Romanos 8:23

‘And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.'

Creation groans, and so also do Christians. We have received the firstfruits of the Spirit. We have thus experienced something of God's work in producing a new creation (2 Corintios 5:17; Gálatas 6:15; Efesios 4:24; Colosenses 3:10), which lives out its existence within the old creation. Our new life in the Spirit is a taste of what is to come. But we groan in our present bodies ‘within ourselves' as we endure the agonies of the old creation, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from Heaven, so that our mortality (and bodily weaknesses) might be swallowed up in life (2 Corintios 5:2; 2 Corintios 5:4). We long that this body which we have to endure in this time of our humiliation (‘this vile body') might become like his glorious body (Filipenses 3:21). And we groan because of our desire to be delivered from the depredations of sin (Romanos 7:24). For we await our adoption, when we will be adopted as true sons who have been transformed into His image, that is, we await the redemption of our bodies. Then finally all traces of sin and decay will have been removed.

‘The firstfruits of the Spirit.' The firstfruits were the initial benefit, and the guarantee of what was to come, they were ‘the pledge of our inheritance until the redemption of God's own possession' (Efesios 1:14). In other words the Spirit has brought us some relief as we have experienced the new creation within ourselves, prior to the consummation. We are a new creation in the midst of the old creation (2 Corintios 5:17). We have receive new life through the Spirit. But there is much more to come, especially in that day when He transforms us into Christ's image at the same time as creation itself enjoys its renewal.

‘We ourselves groan within ourselves.' We do not constantly pass our spiritual burdens on to others. Rather we groan ‘inside'. We recognise our weakness, and frailty, and our shortcomings, and we are constantly reminded of them as we are unable fully to do what we want to do. We long for the day when we will be like Him, and when our weaknesses and frailties will be no more. (Although, of course, this is largely countered in practise by the joy we know as we look off to Him, and walk with Him, with our minds set on things above. Paul is not prescribing a life of morbid introspection).

‘Waiting for our adoption.' In one sense we have already been adopted as sons of God (Romanos 8:15), and are now His children (1 Juan 3:2), but there is to be an even more glorious adoption when we are adopted as those who have been perfected, with every stain and blemish removed (Efesios 5:27; Colosenses 1:22).

‘The redemption of our bodies.' In ourselves we have already been redeemed through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Romanos 3:24). But we still live in frail and mortal bodies which are beset by sin, living in the old creation. We await the resurrection when our bodies will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed (1 Corintios 15:42; 1 Corintios 15:52), being conformed to His image (Romanos 8:29).