In the eighth chapter of Romans God offers believers some of the most comforting verses in all of His Word. These verses allow believers to face the trials and tribulations of life with confidence and victory. They are easily remembered because they all contain the number 8. These verses are Romans 8:18, 8:28, and 8:38.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39
These verses offer great comfort and contentment to those that have trusted Christ as Savior.
Why Do People Suffer?
To experience peace and contentment in the midst of suffering, there are two important facts to keep in mind.
First, we must realize that Christians in this Age of Grace are not excluded from suffering. In fact, quite the contrary. Look at the life of Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, and see that suffering is very much a part of a believers life.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. II Corinthians 11:24-27
But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. II Timothy 3;10-12
If Paul is any indication, we are not going to escape this life without suffering. It is cruel to tell someone that suffering indicates something lacking in their relationship with God. Paul was a man who served the Lord like few others and yet was not protected from suffering.
Second, we must understand that suffering is not from God. God does not send suffering to try to teach us something, or to punish us for some past transgression. All suffering is a result of the curse that sin brought to the earth.
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: . . . Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Genesis 3:14,16,17
Man is responsible for the curse afflicting the earth and the suffering and heartache it brings. The sin of man brought the sorrow of the curse
In Romans 8:22, Paul reveals the truth about where suffering originates and who is subject to it.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 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. Romans 8:22,23
Suffering is a result of the curse upon all creation and extends even to those that “have the firstfruits of the Spirit.” In other words, to those that are saved.
God offers believers no immediate deliverance from suffering, but He does offer deliverance from the power of suffering to discourage and defeat us. This deliverance is described in the verses previously mentioned. These verses offer comfort only to believers, to those who have placed their faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as payment for their sins. In Romans 8:18 Paul says glory will be revealed “in us”, referring to believers only. In Romans 8:28 Paul speaks of “them that are called according to his [God’s] purpose”. This statement specifically excludes nonbelievers. In addition, in Romans 8:39, Paul says that God’s love is “in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Therefore we must conclude that those not “in Christ” are separated from God’s love and comfort.
If you are seeking comfort in the midst of suffering, please understand that your first step to comfort is to trust Christ as your Savior. The comfort that Romans 8 offers comes only to those who are children of God by faith in Christ.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Romans 3:23-25
If you have never made a conscious decision to trust the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as payment for your sin, why not do so right now, before you read any further.
Now that that issue is settled, let’s consider the great strength and comfort God offers His children in His Word.
There’s Just No Comparison
The first of Paul’s verses of comfort is Romans 8:18.
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18
This verse confirms that believers will suffer. This passage does not question whether there will be suffering, it assumes that there will be. However, it also tells us that suffering cannot be compared with the glory that shall follow.
The hope of every believer is to one day experience and manifest the glory of God.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1,2
This hope is realized at the rapture of the Body of Christ. Then our bodies will be redeemed and we will receive our new resurrection bodies, bodies incapable of experiencing the suffering that is so much a part of our present physical bodies.
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 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. Romans 8:21-25
In II Corinthians Paul gives us a verse that beautifully illustrates why the sufferings of today “are not worthy to be compared with the glory” that shall come.
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. II Corinthians 4:16-18
Our sufferings are referred to as “light affliction”, which lasts, “but for a moment”. Our glory on the other hand, is referred to as “eternal weight”. Do you see the wonderful contrast? Our suffering is light and temporary but our glory is heavy and eternal. There’s just no comparison!
If you have trusted Christ as your Savior, you have the wonderful assurance that this life is not the end. Glory awaits you that is so much greater than the sufferings of this life that it is not worthy to be compared. By faith and on the authority of God’s Word we believe this, and focus our hearts and minds on that glory that will come, and not on the sufferings of this present time.
What Things Are All Things?
The next of Paul’s verses of comfort is Romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
If you are suffering now, or have in the past, you may wonder how suffering can possibly work for good. The fact of the matter is, it does not. All things that happen in this world and in your life are not God’s will and they do not all bring good.
For example, Scripture clearly states that it is God’s will for all to be saved. Yet, Scripture also clearly states that not all will be saved.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 2:4
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; I Thessalonians 1:7-9
God made perfectly clear that He did not want Adam and Eve to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; yet they ate of it.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:16,17
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. Genesis 3:6
The disobedience of Adam and Eve certainly did not bring good. In fact, those actions brought the curse that causes suffering. Sin never brings good!
What then does Paul mean when he says, “all things work together for good”? He is saying that all things that God has accomplished are working together for the good of His children. In fact, he even lists the “all things” in the verses immediately following verse 28.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:29-32
The “all things” that are working for our good are God’s foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. These are the “all things” that God freely gives us in verse 32 and about which Paul asks, “What shall we say to these things?”
The comfort of Romans 8:28 is not about finding good in every event that happens in our lives. It is realizing that even when the events of our lives are bad and cause suffering and pain, God is working His “all things” for our good and His glory. Nothing that happens in this life can prevent God’s purpose from being fulfilled in us in eternity.
The Love of God in Christ
Paul’s final words of comfort in Romans 8 are found in verses 38 and 39.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38,39
While it is true that God loves all men and would have all men to be saved, he has a relationship only with those that are in Christ Jesus. The position of a believer “in Christ” gives us great security and comfort.
Scripture clearly affirms that God loves all men and wants all men to experience His salvation.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 2;4
However, Scripture also makes clear that a relationship with God is reserved for those who come to him by faith in Christ.
For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; Ephesians 2:18,19
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Romans 8:15-17
Those who are saved by placing their faith in the work of Christ on the cross as payment for their sin have an eternal, unbreakable relationship with God the Father through Christ. God loves us, not as fallen human beings in need of a Savior. He loves us as His children. He loves us with the same love that he has for Christ. The only way we can be separated from the Father is for Christ to be separated from the Father.
The unsaved will be separated eternally from a relationship with the Father.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: . . . And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. Matthew 25:41,46
As believers we have the glorious assurance that we can never be separated from a relationship with the Father. The worst that this world can do to us is kill our bodies. Paul lists death as the first thing not able to separate us from the love of God. The worst that this world with its curse can do to you cannot separate your from Christ. If you are in Christ, you can never be separated from a relationship with the Father. Even in death, your relationship with God will stand strong.
Comfort for Believers
Comfort for believers in this Age of Grace does not come by having our problems taken away. It comes through walking by faith in the truths of God’s Word. Truths such as those found in Romans 8:18, 28, and 38. These truths allow us to face the trials and tribulations of this life with confidence, and to come through them in victory.
We must again emphasize that this truth applies only to those that have trusted Christ as their Savior by placing their faith in His death, burial, and resurrection, as payment for their sins. That simple decision is the first one you must make to find comfort in the midst of suffering.