Romans 8:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope

NIV: For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope

NASB: For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope

CSB: For the creation was subjected to futility--not willingly, but because of him who subjected it--in the hope

NLT: Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope,

KJV: For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

NKJV: For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

All of creation is waiting with eager longing for the day when the children of God—those who are in Christ (Romans 3:26)—will be revealed as who we truly are (1 John 3:2). That's what Paul wrote in the previous verse. Now he explains why the creation longs for that day when God will reveal His children, and Himself, in glory.

The creation, meaning all God has made, is suffering. It is subject to something described using the Greek word mataiotēti. This term implies something warped, perverse, sickly, weak, or false. This futility—or "frustration"—came long ago, when sin entered into the world. God did not create the world this way, and creation itself did not choose this. The trees and streams and animals and sky did not choose an existence of frustration. Rather, God subjected creation to frustration in response to Adam's sin in the garden of Eden. God did not design creation to suffer. That hardship came after all was meaningful and "very good." This warped, struggling existence came about when God cursed all of creation in response to human sin (Genesis 3:14, 17–19).

The words "in hope" that end the verse belong to a phrase in the following verse.

Romans 8:18–30 talks about the participation of Christians in the everyday suffering experienced by all of creation. We all groan together as a woman in labor while we wait for God to reveal His children. As His children, we are waiting for the Father to complete our adoption by redeeming our bodies so that we can be with Him. God's Spirit helps us in the season of waiting by taking our unformed prayers to God. We trust that God uses every circumstance in our lives for His purposes and that He has chosen us long ago to be His children.

Romans 8 begins and ends with declarations of the Christian's absolute security before God. There is no condemnation for those in Christ, and nothing will ever be able to separate us from His love. Having believed the gospel, we now live in the Spirit of God. That allows us to call God Abba Father. We suffer with Christ, and we suffer along with all creation while we wait for God to reveal us as His sons. With the help of the Spirit, we are confident that God is for us and loves us in Christ.

In Romans 7, Paul revealed his frustration of trying to do good only to be thwarted by his sin. He begins Romans 8, though, with the triumphant statement that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. We live in the Spirit, and we relate to God as a child does to a father. The Spirit helps us in this season of suffering along with all of creation while we wait for our adoption to be complete with the redemption of our bodies. We are confident, though, that God is for us and nothing can separate us from His love.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.