Let's open our Bibles to Romans 8:18-25.

To persevere in present sufferings with hope, keep your eyes on the future glory that God has promised us

The present time is marked by sufferings because of man's fall into sin
The whole creation suffers because of man's fall into sin
This text assumes that God is the creator of all that is
Even though the creation is fallen, it still bears witness to the majesty and glory of the Creator
All believers suffer because of man's fall into sin
Paul and Jesus suffered - we are not exempt from suffering
We need to think biblically about suffering so that we will grow through it rather than being destroyed by it
Our present sufferings are relatively short compared to our eternal sharing in the glory of God
The weight of our present trials is like a feather on the scale
Our future glory with God is absolutely certain
The fact of suffering does not undermine the fact that God has a plan and that he will accomplish his plan
John Piper - The point of our miseries, our futility, our corruption, our groaning is to teach us the horror of sin
The future will be marked by glory for believers as God fulfills all that He has promised us
The future glory is not totally revealed to us yet, but it includes the revealing of all that God has promised for us
Glory includes all of God's promises to give us the unfathomable riches of Christ
The future glory includes the full renewal of creation to its original perfection and purpose
The future glory includes our freedom from sin and its corruption, including the full redemption of our bodies
Keep your eyes on the future promised glory and you will persevere in present sufferings with hope
We hope for it because we have not yet received all that has been promised