Chapter 2 It is Finished - Torpedoes of Futility and Thundering Faith

Chapter Two “The Ransom That Sets Us Free” uses the words captivity, bondage, and freedom a lot.  With these concepts the following proclamations are given: 1. We are released from captivity. 2. He frees us from bondage. 3. He makes the exchange (His life for ours.) 4. His voluntary exchange was costly. 5. Jesus thinks we are worth the price. 6. We are now His. 

All these proclamations brought to mind for me the verses in Romans 8:20-27.   

²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

These verses remind me that the will of God is to reveal Christ in frustration, bondage, groaning pains, and weakness.  (Italicized words all came out of Romans 8:20-27) He even reveals Christ “our hope and savior” in the midst of completely clueless prayers (I am super glad for this HOPE!!)

I am emboldened by chapter 2 to trust the infinitesimal, teency bit of Faith of Christ within me that spurs me to pause for a moment and perhaps whisper  or maybe just grunt or groan this very, very, very basic request, “JESUS, HELP ME.”

Chapter 2 and Romans 8 reveal that in response to even my most feeble & timid expression of trust in Him, God always thunders on the grandest scale (perhaps in realms I don’t necessarily perceive clearly or understand)   “NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION.”   In other words, little desperate prayers during a seemingly futile, frustrating day have full-tilt cosmic impact because God is such a good God with incredible, unimaginable power.

Thanks Jesus for being the author of life, salvation, & meaning in all circumstances.  Thanks for sabotaging my routine with torpedoes of futility and frustration so that I would turn my attention from created things and direct my attention to you, the Living Hope, for “in this hope we were saved.” Romans 8:24.