What is the world moving toward according to Romans 8?
The world is moving toward the final moment when Christ will intervene in human history and set things straight. Romans 8 shows creation groaning under the curse, awaiting its lifting, and believers with the firstfruits of the Spirit eagerly looking forward to the Lord's coming, while unbelievers shrink from it.
Les teaches that everything in creation—the rocks, rivers, trees, birds, fish, and animals—as well as believers, is looking forward to the day when the curse will be lifted. Romans 8:22 says the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Les explains that creation is under constant duress, always searching for food and trying to protect itself from being food, which is what we call ecology, but that is not the way God intended it. Verse 23 includes believers who have the firstfruits of the Spirit. Only believers can anxiously look forward to the Lord's coming, while the unbeliever shrinks from it, is not ready, and would like to think it all away but will not succeed. Les wishes people could wake up and realize how evident it is that He is coming. The whole world is moving faster and faster to that final moment when Christ is going to intervene once again in human history and set things straight.
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
More Questions
What is the adoption that believers are waiting for according to Romans 8:23?
The adoption believers wait for is the redemption of the body, not the redemption of the soul.