's pretty cool. The whole creation is waiting for us to be revealed in our new state, glorified bodies, to be revealed. And then we're seeing about, they are under, when Adam sinned, what happened to creation? Subject to vanity. Subject to vanity? Cursed. Cursed?

So, are they happy about this? All creation? Even though we can't go up and talk to the dog and say, how are you feeling today, bud? All of creation is under this, Tom. Well, I think you're about to reach it. So all of creation is groaning because it's under the curse. It is under this burden and the slavery and all the stuff. Creation is under the same or that whole burden. And it's groaning and it's waiting for us to be revealed. That's exciting.

So we talked about a little bit, JD had a last lesson about the creation and what that means and all of it. And when we get into these verses, 22 through 25, for we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first roots of the Spirit, even we ourselves growing within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the rejection of our body.

For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. So, let's begin in question one. What does the expression, for we know, what does that mean? Or, let's start out first. Who is the we in this verse?

All believers. All believers? Yes. Still in silence out there. Yeah, it's us. It's based on all previous verses. Well, we know, so it's us. So if it's believers, what are we to know? What the latest doctrine is? All of creation is suffering under sin. Okay.

So do we know that? Yes, it's all around. We've also grown. We've grown? I mean, we're under that too. The bonding. Well, under flesh. And what we have in the flesh. The same is with creation. Creation is under that same burden. And so, again, what we see in the latter part of these verses is we're waiting for the redemption of the body.

Because whose body is getting better as they grow older? Nobody? What, what, what is, what, Nick, is the, what this, maybe? People who are under 35. They get it. They think they're going to be okay, but you know, I hearkened to my sister at one point, and she's six years older than me. And she says, yeah, just wait until you turn 50. Everything starts to fall apart after 50. Come on, I'm going to go shave. Two hips, a knee, and yeah, the body's falling apart. So again, the redemption of the body. And also, as we learn in the first part of chapter eight, is all the sin that dwells in the flesh.

When you look at Romans 7, Paul spent years with the Lord, personally being taught by the Lord. So if anybody, you think he could do it by himself, by the will of his flesh, he's the guy. Personal time with the Lord in the desert. And you see in chapter 7, I want to do it so badly, but I can't. It's the flesh. Thanks be to God. There's nothing in your flesh that is good. The first part of Romans 8 tells you about that. There's nothing good about the flesh.

So, we're under the burden too. Just think about not having to think about sin. When we are brought into a glorified, redeemed state, you don't have any more sin. You don't have any more pain, you don't have any other that, but you don't have any sin. And what a burden that is to us now. Just thinking about all the things you deal with and all that, you know, is there anybody who didn't sin in their life?

Everybody. You always have that burden. And thanks be to God that he's paid for all those sins and we have a position in the heavenlies right now. But it's all associated with the flesh. And so as we learn these verses, we're groaning too for the redemption. But we know that all of creation is groaning too. If there isn't the burden, there wouldn't be the hope.

I guess to some degree. Yeah, there's a thing. If you're not dirty, you never know that you're clean and some of that kind of aspect. You don't know that. If you go back to Genesis chapter 3, you find out why the world is, the earth is drowning and everything. Throughout all of creation.

Yeah. And you know, the other is, This we know is an expression of Christian knowledge. We know this. We know these things because the scripture tells us that. We also know that the first creation that we live in fell because it was tied to a man who was given dominion over it. And when he fell, because of his dominion, it also fell. Well, what we're waiting for, the sons of God to be revealed, which is Christ then and all those that are in him, a new man, and the environment will be different for him, because he will now be the one who has dominion over the creation, so it will get released, because all those that are us in the Lord Jesus have gone through and been released in Christ.

So I find it interesting that the creation is tied to a man. Yeah. And that's the other, which they're all waiting for us to be revealed. That's the interesting part to me. And that's because it's tied. One, we made it all fall. But we're also going to be the ones that will be releasing them. It will be released when we're revealed. Because when we're revealed, we won't have sin want to be an issue with us anymore. And so the environment has to match the man.

Exactly. So that's, you know, when you look at it, too, you know, In the Millennial Kingdom, will the lion and the lamb sit together? At least the wolf and the lamb. The wolf and the lamb, yeah, boy. I've been corrected all day today. They're calling it a tight game today. This is tough. Yes.

So again, in that, the groanings now are, you know, half the creation is looking behind them to see who's going to eat them. And so it's all that burden, all of that, when we talk about the groanings of creation, I think that's all those things, it's survival, it's all those things that the curse has put on creation. And so, when we're revealed, that sin isn't going to be there, so the wolf can sit with the lamb, and all that, so it's going to be different. But all of creation is waiting for us. So, Newell had it this way. Christians, and only Christians, see the present creation with new vision as the work of their dear Father.

I also like to look at the Greek part of this, the tense for we know. It's a perfect tense, so a continuous and complete action. It's an active voice, so we participate in it. And then it's an indicative mood, so statement of fact or reality. So that means we continuously know this. It's not like we know it and we go beyond it.

We continually know that the groanings are out there, that all of creation is groaning, waiting for the return of the Lord, which then enters in our return. And that's incredible, that all of creation is waiting for that. So, what do we know? That's basically the next question, that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for the adoption of sons, the redemption of our bodies.

So, question two, the word groan can lead us in two ways. What are they? And which one is this? What are the kind of two ways groanings can lead? There's kind of a plus and a minus. So groanings could be if somebody dies. You groan, you suffer, it's a sorrow. But you can also groan, too, for something else, like childbirth. You groan, but in the end, you have a child.

It's a positive thing. You groan, but you get something delivered at the end. This is just an aside. Our daughter just had another kidney stone. It's like relating between a kidney stone and having a child. And at least at the end of childbearing you get a child out of that. A little positive out of that. Kidney stone, you get nothing but pain. So anyway. So there are two groanings here. So again, we talked about the groaning and suffering. And we see it in verse 22. For we know that the whole creation groaned and suffered the pains of childbirth together. So this is a positive end of groaning.

You're going through this, but you're looking forward to delivery. Isn't there a growth also? Is what? Isn't there a growth into that hope too? Well, I mean, I think spiritual growth and maturity as you look forward to this, but yeah, this is where it is because you're looking forward, even though you're suffering through this now, you realize that at the end of it is what? Delivery. You have a new, the burden is lifted. creation is now not under the curse, it's released from that. So even though you're going through this, you're looking expectantly at what's in the future.

What I'm saying is it's a cause in us to behold the Lord. Yeah, I can see that. That by going through this we're dependent or looking upon the Lord. That's again looking expectantly, knowing the truths that are In the Word, yes. We know it's from God, and so we can get through it.

It's like the trials. Any trials you go through... The Lord's been pounding this into me a lot, you know, just about the sovereignty of God and His eternal love for us. And at camp, I had a lot of this down at Camp Elam, and praying down there with those guys, and it's, again, you know, about being attacked by the evil one and all this.

God is sovereign. He allows the trials. He allows the blessings. And so with Satan, if you know, Satan's not omnipotent, he's omnipresent. He's not everywhere. So if you quote, get it by Satan, that's a day, you know, but he's a defeated foe and God will use them only as far as he allows him for and to accomplish his purposes.

So the trials are meant to conform us to the image of Christ. So again, I always look at, God's in control of all things, and He's also, He has an eternal love for us. So when those trials come, it's not man out of malice, that's my prayer, and my prayers go that way too. It's not man out of malice, it's man out of love.

And if you understand that, then it goes to the other promises, that we have a peace that surpasses all understanding. That we have a rest that only He can provide, the world can't do it. and comfort and strength, all the things that are promises, is if you know He's in control and He loves you. The groanings are now expectant, eagerly, looking forward, because we know it's coming. What a day of rejoicing there'll be.

Oh yeah. I just thought we were at a game with a... Her father started the Wilds camp and he just passed away, and talking about that, and we're talking about what a joyous thing that is, you know, that he's now face-to-face with God. Who doesn't want, you know, he said, would you ever want to come back? Does he have his new body now? Yeah, well, yeah, he's, well, is it, I don't know when that actually, the timing of that is, I mean, it's face-to-face, and timing is like immaterial when you step into eternity.

I kind of like, My theory, and this is way off track, a little bunny trap here, is that I think anybody who passes before us now, they'll look behind and we're there at the exact same time. Because time is immaterial. It's not like they're waiting 20 years. If somebody, you know, my dad passed away 30 years ago. He's waiting, you know, he's waiting 30 years for us to show up. Time is immaterial. So I always think that, you know, time when you step into eternity is immaterial.

So everybody's basically ending up at the same time. Just engineer trying to determine what eternity is. It's kind of like, and the only other way I equate this is if you've ever been on like a gondola, and it's screaming down the line, and then it hits them at the bottom. And they're all together. You know, they unload and they come off the line and they're all at the same time. That's why I think we're all speeding to this point of being into eternity. It's like when they zoomed around you, you get stuck at the same traffic light like you do. We're all going to end up at the same point very quickly, is what, basically. Anyway, that's really off the target. So question three.

When did this groaning begin? We gave that away. So when did this groaning begin? At the fall. Yeah, because who was in charge of creation? Adam. So when he falls, it goes down too. So ever since Adam sinned, the curse lies on all of the earth. The earth and the creatures are away from God. All of the strange, consequently groaning and prevailing are everywhere. So again, it started at Adam's fall. And all of creation got sucked into that.

Just kind of thinking about this a little bit, if you've ever been in a job that you don't feel like you're designed for, it's like, why am I doing this? This is not my skill set, right? This is not my personality. This is not what I was designed to do.

And that's kind of the state of where creation is. They were designed to be a suitable environment where man was glorifying God. And now they're stuck in a situation where they're in a job they don't want. It's not what I was designed to do. And at the end of it, it's all about this anxious waiting to glorify the Lord once more. And that is key and tied to our glorification. I want to be back in my role of glory. God is a God of design, and that longing is a reflection of having to function in a way that it wasn't designed to do.

A boss will make you groan for it. Does that make sense though? No, I thought kind of on top of that, it's kind of a double whammy, I decided that not only are they not doing what they're suited for, is the boss of us putting control of them? We're as screwed up as ever. We're sinful. And the guy who, you know, we're supposed to be in charge of this mess.

And we've got like, what, 60, 70, 80 years? How many years they've got to be in that job? I know we're putting animate and inanimate characteristics to creation, but it is a state, right? It's the state of the creation. But, you know, think about it. He put us in charge and we're falling sinful. So the people that are in charge of all this stuff are falling in trouble. So not only they under this, they got a boss that's really bad.

I study in Genesis on Wednesday nights, and one of the things that's cool about the days of creation is that God had in mind to create an environment that perfectly suited Adam. And he did it because he loves his creatures. And so Adam and the creation fit them together perfectly. And the creation was designed to bless Adam and to take care of every one of his needs, and a place where he could prosper and grow.

And so when Adam falls, the creation falls with him. Now, rather than work for him and with him, it works against him. And so the curse is like that. The curse doesn't just mean, but the blessing is withdrawn. And now the creation is designed, or because of the way it was designed, works against the man. And the man really isn't in charge anymore, because he gave up his dominion to an angel. And once he did that, the whole thing doesn't fit like it was originally designed. Yes, not per design. So the groaning, a lot of the groaning has to do with the lack of perfection now in the environment, that it doesn't fit us, we don't fit it.

Everything's designed to kill you and to harm you in some way. And if you weren't in Christ, you're a... a friend of mine used to say you're a no-hoper, because you don't have anything to hang on to. The whole thing is against you. Well, it's the second law of thermodynamics. Everything is going from a state of order to disorder. But I feel like it's the same vice versa. You know, we were given creation to take care of, you know, and now we're destroying it, too. No appreciation for the planet that was given to us.

Yeah. Come on again, that's the boss that screwed up. Right. The problem is that man couldn't save it, right? No. He doesn't have the capacity to do it because it's decaying faster than he can Restore it, but he's not capable. He contributes to the decay. Yeah, right. An angel wasn't meant to be an authority. That's right. Right. That's exactly right. Right.

You know, The Other Witch is just kind of a little aside to this, which I always go back to is, remember when Adam was walking with God in the garden? And it always just totally mystified me why he said, it's not good for you to be alone. Right. I'm walking with God.

What is the deal? But it's the two levels. There was a creator and a creation and there was a gap. And so he gave the woman to him to be on the same level. But the beautiful part is that now we are brought up into the family of God. We're now on a level that we can have that fellowship with God that we couldn't do it in the garden. And that's just mind-boggling to me that he went to that, You're walking with him, but he couldn't relate to him. But now when you look at John 17, we have that relationship, the same relationship that God has with the Son. We have that relationship now. So that made sense now why it wasn't good for him to be alone. Because it wasn't on the same level.

I mean, we're going to have everything but deity. We're in the family. We're children of God. And we've told Him that now we're going to be a part of that. We can walk with Him. And it's not going to be this, great gap between us. So yeah, it's kind of cool. So number four, does the Spirit make us immune to the groanings of the creation? Nobody encourages us in spite of the circumstances. He still encourages us, yes, but we're not immune to the groanings. It's where you're abiding. Where you're abiding. Explain. Well, you're either beholding the Lord, or you're beholding this world. There's no fence to sit on.

Well, I think, you know, it makes us, we can go back to 23, not only this, but we ourselves have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown. within ourselves waiting eagerly for the adoption of sons and the redemption of our body. So we're not only about the groaning of creation, we're groaning waiting to be revealed, waiting to be redeemed. For the redemption. For the redemption. That's why we're not immune from it because we're waiting for our redemption. I certainly am.

One of the reasons for this question was to point out the fact that God in no sense is going to take you out of the world in the groaning as part of it, because you are part of it. The difference is, is that you get supported in it. And so I think believers a lot of times pray, Oh Lord, you know, take me out of this situation or, you know, just, and he never does that. He supports you in it. Well, that's the grace. Well, that's the sovereign God. And, you know, he can take you through the trials. And, you know, there's a song I think that, you know, sometimes he takes me out of the storm, and sometimes he carries me through the storm.

You know, it's just the idea that, yeah, just because you're in a trial, you know, and when I first came here, praying with Mike was, I was petrified. I'll just let you know that for sure, because it was like, I want to pray for Fred, he's sick. And it's like, Well, maybe that's what God wants him to be, is sick. So why are we praying for Fred? I've overcome this after years. You can still pray for Fred, but if it's God's will that Fred gets better. But it was like that for years. I was afraid to pray because I'm praying against God's will or something.

So it is, I mean, he is going to take you through trials. And sometimes he'll answer and take you out of it. Sometimes he'll support you in it, or he will. supports you in it. And I only take you as far as you're able to go. And so again, yeah, the groanings, though, I think in this are related to we ourselves are looking forward to getting rid of these shells and being redeemed, getting away from the burden, the curse that we have in the flesh, that are the flesh that is always a burden to us. So we're trying to go through, you know, I think that's where our groanings are. So groaning is the complaining. No, I think it's just eagerly awaiting.

I think it's, the best I can think of is like, if you're a kid and it's Christmas morning, but it's three days before Christmas morning, what are you looking for? I'm looking at all those presents and I'm groaning because I can't open them for three more days. Yeah, but once he opens them, he complains.

It's different, man. It's a whole different thing. The thing is, you're grown. You're so expecting you want it. That's our groaning. I want to be there. I want to be redeemed. I want to get rid of this. And the Lord has me here as long as he wants me. That's why I pray a lot of times. He gives me every heartbeat and every breath. When I'm done with what he wants me to do here, I'm done. And I'll gladly go home.

So again, So, remember question 1 in verse 22, we know, we understand that all of creation is waiting to be relieved from the curse and bondages that it is under. If we look back at Romans 8, 20-21, for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope, that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. So, why would be understanding or knowing about creations growing? Why would we understand that? Because we're in the same boat. We're waiting for the same thing. A release from this curse. So, Neal puts it this way, or Newell, excuse me.

The Spirit does not take us out of sympathy with a groaning creation, but rather supports us in such sympathy. Being ourselves as to the body in a groaning condition, longing to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven, 2 Corinthians 5, 12. We are able to sympathize with the creatures about us which is a neat thing or precious thing. So we have the same groanings, anxious waiting, eagerly waiting for the redemption or the release of this. So we're all in the same boat. So we understand the groanings. of all creation, because we're waiting for it, too.

So, question five, and we can get to it real quick. What is a believer's position in the growing world? So, what is our position right now? In Christ. In Christ. So, we're in Christ, and He lives in me. So, and I brought up some of the different things.

Galatians 2.20, I've been crucified for Christ, and it's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me."

So, what else about it? Where are we seated right now? Positionally. It's in the Heavenly. It's Ephesians 2, 4-6. But God being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved, and raised us up with him, and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Where is our citizenship? In heaven.

Philippians 3.24. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior. Same thing. Waiting eagerly for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform this body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory. by the exertion of the power that He has, even to subject all things to Himself.

And then, what does Ephesians 1.3 say? Bless with all spiritual blessings. We've been blessed with all spiritual blessings. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

So, even with all these positional truths, what does verse 23 state? And not only this, but we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for the redemption. So, we groan like all of creation because we've not been set free. Even though we have all these positional truths, we still groan, waiting for that redemption.

You know, it's interesting here. I don't think he's saying that our focus is to be released from the vanity that the earth has been submitted to. Our release is to be in our position in the heavenlies, which is not tied to the earth anymore. And that's where I went through the positional. Because guess what happens when we step out of here? What comes together? Position and condition. Right now, we're positionally we have all this, but conditionally, So our focus should be away from the creation, in a sense, even though we're still in it, and focus on the position that the Word of God tells us that we already have. And we eagerly await that.

But you know, it's interesting. Because it is already a positional truth, a truth of us right now, we can rest in that as we need to walk by faith now. You can't do that as an earthly creature. I can't walk by faith in what's going to happen. That's why it's connected to hope and not faith. Yeah, it's a secure thing, a fact that will happen.

Right. Yeah, so we'll go on to question six when we start. Let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you again. We just thank you for these truths. We thank you again that we do wait for the redemption of these bodies where we get rid of the sinful flesh, which nothing dwells good in the flesh. And we eagerly await that time when we'll step into eternity and the sinful flesh will be gone.

We'll be face to face with you. And again, just the The ability to have that face-to-face is an incredible thought that gives us that peace, that comfort, that rest as we go through this life and all the different trials and the blessings, realizing that we have a hope, not that's in doubt, but secure, that we will be redeemed and we'll have glorified bodies, we'll have all these different things face-to-face with you. These are truths that are just incredible to think about and step into eternity where we have an eternity with you and just the fellowship that we have and this is what you promised us is that same fellowship that you have with your son you have with us and want that you desire that and what a delight that is that you desire to have that fellowship with us and you want us to come before you in prayer and even with the ability to come before you with daddy We have that intimacy. You want that intimacy with us that we can come before you like that.

So we thank you for that. We thank you that it's nothing on our part but the finished work of Christ on the cross and then you graciously offering us salvation. So we just thank you again for this time. We pray for Mike as he gives us the message in the next meeting and just prepare our hearts to receive it. We thank you for all these things in Jesus name we pray. Amen.