Romans 8:21, commentary and pictures

Both humanity and the earth itself will be set free from the ruin sin brought, into the freedom that belongs to God's children. That bondage came when Adam's disobedience forfeited his rightful rule, let rebellion spread through the animal creation, and left earth, sea and all living things blighted, decaying and diseased under the curse. The way into freedom is through the Messiah's sacrifice, which reconciles, purifies the soul, restores God's image, and brings people into adoption as children made one with Christ and the Father. This liberty is release from sin itself and from slavery to Satan, not permission to follow selfish desires, and it is kept only by turning from known sin to a life of obedience, peace and joy. Entered by faith in God's promise of forgiveness, death to self and new life in baptism, it can be enjoyed now in hope and obedience and will reach its full glorious destiny in the life to come.

Creation Bound by Corruption

The bondage of corruption came through Adam's transgression. While loyal to God Adam stood as king among the lower creatures and all nature acknowledged his rule, but when he transgressed his dominion was forfeited and the spirit of rebellion he let in extended throughout the animal creation. The affected life of man and the changed nature of the beasts, the trees of the forest, the grass of the field and even the air he breathes continually remind of lost dominion and tell the sad lesson of the knowledge of evil.

By that disobedience both man and the earth were blighted and marred by sin's curse, so the earth now gives only an imperfect testimony about its Creator and cannot reveal God's character in perfection. Though the world remains beautiful with traces of Eden loveliness, it is defiled by human wickedness and sinful habits. God forbade the earth to carry out the purpose He originally designed for it, and Adam's transgression involved the entire future of the human family and brought all nature into confusion and bondage.

Nature's decay shows its burden under the curse and the general dissolution of what God made. The decaying leaf and increasingly barren soil show that burden. Flowers droop and trees shed their leaves and decay, showing the corruption of the beautiful natural world made for humanity.

The curse rests broadly on the earth, the sea, man, cattle, beasts, all flesh and fish in the sea because of transgression of God's commandments. Human beings suffer the result of departing from God's commandments and animals suffer with them, languishing under disease prevailing to an alarming extent. That disease appears in cancers and tumors, in living creatures peopling the tissues of swine, and in tubercular consumption communicated to people through meat eating, so that eating that diseased flesh communicates disease and extends suffering to humans. As transgression becomes almost universal the curse is permitted to become as broad and deep as the transgression and makes itself more decidedly felt every year, with no peace to the wicked. God moves slowly in His great purpose for the benefit of the righteous, holding back the vials of wrath as He would have spared Sodom for ten righteous, and will be the defense in the time of trouble of those whose hearts are right with Him.

Redemption Into Glorious Liberty

Both man and the earth will finally be redeemed from the power of Satan. By transgression man became Satan's captive and man's kingdom was betrayed into Satan's hands, giving Satan a seeming advantage to establish an independent kingdom in defiance of God and His Son. The plan of salvation makes it possible for man to be brought again into harmony with God and to render obedience to His law, and secures that final redemption of both man and the earth from the wicked one. People are brought into that glorious liberty through the Messiah's sacrifice, which provides reconciliation for iniquity and everlasting righteousness, so that many join God's people in welcoming Christ's return in power and glory.

That liberty is deliverance from slavery to sin and to Satan into the freedom belonging to God's children. It is not only release from suffering caused by sin but from sin itself: the soul is purified and transformed and restored to God's image. God invites people to choose this freedom and give themselves to Him, so that by His grace He may work His will in them, and He reveals guilt so people will flee to Christ, be set free, and rejoice. That liberty is covenant relationship with the Father as chosen, adopted children made one with Christ and with the Father. Christ gives it as educator by precept and example, bringing people out of ignorance of God and Christ and of themselves into full acceptance to behold Him full of grace and truth and to know their oneness with Him.

This freedom is freedom from sin's bondage, not permission to indulge selfish passions. Serving God brings peace, contentment and joy, while what is called freedom in yielding to sinful desires is instead a cruel bondage marked by remorse, and it is impossible to be in God's liberty while continuing in known sin. Restored to God's image, man will attain a glorious destiny of liberty as God's child that eternity alone can reveal. Youth are called to the dignity of becoming sons of God to honor God and bless fellow men, the discipline of this life prepares for that destiny, and education begun here continues in the life to come where creation and redemption open in new beauty, glimpsed in communion with heaven now but reached in fullness only in the hereafter.

Entering and Living Freedom

Deliverance is entered by grasping the promise of forgiveness of sins by faith, for even those who seem wholly irreligious and unmindful of God and who do not attend worship have hours of conviction and longing for something they lack. As those who are slaves of sin and helpless victims of evil habits believe, the bondage of habit is broken, and by forsaking sinful indulgences they become free in Christ and rejoice in that freedom. This work is to be carried forward in every town and city through camp-meetings, by which thousands will be won.

The liberty is entered through baptism and new life devoted to God, by rebuking every particle of an evil spirit in the Lord’s name and coming out from its influence and control entirely. It is spiritual freedom experienced in becoming a son or daughter of God as one dies to self and surrenders heart and will and entire prospects to God to be cleansed of selfishness. As souls press to the light and walk in the light while they have the light, they learn how wayward the heart is and how mighty the grace of God is to subdue and expel selfishness. Then the wayward disposition is conquered, truth has the ascendency, and the person is strengthened, settled in faith, and rejoices with present spiritual freedom.

The change from bondage to liberty is a turning from religious tradition to the freedom of God’s children through accepting salvation in Christ. Farel’s conversion illustrates it, for accepting salvation by grace and relying on Christ’s cross freed him from that bondage, changed his heart, and produced a changed life.

Those who love and are sanctified through the truth may enjoy this freedom now as children of God, not as a gloomy or fearful condition but with consolation, joy, hope, obedience, and faithful living. God helps and enables His people to do His will, to live Christ-like lives, to praise Him, and to bless others. Believers are called to unite their efforts with the church as they strive for that victory and liberty.

Standing in this freedom means standing in the clear light in faith, courage, and power, letting light shine in clear steady rays and giving the trumpet a certain sound. It means not making apparent differences of opinion, not parading opposing views before the world, and not justifying such a course. Failing to stand thus makes a person a channel of darkness through whom Satan works to perplex and discourage souls. Likewise the precious freedom belonging to God’s children is fostered by Christlike leaders through meek and lowly service that frees people to act out given grace and to understand their privileges as members of Christ’s body, not by control over conscience.

Believers are to come into this full freedom even under terrible bereavement such as the sudden awful death of an only son. Then wounds are healed by the oil of Christ’s love, with comfort and consolation through true friends, and with victory over temptations to doubt, questioning, suspicion, and criticism. It is entering salvation as brands plucked from the burning on the ground of the ransom paid by Christ’s blood, through laborers together with God. Injudicious words, false impressions, and presenting true friends in a false light cut off that help and counteract coming into that freedom.

Because creation is corrupted and decaying under the curse, the flesh and milk of diseased animals is dangerous and unsafe. Animals languish under that bondage, with disease prevailing to an alarming extent in cancers and tumors, living creatures peopling the tissues of swine, and tubercular consumption communicated to people through meat eating, so eating that diseased flesh communicates disease and extends suffering to humans. The flesh of dead animals is not fit to compose the diet of Christians, soon there will be no safety in flocks or herds, and God’s commandment-keeping people will in a short time touch and taste no flesh of dead animals and use nothing from animal creation. Those who take God at His word and obey His commandments with a whole heart will be blessed and shielded, while distrust, disobedience, and alienation from His will place the sinner where God cannot give divine favor. Neglect of prayer, neglect of seeking grace for the family, neglect of responsibility to children, and harsh overbearing conduct at home shut one out from that liberty until the wrong is confessed, forgiveness is sought from God and from the children, and the sin is put away.