Paul speaks graphically about Creation groaning for its future liberation from bondage into the freedom and glory of the children of God.  Creation yearns to share in our future liberation.  We too are groaning for that day of liberation. We are yearning deeply for our own freedom and the freedom of all creation (Romans 8).

Where does all this groaning come from?  Paul is clear that it comes from God’s Spirit.  We are groaning because the Spirit himself is groaning within us for our future liberation and of all creation.  We groan with the Spirit as he groans within us.

So the Spirit who hovered over the formless and empty earth at the start of creation is now groaning over creation in bondage to decay and ruin.  And His groaning takes place within us as we groan with the Spirit over the brokenness and bondage of all around us. The Spirit’s groaning is expressed in and through us as we pray over the ruined world with sighs too deep for words. 

The Father Almighty moves creation towards its destiny. And we participate in the action.  We don’t simply observe the activity of God within his creation. We participate in the struggle as weak people groaning with the Spirit for our liberation and of all things.  We do so in the sure hope that Jesus, the new man, will finally free the whole of creation by the power of the Spirit.