Romans 8:18-25

Because of sin, all creation suffers; that includes Christians.  Original sin released the power of evil into the world, and that power is destructive.  Our physical world is subject to decay and destructive natural forces.  Speaking only for myself, I believe most, if not all of the violent weather, earthquakes and natural disasters on Earth are a result of the power of sin.  Paul does not make this point completely clear, but he does say that creation hopes that the children of God will deliver it from the bondage to decay and bring it into freedom and glory.  The whole of creation has been groaning as if in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  Planet earth suffers from the effects of sin, and awaits its rebirth brought about by the children of God.

Sin is so powerful that it makes all of creation suffer, and it is powerful enough to cause suffering in the children of God.  However, it is not powerful enough to destroy our hope.  It is not powerful enough to cause us to despair.  Rather we consider our suffering as nothing compared to the coming glory that God will reveal in us.  At the time of our reconciliation with God, He redeemed our lives, but he did not redeem our bodies.  Our bodies still decay, still hurt and ache.  Our bodies are still subject to aging and to death.  Even though we have not yet seen it, we hope and have faith in the redemption of our bodies.  We believe that not only has God given us new life in this world, he will give our new life in new bodies in the world to come.  As we suffer we do not suffer along, the spirit of God is with us.  Therefore, even as we live with suffering we know that God will eventually put an end to all of our suffering.  With this knowledge, suffering ceases to be something to fear.  Suffering becomes an opportunity to live righteous.