All Creation Groans, Pt. 8
Study Guide, September 14, 2025
Pastor Clay Olsen
So, how many of you enjoy ‘RV’ing’? We live in the land of RV’s, living right here on the Coast. There are even several ‘RV’ parks around here. But here’s an idea…even if you don’t own an RV, everyone can live an ‘RV’ lifestyle? Well, you first have to revise the RV just a bit so that the RV stands for ‘Redemptive Value!’ Right, so every believer can live a ‘Redemptive Value’ lifestyle by living their lives in such a way that a redemptive value will be added to every aspect of their lives. What do we mean? Let’s explore.
First, we need to differentiate ‘Salvation redemption’ from this ‘Sanctification redemption’ that we are referring to in how we live and deal with our life. As for Salvation redemption, everyone is in need of Salvation redemption. Our natural condition was characterized by guilt: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Christ’s redemption has freed us from guilt, being “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). The benefits of redemption include eternal life (Revelation 5:9-10), forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7), righteousness (Romans 5:17), freedom from the law’s curse (Galatians 3:13), adoption into God’s family (Galatians 4:5), deliverance from sin’s bondage (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:14-18), peace with God (Colossians 1:18-20), and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To be redeemed, then, is to be forgiven, holy, justified, free, adopted, and reconciled. (See also Psalm 130:7-8; Luke 2:38; and Acts 20:28.)1
Also, in reference to our salvation, remember, the Apostle Peter said this: “…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” 1 Pet. 1: 18,19 The gift of our salvation is free to us, but it cost our Lord Jesus everything! We were purchased from the judicial courts of condemnation by the sinless precious blood and the very life of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ life for ours was the only way that we could be pardoned from the sentence of sin that was upon us. And Jesus not only paid the redemption price for us, but He paid it IN FULL! Remember Jesus’ word about that? Outside of ‘Agape’, it’s one of the most beautiful words ever spoken by our Lord… ‘Tetelestai’… ‘Finished’… ‘Paid in Full!’
Whenever you get one of those ‘faulty feelings’ or ‘false ideas’ about that there must be something more you must do to earn your salvation…for one thing, you can’t earn it, but thankfully, rejoice in the fact that Jesus Christ earned it for you! Therefore, your salvation is already complete in Christ! Why? Because Jesus paid it all! The ‘Redemption Price’ of your salvation was paid in full by the sinless blood of Jesus Christ!
Now then, as for how we are to then live as ‘Redeemed’ children of God, we are to now live our lives basically ‘redeeming’ everything else in our lives…redeeming them in the sense of making the most of them, making the best of them…turning whatever we do and say into having some ‘Redemptive Value’ to it all. And ‘Redemptive Value’ is: ‘The glory of God, the blessing of others, and our eternal rewards.’ Remember how the Apostle Paul put that? “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Eph. 5:15,16
Why, even Gandalf, in the Lord of the Rings, responded to Frodo’s lament about difficult times by stating, “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”. That’s pretty good! They didn’t call him a ‘Wizard’ for nothing! No, just kidding, there are no ‘Wizards.’ J.R.R. Tolkien, a Christian man, enjoyed adding some fantasy to his stories along with his Biblical themes…themes like what Gandalf said. JRR Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were part of an informal literary discussion group at the University of Oxford for nearly two decades. They called themselves ‘The Inklings’. Clever name! They also shared with each other about and helped each other in their Christian journeys together.
But, remember, last week we pointed out that we do have a Biblical call upon us to make the most of our days since we live each day in the countdown of our Mortality. And while none of us knows what number we are on in our countdown, what we do know is that yesterday was one less day to decide what to do with the times that have been given us. And, today is one day closer to the end of the times that have been given us. Thus, decide carefully…or rather: “Redeem the times that you have left of the times that have been given you.”
But what about the times in our lives that are interrupted by ‘suffering’? Or, we could ask: Is there any redemptive value even in our times of suffering? Yes there is! For even in our times of suffering we can make even our suffering produce something of lasting value for our own lives, and for other’s lives, and especially for the glory of our loving God!
Which, by the way, do remember, and we emphasize this again and again…remember that whenever we talk with someone who, sadly, is dealing with suffering in some way, always be sure to comfort them with that great trinity of comfort from our God of all comfort. We can confidently share this ‘trinity of comfort’ with others when the subject of ‘suffering’ comes up. And that ‘trinity of comfort’ is: ‘God cares about our suffering, God shares in our suffering, and God is delivering us in our suffering…delivering us either from it or through it, but we can be sure about it. These 3: God cares about, shares in, and is delivering us from or through our suffering are immediate and powerful helps to those dealing with suffering. And you can add one of my all-time ‘go to’ verses: Isaiah 41:10 – ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” NASB
So, since we are mortals, we will have to deal with suffering of various types and degrees in this world. But, and more so…as Overcomers in Christ, whenever we do encounter suffering, we can make it so that it doesn’t just mess with us, but we can make it produce something for us…and for others…and for the glory of our Great God. So here we go with some action steps on how to put a harness and reins around the neck of suffering to make it produce something of ‘Redemptive Value.’
If the enemy of suffering is going to invade your life, make suffering surrender to God’s will over your life and surrender to God’s works in and through your life. For example: Make pain produce deeper Prayer in your life. One ancient saying by enemies of Christ about Christians was that ‘Christians were like nails…the harder you hit them, the deeper into the wood of their faith they would go.’ That’s very true of committed Christians!
So, pain and suffering are going to take you somewhere, so make sure it takes you deeper into God. Again, whenever pain and suffering come to you, make them produce something for you by going deeper into Prayer. Take your suffering to the Throne room and make your suffering surrender to your King. Heb. 4:16 – “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” NASB
Tell your suffering, “I serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. So if you are going to mess with me, you are going to serve Him, too. I’m going to pray more for God’s mercy and grace in this time of need. And then I’m going to pray for others who are going through various sufferings as well. And then I’m going to pray for ways to testify and to witness and to honor God even more through the troubles you have caused me and my family and others. Suffering doesn’t just get to be a ‘sting to you’…no, make suffering be ‘a servant for you.’ Make it serve your deepening prayer life. Make it serve your empowering prayer life. Make it serve your closer prayer life and walk with your God and King.
Also then: Make suffering solidify your Identity even more. For example: Although even God’s children get victimized by sufferings, suffering does not change our Identity in Christ. In Christ, we are Overcomers! In Christ, we are Conquerors! In Christ, we are Victors! Again, suffering may victimize us, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are still ‘Victors!’
Remember in our reading last week the Apostle Paul taught us to confront those things that contend with us. He even confronted the enemy of ‘Death’ by speaking to it as an enemy: “O Death, where is your sting? O Death, where is your victory?” And then he declared that God has already given us the victory over even the last enemy, which is ‘death’. That’s why, as Chip Ingram reminds us, that we fight not for victory…we fight from victory! We are already ‘Victors in Christ!’
So what do Victors do when enemies assault them or assault their loved ones? They confront them in the name of Jesus who has already given them the victory. Like with, ‘O death’…we can confront all enemies of God’s people. Like when we are assaulted by disease: “O cancer, where is your victory?” “O heart disease, where is your victory?” “O depression, where is your victory?” “O sorrow, O pain, O criminal, O assassin, O Devil…where is your victory? But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory in our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Whenever any kind of suffering comes to us, it has come to a ‘Soldier of Christ.’ It has come to a ‘Victor in Christ.’ Therefore, it’s going to have to deal with us on our terms, not on the world, the flesh, or the devil’s terms. Tell suffering that if it has come to take something from you, it cannot take something from you without giving something to you. Tell suffering, “You can’t just take from me…you are going to have to WORK for me!” Put suffering to work! Tell your suffering that it is not going to just be destructive in your life, but by the power of God the Holy Spirit, you are going to make it foremost be constructive in your life, because in Christ, you have already defeated it!
Remember, every enemy of Christ and of Christ’s people, from physical enemies in the form of sickness and sorrows or in the form of wicked and evil people, to our spiritual enemies of the flesh and the devil…every enemy of God’s people is already a ‘defeated foe!’ Mark it down: The war over this world, the flesh, and the devil has already been won by our Lord Jesus Christ. And all Christians share in His victory. So what’s really going on in this world is that, absolutely, the war has already been won, but there will still be some persistent battles and skirmishes with the enemy until our King returns to impose His rule over this world. But until that day, we will have to fight against these various and sundry ‘skirmishes of sufferings.’ Again, the war has been won, but the skirmishes continue. Each and every enemy has already been defeated, but they are not yet eradicated…not until the New Kingdom comes. Therefore, we will still have to battle them. But, again, even in this fighting of the good fight of faith, God will make even the pains caused by our enemies to become gains in the lives and the futures of His children. And that is unique to God’s children in this world…temporal pains become eternal gains for God’s people.
So practice “Redemptive suffering”…not in any soul saving connotation, as some groups have really twisted that concept, but practice it in the redemptive sense that Paul talked about, as making the most of it, of making the spiritual best of it, of making it work and serve your purposes of growing deeper in Christ and going further in glorifying Christ and blessing others.
Tell pain that you are going to make it help you ‘prioritize’ your life! And one of those priorities will be the priority of Praise in your life. If you are going to have to live with pain, then pain is going to have to live with ‘Praise’…Praise in how you deal with your days, and in how you deal with everything else as well, including pain, and struggles, and suffering.
Remember, the book of Psalms is filled with examples of praise even in the midst of deep pain and distress. And so that provides a great model for using the power of praise in handling hardship. And in Acts 16, after being imprisoned and beaten in Philippi, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns of praise to God. They were the Victors in that battle! All throughout the Bible, the practice of praise helped believers turn their sufferings into a deeper life of trust in God’s care and reliance upon God’s promises, which then strengthened their faith and lives.
And as they focused on God’s promises, it produced an enduring witness to others of the hope found in Christ alone. So instead of being consumed by their adversities, their praise redirected them from themselves and their circumstances to focusing on God as their refuge and strength, and even in helping others around them into recognizing the presence and the pre-eminence of God!
Certainly, adversity can be alarming. Suffering can be draining. But praise is the practice that both consoles your soul and puts you in control, through the empowering control of God the Holy Spirit working in you and through you. As you praise God for His attributes, like His justice, you are then reassured that God will see to it that any suffering and any sorrow that comes to you will be met with vengeance by God upon whatever or whoever caused your suffering, as well as great recompense for you for anything you had to endure in your times of suffering. It is when you praise God that you will also experience the presence of God in a special way as revealed by Ps. 22:3, in that we are told that God inhabits the praises of His people. What an amazing grace gift from God right there! You want to experience the presence of God? Start praising Him more and more and more! And, realize that it is through entering into God’s presence that brings an inner peace and a calming to our soul.
Plus, it is this practice of praise that prompts our recalling of God’s previous works and blessings in our life. Praise really does have a transforming effect upon our mind. Sometimes, like chains, suffering shackles a person’s mind and heart in bitterness. But through the practice of praise those chains are broken, and the mind and heart are set free in your victory. And not only does ‘Praise’ have a transforming effect, but ‘Praise’ has a ‘transporting’ effect as well. It’s not an ‘out of body’ experience, but it truly is an ‘out of self’ experience. If you have ever lost yourself in communing with your Savior, you will know what this means.
So you can make suffering serve you in helping you lose more of your old self and thus find more of your new self, as you experience more of your union with Christ. But again, you will have to tell your suffering that it does not control you. Tell your suffering that it is not in charge over you. Tell your suffering that you do not belong to it…because you belong to your Maker and your Savior, and He has already defeated your suffering, as well as has defeated all of your enemies!
Again, praise God not only for your victories whenever you experience them, but praise God mostly that you are a Victor every day, and in every way, and will be a Victor in Christ for all eternity, because Jesus Christ has given you the victory!
- What is the Meaning of Christian Redemption?, Gotquestions.org