GROANS

GROANS

“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body”. (Romans 8:22, November 16, 201723 (KJV)

There is an old joke about the man with a beautiful garden. His neighbor asked him the secret. He replied: “I planted weeds and the garden came up and took them over”. I repeat, THIS IS A JOKE! It never happens that way. Not only is the ground cursed because of sin, the whole creation is groaning. Even believers with the first fruits of the Spirit also groan. No garden prospers without work and no believer prospers without work either.

Haggai makes reference to the same principle. He said that if someone carries holy flesh and touches bread, pottage, wine, oil, or any meat , the holy flesh does not transfer holiness. Something holy touching something unholy does not make it holy. However, if someone is unclean, his unholy condition contaminates everything he touches. (Haggai 2:12, 13). You know this is true. If 100 well people visit someone sick, their wellness does not make the sick person well. Invariably it is the other way around. One sick person can easily pass an illness to100 people.

One irrefutable law of science is called the second law of thermodynamics. This law is based on the irreversible presence of “entropy”. The word “evolution” literally means “unrolling” or “turning out”. The word “entropy” means the opposite. It means “to turn in”. One is a theory and other is a scientific law. This law of entropy absolutely precludes the possibility of perpetual motion. Scientifically, no machine is 100 % efficient. For any machine to continue working it must have a constant input of energy. Further, every machine will invariably need repairs. You cannot continue to drive a car without periodically putting gas in the tank and taking it to a mechanic.

The spiritual application is obvious. You don’t have to teach your children to lie and be lazy. They will learn to do those things on their own. Like weeds growing in the garden, sin comes naturally. We must follow after peace and holiness, for it never happens the other way around (Heb. 12:14). Peace and holiness do not follow us, we follow them. No one is automatically holy, and no garden is automatically free of weeds. We must make a conscientious effort to do what is right.

This is the real world! If you want your hair to look nice you have to keep combing it. If you want to smell nice you have to keep taking a bath. If you don’t want cavities you have to keep brushing your teeth. If you want holiness you must follow it. You must keep praying, keep reading the Bible, and keep going to church. While we groan with the perpetual problems of life, the whole creation also groans with us. We all wait together for deliverance. All living things grow old and die, and all non living things suffer deterioration. The whole creation groans and travails in pain.

While all truths are equally true, all truths are not equally important. It is sad to see people take better care of their car than they do of their body. It is sadder still when people take better care of their body than they do of their soul. Jesus asked what it would profit a man if he gained the whole world and lost his soul? (Matt. 16:26). What is your answer to this question?

Belonging to a gym does not make you healthy, and belonging to a church does not make you holy. Both require exercise. Just as physical exercise is important for good health, we must also exercise our self unto godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). It is easy to lose anything we neglect. This includes everything, our job, our family, our health, and our soul. Please consider this question in Hebrews 2:3: “How can we escape if we neglect so great salvation’?