In the last section we read, Paul said “There is now no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” That may lead some to ask, “Then why are things so messed up in this world? Why am I going through so many struggles?” Paul addresses that in this section. We live in a state where we are already free from condemnation, but we are not yet home. We belong to Jesus already, but we are not yet with him in heaven. We already see “first-fruits” of the Spirit, but not yet the full harvest. We are already participating with Christ in his suffering, but not yet sharing in his full glory in heaven. We live between two states. Between the lost condition we were in and the fully redeemed and rescued state we will enjoy in heaven. In this transition, we groan. The earth even groans! And the Holy Spirit groans for us when we don’t know what to pray for. Yes, we are in transition, but we know what is yet to come and we praise God for what he is doing!
