“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are THE RICHES OF HIS GLORIOUS INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might..."  Ephesians 1:17-19

"For we know that the whole creation has been GROANING together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, GROAN INWARDLY as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with GROANINGS too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."  Romans 8:22-27

“For in this tent we GROAN, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we GROAN, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be FURTHER CLOTHED, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”  2 Corinthians 5:2-4

In Ephesians 1, Paul prays for a healthy, vibrant church that is filled with faith in Christ and love for God’s people. His prayer centers on these believers continually comprehending and being empowered as they understand the hope of their calling, the riches of their glorious inheritance (the goodness of God in the present context and the reality of heaven), and the surpassing greatness of the power they have found in their union with Christ.

Those who have trusted in Christ for their salvation have HOPEFUL GROANING in the midst of sorrow, pain, disappointment, joys, and happiness. We live with anticipation because the best is yet to be. We live with a future oriented faith that brings hope because we know that God is a good and gracious Father, that God the Son through His life, death, and resurrection has given us everything we need for life and godliness, and because God the Holy Spirit applies these truths to our lives and empowers us for daily living.

MILEPOSTS REGARDING HOPEFUL GROANING:

1. Creation (vv. 19-22)

"Can you hear the sighing in the wind? Can you feel the heavy silence in the mountains? Can you sense the restless longing in the sea? Can you see it in the woeful eyes of an animal? Something's coming … something better."  Joni Eareckson Tada (Joni has been a quadriplegic since 1967 because of a diving accident.)

2. The first-fruits of our salvation (vv. 23-25). The Holy Spirit gives us a taste of the coming glory.

We have the dual experience of often saying, “this is so good!” And we anticipate there's so much more as we groan with anticipation. Also, we have the experience of saying “this is so painful and difficult” and so we anticipate the coming glory with groaning.

3. Praying in the power of the Holy Spirit with groans too deep for words (vv. 26-27).

“It is important that when we come to die we have nothing to do but to die.”  Charles Hodge (1797-1878), Princeton Seminary

APPLICATIONS:

1. We embrace hopeful groaning by living out the reality of our union with Christ and our security in Him found in Romans 8:28-39.

2. Groaning in sorrow and brokenness and groaning in hope/rejoicing are both common experiences in the life of a believer.

3. Our groaning involves the “already but not yet of the kingdom of the living Christ.” Therefore, we guard against demanding too much or settling for too little.

4. The hope of heaven and resurrection bodies underscores the beauty of creation and the prospects of the new heavens and new earth. It affirms the physical instead of falling into the error of saying that the body is nothing more than a “prison house for the soul.”  Plato

In affirming the physical, we understand that the devil can never create joy or pleasures; he only corrupts them.

5. Groaning with hope produces an enduring and steadfast patience in the life of a child of God (Psalm 112:4-8; Romans 8:25b).

6. The prospect of eternity and the certainty of our coming death focuses our attention.

“Earlier in the voyage Reepicheep (the talking mouse) had expressed his utter abandonment of seeking Aslan’s country: ‘While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise.'"  C.S. Lewis, Voyage of the Dawn Treader

7. “I am not tired of my work, neither am I tired of the world; yet when Christ calls me home I shall go with the gladness of a school boy bounding away from school. Death will never take me by surprise.” Adoniram Judson (1788-1850)