Living Between Promise and Fulfillment | Chip Stallings | August 30, 2026

Romans 8 places Christian suffering inside a much bigger story. Paul does not pretend that pain is small, invisible struggles are unreal, or grief can be solved by just toughing it out. Suffering is real, whether it shows up in a broken arm that everybody can see or in anxiety, addiction, loneliness, trauma, and sorrow that nobody thinks to ask about. But Paul says present suffering is not even worth comparing to the glory God is going to reveal.

Creation itself proves that this world is not how it is supposed to be. Creation is subjected to futility, caught in bondage to decay, and groaning like labor pains. That groaning is not pointless. Labor pains hurt, but they are working toward new life. The Holy Spirit gives believers the right perspective in suffering, creating a hunger for the day when Christ makes all things new and redeems even broken bodies.

The anchor of Jesus secures a certain future in an uncertain present. Christians do not endure because the present is easy. Christians endure because the future is certain. Peter says suffering is not the most important thing about a believer. God’s great mercy, new birth, living hope, imperishable inheritance, and guarded salvation are not touched, lowered, or washed away by hardship.

Grace gives confidence because God has withheld the punishment sinners deserve and has given gifts nobody could earn. Faith also gets proven in the fire. Gold does not enjoy refinement, and neither do Christians, but suffering can show that faith is legit. The goal is not for people to think highly of a suffering Christian. The goal is praise, glory, and honor for Jesus Christ.

Christ stands at the center of every Christian’s suffering. Christ is the sufferer, the righteous one for the unrighteous, who endured God’s wrath so sinners could come to God. Christ is also the victor, put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. His resurrection gives victory over sin, death, and hell.

The Lord’s Table holds both realities together. The small cracker and small cup point to a tremendous amount of suffering and a tremendous amount of victory. Christ’s body was broken and his blood was poured out so that the unrighteous could receive the righteousness of God. The suffering Savior and victorious Christ give believers confidence to face life’s challenges because Jesus has already anchored their future.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Suffering is real, but not final. Suffering should never be minimized, especially when it is hidden from everyone else. Romans 8 gives room for groaning without making groaning the final word. God’s promised glory does not erase present pain, but it puts present pain in its proper place. [65:19]
• 2. Creation groans toward coming redemption. Creation’s decay reveals that the world is broken, not that God has abandoned it. Labor pains provide the picture: real pain is moving toward a real birth. The Spirit teaches believers to long for redeemed bodies and a restored creation rather than planting roots too deeply in temporary things. [68:18]
• 3. Grace outlasts every hard season. God’s mercy, living hope, inheritance, and guarding power remain secure when life gets brutal. Trauma, loss, and trials may shape a person’s story, but they do not get to define that person’s deepest identity. Salvation in Christ is stronger than every circumstance trying to name somebody. [77:45]
• 4. Refined faith makes Christ look great. Fire reveals what gold is, and hardship can reveal the real character of faith. Faithfulness in suffering is not a performance meant to gain admiration from people. Faithfulness becomes a witness that directs praise, glory, and honor to Jesus Christ. [79:37]
• 5. Christ suffered and Christ conquered. Jesus did not merely sympathize with suffering from a distance. The righteous one suffered for the unrighteous so that sinners could come to God. His death paid for sin, and his resurrection defeated death, hell, and every false hope of victory apart from him.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [50:35] - Opening the Scriptures
• [51:29] - Camping on the Side of a Mountain
• [53:15] - Confidence in the Anchor
• [54:37] - A Certain Future in Christ
• [57:55] - Facing the Reality of Suffering
• [59:36] - Creation Groans for Glory
• [61:13] - Thinking Rightly About Suffering
• [68:18] - Labor Pains With Purpose
• [72:56] - Living Hope and Guarded Salvation
• [75:46] - Grace That Suffering Cannot Touch
• [78:13] - Faith Refined by Fire
• [82:48] - Christ the Sufferer and Victor
• [85:51] - The Lord’s Table: Suffering and Victory
• [89:33] - Christ Has Secured the Future

Bible Reading

Romans 8:18–25

18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” [59:30]

19 “For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.” [59:30]

20 “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in the hope” [59:30]

21 “that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.” [59:30]

22 “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.” [59:30]

23 “Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” [59:30]

24 “For in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?” [01:00:50]

25 “Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” [01:00:50]

1 Peter 1:3–9

3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” [01:12:56]

4 “into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” [01:12:56]

5 “You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” [01:12:56]

6 “You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials” [01:12:56]

7 “so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” [01:12:56]

8 “Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy,” [01:12:56]

9 “because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” [01:12:56]

1 Peter 3:18

18 “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” [01:24:25]

Observation questions

1. What words does Paul use in Romans 8 to describe the condition of creation, and what future change does he say creation is waiting for? [01:06:58]
2. In Romans 8:22–25, what are both creation and believers doing, and what specifically are believers waiting to receive?
3. What gifts does Peter list in 1 Peter 1:3–5 that remain secure even while believers suffer grief in various trials? [01:16:42]
4. According to 1 Peter 3:18, who suffered, for whom did he suffer, and what was the purpose of his suffering?

Interpretation questions

1. Paul says present sufferings are “not worth comparing” with coming glory. How can that be true without treating a believer’s present grief, trauma, anxiety, or loss as unimportant? [01:08:04]
2. Creation’s groaning is compared to labor pains. What does that picture communicate about the difference between pointless pain and pain that is moving toward God’s promised redemption? [01:09:43]
3. Peter says believers are guarded by God’s power, yet they may still suffer various trials. How can a believer understand God’s guarding care without assuming that hardship means God has failed or abandoned them? [01:17:07]
4. Jesus is called “the righteous for the unrighteous.” Why is it important that Christ’s suffering did more than provide an example of courage, but actually brought sinners to God? [01:23:27]

Application questions

1. Is there a hardship in life right now that is visible to others, or one that is mostly hidden—such as anxiety, loneliness, addiction, grief, or trauma? What would it look like to let a trusted Christian know enough to pray for and walk with you? [01:03:23]
2. When suffering feels long or confusing, what temporary things are you most tempted to lean on for relief or security? How might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to place your hope more firmly in Christ and the future he has promised? [01:10:37]
3. What part of God’s grace do you especially need to remember this week: his great mercy, living hope, secure inheritance, guarding power, or promised salvation? Why does that truth meet you where you are? [01:15:59]
4. Peter compares proven faith to gold refined by fire. In a current difficult season, what might faithful trust in Christ look like in practical terms—in your words, choices, relationships, or habits? [01:19:03]
5. Is there someone around you whose suffering may be hidden because there is no outward sign of it? What is one simple, caring way you could check in with that person this week? [01:04:07]
6. Jesus has suffered for sin and risen in victory over sin, death, and hell. When fear or discouragement rises, how can you remind yourself that your future is anchored in him rather than in your circumstances? [01:25:29]
7. The Lord’s Table points to both Christ’s broken body and his victorious resurrection. How does remembering both his suffering and victory reshape the way you face the challenges in front of you? [01:29:25]