Peter Barnes | Romans 8:18
SERMON NOTES
COMPARING SUFFERING AND GLORY
(Romans 8:18)
– Andy and Jennifer Gill wrote Love Oliver, which tells of their son, Oliver, who lived for five months in 2010 after being born with cancer.
1. Sufferings cannot be compared to glory.
– 8:18 and 2 Cor. 4:17
– more to come in 2 Cor.5:4; Rev.6:9-11, leading to Rev.21:1-5
– ‘reckon’ or ‘consider’ is an accounting word (used in Rom.3:28; 6:11)
2. Earthly sufferings are temporary; heavenly glory is forever.
– suffering for 38 years is a long time (John 5:5-6), but not in the light of eternity (Ps.39:5; 103:15-17; James 4:14)
– like childbirth in John 16:21 or Jacob’s working for Rachel (Gen.29:20)
– note Luke 6:22-23
3. Earthly sufferings are light; heavenly glory has an eternal weight.
– Paul is not making light of suffering (see 2 Cor.11:23-28)
– Christ’s perspective in Heb.12:2