1. We have heard how Paul comforts the Christians in their
sufferings, pointing them to the future inconceivable and eternal
glory to be revealed in us in the world to come; and how he has, for
our greater consolation, reminded us that the whole creation as one
being suffers in company with the Christian Church. We have noted how
he sees, with the clear, keen eye of an apostle, the holy cross in
every creature. He brings out this thought prominently, telling us it
is not strange we Christians should suffer, for in our preaching, our
reproving and rebuking, we easily merit the world's persecution; but
creation must suffer being innocent, must even endure forced
subjection to the wicked and the devil himself.
2. Could the sun voice its experience from Adam's time down, what
misery it has witnessed and endured, undoubtedly it would tell of its
heavy cross in being compelled to serve innumerable adulterers,
thieves, murderers, in fact, the devil's whole kingdom. Yet it is a
noble and admirable work of creation, fit to serve only God, angels
and pious Christians, who thank God for it. But it must serve those
who blaspheme and dishonor God and who are guilty of all wickedness
and lawlessness. Notwithstanding its dislike of such service, it is
with every other created thing obedient to God.
3. This is a fine and comforting thought of the apostle's, that all
creatures are martyrs, having to endure unwillingly every sort of
injustice. The creatures do not approve the conduct of the devil and
of the wicked in their shameful abuse of creation, but they submit to
it for the sake of him who has subjected them to vanity, at the same
time hoping for a better dispensation in the fulfilment of time, when
they shall again be rightly received and abuse be past. Hence Paul
points to another life for all creation, declaring it to be as weary
of this order as we are and to await a new dispensation. By his
reference to the earnest expectation of the creature he means that it
does not expect to remain in its present condition, but with us looks
toward heaven and hopes for a resurrection from this degraded life
into a better one where it will be delivered from the bondage of
corruption, as he says later.
4. By these sayings Paul gives us to understand that all creation is
to attain a perfection far beyond its present state where with us it
must be subject to tyrants. These tyrants wantonly abuse our
characters, our bodies, our property rights, just as the devil abuses
our souls. But we must suffer our lot, remembering that mankind is
captive on earth in the kingdom of the devil, and all creation with
it. The earth must submit to be trodden and to be cultivated by many
a wicked one, to whom it must yield subsistence. Likewise is this
submission true of the elements--air, fire, water--all creation
having its cross, yet hoping for the end of the dispensation.
5. There is a refined and comforting perception in the apostle's
exposition where he represents the entire creation as one being, with
us looking forward to entrance upon another life. We are satisfied
that our present life is not all, that we await another and true
life. Likewise the sun awaits the restoration coming to it, to the
earth and all creatures, when they shall be purified from the
contaminating abuse of the devil and the world.
6. And this condition is to come about when the children of God are
revealed. True, they are God's children on earth, but they have not
yet entered into their glory. Similarly, the sun is not now in
possession of its real glory, for it is subject to evil; it awaits
the appointed time when its servitude shall cease. With all creation
and with the true saints it waits and longs, being meanwhile subject
to vanity--that is, the devil and the wicked world--for the sake of
God alone, who subjects, yet leaves hope that the trial shall not
continue forever.
7. We are children of God now on earth. We are blessed if we believe
and are baptized, as it is written: "He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved." Mk 16, 16. And again: "As many as received
him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to
them that believe on his name." Jn 1, 12. Baptism is a visible rite
and we behold with mortal vision those who receive it; the Word of
the Gospel we hear, and we have in ourselves the witness of the Holy
Spirit that our faith, however weak, is acceptable to God. But who
among men recognizes us as children of God? Who will apply the term
to a class imprisoned and tortured and tormented in every conceivable
way, as if they were children of the devil, condemned and accursed
souls?
8. Not without significance is Paul's assertion that the glory of
God's children is now unmanifest but shall be revealed in them. In
Colossians 3, 3-4 he declares: "Ye died, and your life is hid with
Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested,
then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory." So long as God's
children are here upon earth they are not arrayed in the garb of his
own, but wear the livery of the devil. It would be fitting for the
children of the devil to be bound, fettered and imprisoned and to
suffer all manner of misfortune; but it does not so come to pass.
They have the world's pleasures. They are wealthy and powerful, have
honor and money in plenty and withal bear God's name and wear the
garb of his children, as if having his approval. Meanwhile they
regard us as heretics and enemies of God. Thus the rightful order of
things is reversed: they who are God's appear to be the devil's, and
the devil's to be God's. This condition is painful to the pious.
Indeed, heaven and earth and all creatures cry out in complaining
protest, unwilling to be subject to evil and to suffer the abuse of
the ungodly; to endure that dishonor of God that opposes the
hallowing of his name, the extension of his kingdom and the execution
of his will on earth as in heaven.
9. Because God's children are thus unrevealed and denied their true
insignia, all creation, as Paul says, cries out with them for the
Lord God to rend the heavens and come down to distinguish his
children from those of the devil. Considering the unrevealed state of
God's own on earth, the ungodly in their great blindness are not able
to discern them. The doctrine of the righteous which magnifies God's
grace manifest in Christ is by the wicked termed error, falsehood,
heresy and diabolical teaching. So Paul says the whole creation waits
for the manifestation of the children of God.