https://youtu.be/z6Z2nyIWiPA
In our verse by verse study of Romans we are in Rom 8:22; at the word translated "groans" that is the present active indicative of "sustenazo" (groans together (susj = the preposition sun, meaning together with; susodin = to groan), means to groan together with someone or something else.
It means more than one thing or person is involved in the suffering. It doesn't mean to groan in unison but it means to be under the same adversity. "For we know that the entire creation groans."
The present tense is a static present representing a condition that exists perpetually until the Second Advent and the Millennium. The material universe shares in the condemnation of man that is described in Gen 3:17;
Rom 8:22; the groaning of the creation started when Adam fell. The active voice: the creation produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood describes the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality.
"And suffers the pains of childbirth together until now" - the present active indicative from "sunodino" (to suffer the pains of child birth), with "sun" as a prefix it means along with others who are also suffering intense pain. The customary present tense is what habitually occurs until Jesus returns at the beginning of the Millennium.
The creation is described as being like a woman in labor; she is in pain until the child is delivered. This suffering goes on until birth occurs at the Second Advent; in the meantime the creation continues to suffer intense pain.
The active voice: the creation produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of this condition and the fact that the creation illustrates the principle that is described is seen in the following verses.
The improper preposition "achri" (until) with the genitive of the definite article 'ho" (the) and the adverb of time "nun" (until the present time or until the now).
Expanded Translation Rom 8:22; "For we know that the entire creation groans along with us and suffers the pains of child birth together with us until the present time."
We see here that from the fall of man to the present time the creation has undeservedly shared in man's condemnation that occurred at the fall. Satan the devil rules the corrupted world until Jesus returns.
That means that the devil rules the world of corrupted people living in a corrupted creation that is a disaster. Compared to the perfect environment that Adam had the devil rules in a decimated disaster area.
The creation shares the curse of mankind undeservedly. But since God the Holy Spirit designed the creation to be the glory of man, when man lost his glory at the fall the creation had to go along with it.
The creation will continue under the curse throughout the remainder of the Church Age and the Tribulation.
When Jesus returns at the Second Advent the creation will be redeemed and restored for the perfect environment of the Millennium because the creation is the glory of the man.
Therefore while the groaning of the creation looks back to the fall of man the travailing that is described as the sufferings of childbirth, look forward to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
Once the mother gives birth to the child the birth pains stop. The birth is related to the Second Advent and the Millennium when the creation will be redeemed and restored to pristine perfection.
Once the Second Advent occurs the creation's curse and suffering are permanently terminated. Verses 23-25 describe the second groan of suffering that comes from the mature believer.
Rom 8:23; "And not only this, but ourselves also," is the beginning of the development of an analogy. It begins with the objective negative adverb "ou" (not) that denies the reality of an alleged fact.
With it is a limiting adverb, "monon" (only or alone). Then a connective conjunction "de" (but) so we have "but not only" that is followed by an adversative conjunction "alla" (but) a more intensive word for but that sets up a contrast between the maturing believer and the material universe.
Next is the and the adjunctive use of the conjunction "kai" (also) with the nominative plural intensive pronoun "autos"(ourselves) that sets up the mature believer in a category that is separate from everyone else in the human race.
So far we have "And not only nature, but also ourselves (maturing believers)." In this verse the word for mankind must be understood to refer specifically to maturing believers.
The maturing believer and only the maturing believer is permitted to endure undeserved suffering for the purpose of being blessed by God.
This category of suffering is a real imputation that God's justice permits to occur in the maturing believer's life that is targeted at the capacity righteousness that God the Holy Spirit has created from metabolized doctrine in the mature believer's soul.
This category of suffering is neither earned nor deserved so it must be distinguished from God's discipline or punitive suffering that also comes from God's justice for correction.
The suffering is real but it is designed to create capacity for great blessing from God that generally takes the form of personal, regional, or national catastrophe or disaster.
While maturing believers also suffer from God's discipline for personal sins this suffering is not included in the special category of undeserved suffering for blessing. When undeserved suffering comes to the maturing believer it is not designed to detract from blessing but to add blessing to blessings.
"having the firstfruits of the Spirit" the present active indicative of the verb "echo"(having) is in the static present tense that describes a condition that exists perpetually.
The active voice describes a situation that is true for all believers but this verse refers specifically to the suffering of maturing believers as a part of a real imputation from the permissive will of God's justice that permits undeserved suffering to occur for the maturing believer.
This is a concessive participle so it should be translated "though having." Then the accusative singular direct object from "aparche" (firstfruits) in the singular that is used to describe a group as in the fruit of the spirit.
Plus the ablative of source from the noun "pneuma" (spirit), with the article "ho" (of the) referring exclusively to God the Holy Spirit so we have "though having the first fruits of the Spirit."
The ablative of source refers to the indwelling and the filling of the Spirit that is the source of metabolized doctrine in the soul of the maturing believer.
In other words, the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the function of GASP enables maturity adjustment to God's justice that result in God's blessings being imputed to the maturing believer.
The firstfruits from the Spirit refer to blessings that are imputed to the maturing believer by God's justice.
These blessings are a real imputation that are enabled by two positional judicial imputations that have resulted in the believer's development of the reality of these blessings as capacity righteousness under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in time.
The judicial imputation of all personal sins to Jesus Christ on the cross plus the judicial imputation of God's righteousness to the believer at salvation provides the basis for the real imputation of God's blessing to capacity righteousness from metabolized doctrine in the maturing believer.
We see here that the two judicial imputations are the predicate for this real imputation. The first judicial imputation involves God's justice imputing all of the personal sins of human history to Jesus Christ on the cross. There is no affinity between our sins and the perfect, impeccably of Jesus Christ as God's perfect Son.
The second judicial imputation is when God's justice imputes God's righteousness to the believer at the moment of faith in Christ. There is no affinity between the righteousness of God and the believer who has an old sin nature.
Therefore at salvation the greater in a fortiori blessings from God's justice is accomplished through the two judicial imputations: the imputation of our sins to Jesus Christ on the cross; the imputation of God's righteousness to the sin infused believer at salvation.
Therefore, at spiritual maturity the lesser of a fortiori blessing from God's justice is accomplished through a real imputation to its target of capacity righteousness that was created from the judicial imputation of God's righteousness.
If God's justice provides the greater that is the judicial imputation of God's righteousness at salvation it follows a fortiori that God's justice will not withhold the lesser of the real imputation of God's blessing to the maturing believer.
The phrase "firstfruits of the Spirit" imply a second a fortiori of God's blessing. The firstfruits refer to the real imputation of God's blessing to the maturing believer.
These blessings are called firstfruits, because they are a down payment of blessings and rewards in eternity at the judgment seat of Christ.
The blessings and rewards of eternity are also a real imputation where God's justice imputes both reward and blessing to it's home or target that is the perfect resurrection body with no old sin nature.
Therefore the firstfruits from the Spirit are not only the best thing in life in time but they are the only thing in eternity.
The best things in life glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in time and are parlayed into eternal rewards and blessings that glorify the Lord Jesus Christ forever.
Therefore since God's justice provides the maturing believer in time the greater (the real imputation of God's blessing to it's home of capacity righteousness developed from imputed righteousness) it follows a fortiori that God's justice will also provide the lesser (the real imputation of rewards and blessings to the perfect resurrection body) at the judgment seat of Christ. .
Consequently, the blessings of maturity are the firstfruits of the blessings that will be conveyed in eternity.
These blessings are of the Spirit in the sense that only God the Holy Spirit can cause the grace perception necessary for the metabolization of God's Word in the soul that is necessary for the maturity adjustment to God's justice.
One might ask what about the blessings, or apparent blessings, during the interval between salvation and maturity adjustment to God's justice? The answer comes from four principles:
What appears to be blessing between salvation and maturity is God's logistical grace support.
Logistical grace includes many wonderful spiritual things, such as the provision of a right pastor and the teaching of Bible doctrine under the principle of GASP.
Logistical grace includes many wonderful temporal things such as food, shelter, clothing, transportation, loved ones, and friends.
While these things are wonderful and beyond description they cannot be compared to the blessings that are imputed to the maturing believer at maturity adjustment to God's justice.