Video Notes:

• Consider or Count – accounting term. In this case, it’s saying that whatever negatives we experience in our mortal life are not only not equal to the positive that is to come, but can’t really be compared. To put it in accounting terms, it’s like there’s a 1 cent cost to receive $100 billion dollars.
• The passage acknowledges the suffering we endure. This includes both the suffering we do for Christ (vs 17) and the suffering of living in a sin-corrupted world, things like illness, death, mourning, war, etc.
• This is one of the things people can struggle with. How can a loving God allow such suffering? This passage doesn’t try to answer the question, but rather puts the suffering into perspective. While it seems great to us now, we will see after Christ returns that it didn’t come close to comparing to the glory of eternal life with God.
• But what of the question? I think it’s important to note that God will end the suffering one day. That is the day of His return. There will be no more suffering, death, mourning, etc. because there will be no more sin.
• Sin is the cause of the suffering experience, whether it’s our sin, the sin of others, or effects of decay and death of sin in general. God will remove all sin and its effects when Jesus returns. He is not slow to act as some consider slowness, but rather is patient not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
• So, until that day of Christ’s return, we wait in hope of the glory that is to come.
• Romans 8:18-27 – If you are in the Wesley Chapel area, I invite you to come to Faith tomorrow for worship. We meet at 11am.