This is a copy of my talk given at Ayia Kyriaki and Saint Stephen’s in the Anglican Church of Paphos on Sunday 19  July 2026. The Bible Reading was Romans 8:12-25

Prayer

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for Your word.
By the power of Your Holy Spirit,
May You speak to my heart,
And change my life.
In the precious name of Jesus I pray.
Amen.  

Introduction

There’s a story about an antique auction that took place in Milan in 1817 when the auctioneer brought out an old, dusty violin. He told the audience it was a rare Stradivarius and was worth a great deal of money. No one, however, was impressed. Only one bid of five guineas was offered.

Meanwhile, a tall thin man had entered the shop from the street. He walked to the front of the shop, picked up the violin, dusted it, then held it to his chin and reached for the bow. As he did so, a murmur went round the room, ‘Paganini! Paganini!’ For the next few minutes, the great musician held everyone in rapt attention as he played the old dirty, dusty violin.

Then he stopped playing. As he did so, people started clamouring for the violin: fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety guineas. Eventually, Paganini bought it for one hundred guineas. That evening, he held an audience at the Piazza della Scala, Milan, spellbound with the most exquisite virtuoso performance as he played the old dirty, dusty violin once again.

I’ve always found this to be a wonderful illustration of the importance of the ‘Master’s touch’ on our lives. We cannot live a successful Christian life in our own strength but, in the father’s hands, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we can do wonderful things, which is why He commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and that is what Paul wrote about in vs 1-11.

1: Born Again?

The term ‘born again’ has become a bit of a cliché down the years. There’s been a pop song about it (Billy Preston and Syreeta ‘With You I’m Born Again’ 1979), it’s been used to advertise cars, sportsmen/women who’ve found good form after spending time languishing in the wilderness. (STOP PRESS! You could almost say the England Football Team were ‘Born Again’ after their 6-4 win over France in the World Cup 2026 third place play-off).

But the term ‘born again’ was first used by Jesus in John 3:5-8 when speaking to Nicodemus to describe the spiritual birth of becoming a Christian. Some would use the phrase ‘Born from above’ but that is not what Jesus was referring to here. This expression is often used to identify the depth of someone’s commitment as a Christian. An older generation often refer to Cliff Richard as an example of a ‘born again’ Christian and a younger generation would mention many of the Premier League footballers who are open about their faith (STOP PRESS! Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat trick last night plays for Arsenal and is someone who is unashamed to declare his faith).

A number of people have said to me over the years that they weren’t too keen on those ‘born again’ Christians but didn’t mind me because I was an Anglican. I reply that I’ve always considered myself to be ‘born again’, long before I became an Anglican, so what do you make of me now!

Just as a new baby is born as a result of a man and a woman coming together, so it is in the spiritual realm. When the Spirit of God and the spirit of man come together, there is a spiritual birth. Once we have made a step of faith to acknowledge Jesus as Saviour, we receive the Holy Spirit who seals the work God has already begun in our hearts. Coming to Jesus removes the barrier between ourselves and God. How does this work?

2: The Holy Spirit makes us Sons and Daughters of God

Romans 8:14-17: Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry,’ Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Intimacy With God. I believe there is no greater privilege than to be a child of God and no status in the world compares with being a child of God.  As children of God, we have the closest possible intimacy and relationship with God as our Father. Romans 8:15: … you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry,’ Abba, Father. The use of the word ‘Abba’ (an Aramaic word) in addressing God was distinctive of Jesus (Mark 14:36). It’s almost impossible to translate ‘Abba’ into English (it conveys a deep intimacy, affection and reverent trust) the nearest we have is probably ‘Daddy’. Have you ever considered referring to God the Father, as Daddy? But when we receive the Holy Spirit, God allows us to share in that intimate relationship with the Father.

Children Of God. The Spirit gives us the deepest possible experience of God, vs16: ‘The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. He wants us to know that we are children of God. In the same way that I want my children to know and experience my love for them, so God wants his children to be assured of that love and of that relationship.

Heirs Of God. Paul tells us that to be a son or daughter of God is the greatest security we could know, vs17: For if we are children of God, we are also heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Everything God has is ultimately ours (the universe, eternal life, the new creation). We share the same inheritance as Jesus himself! (Galatians 4:7; Ephesians 1:18; 1 Peter 1:3-4). It’s mind-blowing, isn’t it? We are no longer servants, but family. This is guaranteed by the Spirit’s seal (vs16).

3. The Groaning of Creation

But the rest of the passage makes it clear that suffering goes hand-in-hand with living in a fallen world, where there is sin, disease, sickness and death. So, suffering takes on a wider meaning. And that suffering and pain causes both creation and Christians to, what Paul calls, ‘groan’. In vs22 Paul tells us that “we know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” What does Paul mean here? In what sense is creation groaning and why?

When God first brought his creation into being, he declared in Genesis 1 that everything was good. But that is not the way things are now. Paul tells us what happened in vs20: “Creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice but by the will of the one who subjected it.” And in verse 21 he says that it is “in bondage to decay.”

Something drastic happened to this perfect creation. Man is the pinnacle of creation, and creation’s goal is to give glory to God. Mankind is the guardian of creation. If he is corrupt that affects the whole of creation. In Genesis 3, mankind rebelled against his creator. As a God of justice, he punished man by driving them away from his perfect environment. But it wasn’t just man who was affected. Creation itself was affected and put out of kilter with its maker. Genesis 3 also tells us that God also cursed the ground because of man. And from that day onward, creation was subject to frustration and decay. Once sin entered the world, everything was affected.

It’s obvious that the world is decaying, isn’t it? Whilst it is still is a very beautiful place, it is ravaged by storms, global warming, earthquakes. It is not the world God intended. It too has fallen victim to mankind’s rebellion. And so, creation is groaning, longing for that great release.

4. The Groaning of Christians

Paul also explains that part of the present pain is the groaning, not moaning, of Christians. Vs23: “Not only so but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly …” We too groan as Christians because we also long for that great day when we will get to see a new heaven and a new earth – the completeness of God’s creation. C.S. Lewis called this world shadowlands, the point being that reality was heaven, the world to come, not here on earth. The first fruits of the Holy Spirit is a foretaste of what heaven holds for us.

And that is why we groan in the present. We know our full inheritance is to come, and so we groan, longing for heaven. We groan because our bodies are racked by sin, we struggle with the fact that we must deal with illnesses and worse. We don’t moan about life here on earth. Rather we groan, eagerly longing for the life to come.

Now we mustn’t misunderstand Paul here. He is not demeaning our suffering here on earth and saying it doesn’t hurt or doesn’t matter. Rather he wants us to see that this present pain is not God’s plan for humankind. This is not the way God intended the world to be. Our present pain is to be endured with one eye on the future.

Paul was no stranger to suffering. Listen to what he says in 2 Corinthians 11:

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death time and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a day and a night in the open sea…I have known hunger and thirst, and I have been cold and naked.

David Watson, a CofE Vicar/Writer/Speaker (who died of cancer) once wrote:

God offers no promise to shield us from the evil of this fallen world. There is no immunity guaranteed from sickness, pain, sorrow and death. But what he does pledge is his never-failing presence for those of us who have found him in Christ. Nothing can destroy that. Always he is with us. And in the long run, that is all we need to know.

Both Paul and David Watson knew suffering and groaned. They had come to see that though the present could be very painful, they knew their present pain was not worth comparing to the glory that would be theirs by having one eye fixed on the future.

Conclusion

Romans 8:12–25 is a powerful reminder of God’s transformative work in believers’ lives. It calls us to live by the Spirit, embrace our adoption as children of God, endure suffering with hope, and anticipate the ultimate redemption of creation. As we walk in the Spirit, we participate in God’s ongoing work of restoration, both personally and eternally as we live with hope and certainty for the glory that is to come.

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER The text contained in this sermon (except where stated) is solely owned by its author, Revd Paul A. Carr. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name.