25.1 Our Travail
© 2015 Christ Revealed Bible Institute
For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses … the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Romans 8:22, 23, & 26).
| Systenazei | kai synodinei |
| Groans together | and travails (gives birth) together |
All three “groans” are the same root word in the Greek, except Paul added “syn” to groaning AND to giving birth, sharing the same groaning, sharing the same giving birth.
To Groan Together
- Systenazei: to groan together. From sym, together with, and stenazo, to groan within oneself. Sharing the same groan.
- Stenazó: to groan (within oneself). I groan, expressing grief, anger, or desire. From stenos, compressed or restricted, pressure exerted forward such as the pressure of the womb to birth a child.
A God Who Groans
Let’s get this clear. All creation groans together. Then, Paul added you and me to that very same groan. Finally, the word “likewise” means, in exactly the same way, the Holy Spirit groans. All together – creation, you and me, and God are laboring in the unutterable groanings of the travail of childbirth. Now when did you hear someone preach on this reality?
- What is a God who groans in travail? - Look again at verse 26. What is it that the Spirit is doing?
| To Pneuma synantilambanetai | To Pneuma hyperentynchanei |
| The Spirit jointly helps | The Spirit makes intercession |
Maybe I was wrong in thinking that I left the Spirit out of the means of God; maybe that Spirit is part of God’s opportunity.
- Synantilambanetai: I lend a hand along with, take interest in (a thing) along with (others), assist jointly to perform some task, cooperate with, take my share in, help, aid.
The Travail of God
- Hyperentynchanei: I intercede for, I make petition for.
- Hyper, for benefit, and entygxano, to come in line with.
Which comes first, God or creation? The travail of creation can be only the travail of God.
One Word
Thus, when we say, “our travail,” God Himself is the first part of the “our.” The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
Do you see how everything is tied together into one Word? God’s purpose, His pro-thesis, to be known by His creation, begins with His determination to symmorphose us together with Jesus as the revelation of the Father. Then that immense determination is expanded on with the three huge Why verses extending symmorphy into fullness of Father, rivers of Spirit, and conquering Son.
Means and Opportunity
Next the three How verses bring in the means of God by which He accomplishes His determination in our lives, the Cross, the Blood, and the Resurrection. Finally, God’s opportunity begins with the Body of Christ, Church by Father, formed by these words, Love one another.
—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love (Ephesians 4:16). Yet we understand from the gospel that this growth of the body, is the growth of the fetus in the womb.
God’s Three-fold Opportunity
Thus the second part of God’s opportunity is the travail of the Holy Spirit, overshadowing Christ being formed in us, a travail shared by all creation, a travail for the birthing of the sons. Finally, the third part of God’s opportunity is Christ Himself becoming us that we might become Him.
God’s opportunity is the Body of Christ overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and, by travail, bringing forth the fullness of Christ revealed, Jesus and us in full symmorphic union. … A woman … being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth… She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne (Revelation 12:1-5).
The Baby’s View
We will not look at or apply the specifics of childbirth, simply because the life experience of each one of us is different. It is the pressure of labor that is common to all. The labor, however, is viewed differently from mother to baby. Most are familiar with the mother’s side of giving birth, but the baby’s view of birth is less considered. The mother is, in actuality, the pressure, the tribulation, the affliction pressing upon the baby to force it out of its “safe” place and into the world. Here is an article on the baby’s view.
http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/giving-birth/labor-and-delivery/a-babys-view-of-birth/
The Purpose of Everything
My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you (Galatians 4:19). Now this is very interesting, because Paul says that not only himself, not only the Spirit of God, but all creation is in labor to give birth to – us!
The purpose of everything is to unveil the sons of God, and everything that exists plays its part in that glorious occasion. Even the dragon serves his role, standing before the woman to devour her child – he obviously fails, but still, serves his purpose towards the sons of God. We come out of the womb running, as a young wildebeest must come out running behind its mother and away from the lions.
Tribulation
As the baby is pressed by the strongest muscles in the human form, it is first separated from the placenta, that in-between stuff that kept it alive while in the womb. The baby’s head is squeezed into a cone shape to fit through the birth canal and all of the fluids are pressed out of its lungs so that it can breathe well the moment it comes out into the air. This squeezing is painful to the baby, but not nearly as much as it is painful to the mother.
There are quite a number of other important physiological things the new baby needs for life and health that are pressed into functionality as a result of the pressure of childbirth. Remember that the pressure is called “tribulation.”
Everything Is Different
But here is what we must know about the birthing of this child. We are familiar with the voice of our mother, that is the voice of the Spirit of Christ speaking in our hearts. But! As soon as our head passes out of the birth canal, we are entering an entirely different world, and I am NOT speaking of “going to” heaven. Everything REAL is different from what we had ever imagined. Everything. Things we thought were a big deal are of no consequence. And things we thought were of no consequence now shape the course of all things.
Separated from the Placenta
More than that, part of the pressing is to separate the baby from the placenta, that which kept it alive during the in-part time. We must be utterly separated from Nicene Christianity and its childish definitions of God and salvation.
Here is what we find. First, only one thing passes out from Christianity into the new creation – Jesus lives in my heart. Everything of the new comes out from that one thing. And second, everything we now see and know to be real has always been so and has always been expressed by the Word God speaks. We who believe now will not be surprised by anything.
The Travail
Here is the transition; here is the travail. That we would believe that God is telling us the truth. That we would know that we are seated in the heavens upon the throne of God, literally and substantially, right now. That we would know that Christ, the revelation of Father, is the only life we are, right now. That we would know that we ARE just like Jesus right now, for we see Him as He is – by faith.
We see Jesus as the glorious One who fills each one of us full, Person inside of person, connecting us as one person together with the Father by every Word that He is – for REAL.
That We Would Know
All the pressure of all tribulation and affliction, pressures within and without, are for one purpose only. That we would know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom God has sent – as They are, one Pperson with us, showing Themselves to all creation in, as, and through us: Persons inside of persons.
That we would know the Father by heart.
The pressure of childbirth is the PROVING of our faith, NOT the proving of our ability to do what we think God expects us to do. And the proving of our faith is to walk in every present circumstance knowing we are one with the Father, NOW.
Proof
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the PROOF of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is proven by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation, the apocalypse, of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end (perfection) of your faith—the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:6-9).
That word “receiving” is komizomenoi, continually, in every present moment, receiving what is already true.
Glorious Liberty
The salvation of our souls and the renewing of our minds by which we are transformed are the same thing. It means knowing God and Jesus Sent. It means walking in the full knowledge that we ARE one person with the Father, connected in all ways to Him by every word that is Jesus.
Walking in this knowledge, a knowing that goes in every direction in every continual moment, has a name in the ninth most important verse in the Bible. It is called “glorious liberty.”
This is the birthing, to KNOW God and to KNOW Jesus Sent.