Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Rom.8:23 Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.

Paul is saying that in our sinful flesh we under go death each day causing us groaning so that we wait upon the complete redemption of our bodies, but what does this mean, are we not redeemed in Christ Jesus? Yes, we are redeemed in Christ Jesus, if we stay in faith and believe in Christ Jesus we have eternal life, but we have not been redeemed completely from dead works of sins law in our bodies until God says it is finished, what does this mean?

It means, God has set in motion a process that is far bigger then any one person on earth. The process that will set creation free comes from the suffering of His Children in their sinful bodies while living on earth. When their faith is perfected in love then God has finished His workings in them and the bodies of sin will have been completed, or redeemed. This does not mean in light of all Paul other writings that their bodies will be taken into heaven with them. It simply means the workings of our sinful bodies have been completed for God's purposes. The spiritual life of a new creation or God's child can than be transferred into the spiritual heavens to take up what ever type of body God chooses to give them.

1Cor.15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.

The process of suffering is greater than the person, it is the suffering God allows that set free His creation. God has given each of His children sinless life in Christ Jesus, from the moment they accepted Christ. Rather they suffer a long time in the flesh or a little in the flesh, does not matter in the reward of life which has already been given them in Christ Jesus.

It is the glory of suffering for the Christ a long time in our sinful bodies that helps set free God's creation. This is why apostle Peter stated in other writings that suffering proves we have the glory of God resting upon us.

The process of what we learn, in suffering of sins law, while living in the Spirit creates a war, the war between Spirit and the flesh, in this war, we conquer and also fail, but it is Christ Jesus translating these experiences into fruits of everlasting life for the rest of creation which is the purpose larger than our own life. While this process continual we know that purpose of our body has not been completed for God, so He leaves us in them, that is, He is still completing them for His uses in setting free His creation., or the redemption of them has not yet been completed for His purposes. This does not mean God does not love us or He loves us less in letting us suffer longer in our flesh, in fact, it may will be just the opposite that our God has seen fit to let us suffer longer for His purposes, in setting free darker parts of the creation from sin corruption in us.

1 Peter 4:13 But because you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy.

See Also: nu-truth.com