August 15 - Present Suffering and Future Glory 현재의 고난과 장래의 영광

August 15 - Present Suffering and Future Glory

 

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us.” – Romans 8:18

 
This begins a powerful passage in which Paul discusses living as a Christian through the suffering that comes with this life on earth. Some Bible teachers suggest that Paul refers "only" to the suffering caused by persecution for faith in Christ. Based on the full context of the passage, however, there is every reason to understand Paul, including the everyday suffering that comes with living on this sin-stained planet. He will be clear that it is experienced by all creatures (Romans 8:20), but only those in Christ look forward to sharing in the glories of God's kingdom afterward.Paul's perspective is that our present sufferings are not worth holding up compared to the glories that will be revealed in us. Some readers might be tempted to hear Paul glossing over human existence's enormous physical and emotional pain.

 

He is not. Instead, Paul is elevating the much more enormous glory to come. Paul understood pain very deeply. Second Corinthians 11:23–29 contains a small sampling of his experiences: hunger, thirst, danger, imprisonment, torture, and persecution. And yet, he says all of that suffering cannot compare to the glories that will be revealed at some future time to saved believers as God's heirs with Christ. Truly, those endless glories must be incomprehensibly wonderful, satisfying, and meaningful.Without Christ, we could never participate in God's glory because of our sins (Romans 3:23). In Christ, as God's fully adopted heirs, we will fully experience His glory forever (Romans 6:23). This verse does not minimize the pain we experience—it simply puts it into an eternal perspective.

 

The blessing we hope for is not a present blessing but a blessing in our future. People who have received God’s redemptive grace are living to prepare and to wait upon the new world of mystery where they are going. Paul describes the blessing upon redeemed people as hidden and a mystery. The reason Paul says it is hidden and a mystery is because it can only be understood and discovered through God’s revelation. “This hidden mystery was made beforehand by God for the time which would reach their fulfillment, and God is bringing all things in heaven and on earth together under one head” (Ephesians 1:9-10). 

 

Therefore, Christians should not hold a pessimistic view of the world. Redemptive Christians know well that history has a purpose, meaning, and direction. When all things come together as one in Christ, we will know all these hidden mysteries Paul speaks of. God is bringing all things in heaven and on earth together in Christ. God’s history of unity starts with the redeemed people. The Kingdom of God, which started from His children, now includes Christians on this earth and in heaven, and they are all united in the body of Christ. 

 

In Christ, Jews and Gentiles are together, and the victory of the church in Heaven and the church on Earth are together. Whether in heaven or on the earth, we share a blessing, being chosen, adopted, receiving grace, having been redeemed, forgiven, and given spiritual wisdom through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:14-15). 

This is precisely what we call the world of the new order (Colossians 1:16). Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. All things come from Jesus, and they go back to him (Romans 8:19-21). Hence, all the redeemed souls, the universe and angels, things in heaven, and earthly things, whether spiritual or material, are united in Christ. We will receive and look forward to this heavenly and future glory. 

 

 

Today’s Prayer: Ask God to prompt the saints in your church to join in praising him for his grace, compassion, and patience (Psalm 145:8-10). Pray that such praise will convince many to follow the LORD (Psalm 145:11-13).

Prayer Pointer: It is good to keep some account of our prayers so that we may not unsay them in our practice. – Matthew Henry 

Bible Reading: Psalm 103-104; Romans 14

 

 

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8월 15일 - 현재의 고난과 장래의 영광

 

“생각건대 현재의 고난은 장차 우리에게 나타날 영광과 족히 비교할 수 없도다”- 롬8:18

 

 

바울은 세상에서 고난을 통과하고 있는 그리스도인들의 삶에 관해 놀라운 말씀을 주고 있습니다. 어떤 성서 학자들은 바울이 고난을 언급하는 이유는 자신이 그리스도를 믿는 신앙 때문에 받는 박해라고 말합니다. 그러나 전체 문맥에서 보면 바울은 죄로 얼룩진 세상에 살면서 경험하는 모든 고난에 관해 언급하는 이유를 찾을 수 있습니다.  그는 모든 피조물들이 현재 고통 가운데 있지만(롬 8:20), 장차 그리스도 안에 있는 자들은 하나님 나라의 영광에 참여할 것을 기대한다고 말합니다.  

 

바울의 말하는 요지는 현재의 고난은 장차 나타날 영광과 비교할 가치조차 없다는 것입니다. 어떤 사람들은 바울이 인간의 삶의 현실에서 경험하는  육체적, 정서적 고통을 말하는 것이라고 생각합니다. 그러나 바울은 그렇게 생각하지 않고 오히려 다가올 훨씬 더 큰 영광으로 기다리고 있다고 말합니다. 그는 많은 고통을 잘 이해하고 있었습니다. 고린도후서 11:23-29에서 바울은 그가 경험한 고통들, 굶주림, 목마름, 위험, 투옥, 고문, 박해와 같은 것을 언급합니다. 그는 이 세상에서 경험하는 모든 고통과 하나님의 상속자들인 구원받은 성도들이 받는 미래의 나타날 영광과 족히 비교할 수 없다는 것입니다. 이 한없는 영광은 형용할 수 없이 놀랍고 만족스럽고 그리고 의미있는 영광인 것입니다.   

 

죄인인 우리는 그리스도은 은혜 없이는 하나님의 영광에 결코 참여하지 못합니다(롬 3:23). 그리스도 안에서, 하나님의 가족의 입양된 성도들은 하나님의 상속자로서 하나님의 영광을 영원히 누리게 됩니다(롬 6:23). 여기의 성도들에게 고통에 관해 말씀하시는 것은 경험적인 고통을 최소화 하라는 것이 아니라 우리의 고통을 영원한 시간적인 관점에서 보라고 것입니다. 우리가 바라는 축복은 현재적인 것이 아니라 미래의 축복입니다. 하나님의 구속의 은혜를 받은 자들은 새로운 신비의 천상의 나라를 바라보며 준비하며 살아가야 합니다.  바울은 구속 받은 백성들이 받는 축복을 비밀과 신비로 설명합니다. 그가 비밀과 신비라고 말하는  이유는 하나님이 보여주시는 계시를 통해서만 이해하고 발견할 수 있기 때문입니다. “이 비밀과 신비는 곧 때가 찬 경륜을 위하여 하나님께서 예정하신 것으로, 하늘에 있는 것이나 땅에 있는 것이나 다 그리스도 안에서 통일되게 하려 하는 것”(엡1:9-10). 

 

그러므로, 그리스도인은 세상을 비관적으로 보지 않아야 합니다. 구속함을 받은 자들은 역사의 목적과 의미와 그리고 방향을 알고 있습니다. 그리스도 안에서 모든 것이 통일될 때에 바울이 말하는 비밀과 신비의 모든 것을 보게 됩니다. 하나님은 그리스도 안에서 하늘과 땅에 있는 모든 것들을 통일하십니다. 하나님의 통일의 역사는 구속 받은 자들과 함께 시작되며  하나님의 자녀들로 시작된 하나님의 나라는 지상의 모든 그리스도인들과 하늘에 있는 성도들, 그리고 그리스도의 몸에 연합되어 있는 모든 자들을 포합하여 성취됩니다.  

 

유대인들과 이방인들이 함께 하고, 천상의 승리적인 교회와 지상의 전투적인 교회가 하나가 됩니다. 하늘과 땅에 있는 모든 성도들은 그리스도를 믿음고 구원받아 하나님의 자녀가 되고  그리스도의 은혜와 구속과, 용서 받은 자들로 영적인 지혜의 축복을 나누게 됩니다(엡 3:14-15). 이것이 그리스도안의 새로운 질서의 세계입니다(골1:16). 예수 그리스도는 알파와 오메가이시고, 처음과 나중이십니다. 모든 것이 주님께로 말미암고 다시 주님께로 돌아갑니다(롬8:19-21). 구속 받은 영혼들, 우주의 천사들, 하늘과 땅에 있는 모든 것들, 영적인 것과 물질적인 것, 모두 그리스도안에서 통일되고 연합됩니다. 이것이 우리가 바라고 기다리는 장래의 영광 입니다. 

 

 

오늘의 기도: 하나님께서 당신 교회 성도들이 주님의 은혜, 사랑과 인내로 주님을 찬양하도록 기도하고 (시 145:8-10), 찬양을 통해서 많은 사람들이 확신가운데 주님을 따르도록 간구하십시오 (시 145:11-13).기도 지침: 우리의 기도를 잘 기록해 두는 것이 좋다. 그러면 삶의 실천에서 기도한 것을 취하지 않기 때문이다. – 마태 헨리
성경 읽기: 시편 103-104편; 로마서 14장