Useful Bible Studies > Romans Commentary > chapter 8
God does nothing that is in vain or without a proper purpose. However, in our natural world which he created, things constantly happen without any worthwhile purpose (Ecclesiastes 1:2-8). Our constant experience of death, disease and trouble is not how God created the world to be (see Genesis chapter 1).
The Bible teaches that the wrong actions of people cause our world to be like this (Genesis chapter 3). The first people chose not to obey God, and everything in this world suffers as a result. Death is the result of people’s evil deeds - but every plant and animal suffers death, and not just people.
It is not God’s plan that this sad situation will continue always (Isaiah 11:6-9; Revelation chapters 20 to 22). The future world will be free from all the effects of people’s evil behaviour. Then the world, and every living thing, will not exist without purpose. Instead, they will act together to carry out God’s plans and purposes.
It was people’s selfish and evil behaviour that caused the present state of our world. So, God’s work in people’s lives will bring about the new age, and bring freedom to the whole world. That work has begun (2 Corinthians 5:17), but it is not yet complete (Philippians 1:6). God will complete it at the time when he establishes Christ’s perfect rule over all things. When he, called ‘the son of man’, rules all things, then God will declare his people to be fully ‘sons of God’ (compare Hebrews 2:5-13 and Romans 8:17). At that time, the process to adopt them as God’s children will at last be complete (8:23). God will do that, not merely for their own benefit, but for the benefit of all that he created.
Next part: God's plan for the plants and animals (Romans 8:20-21)
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© 2022, Keith Simons.