For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us. The eager expectation of the creation waits for the appearance of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but by the will of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:18–21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

This is one of my favorite portions of Scripture if for only one reason, Paul understood clearly that the creation was in bondage to entropy.

Entropy is the tendency of all things to progress toward chaos and futility. It is how the universe will end. No more work can be done.

When work is done, there is an exchange of energy, but some is always lost. It’s a game that cannot be won. Eventually, enough work will be done to use up all of the energy in our universe. The work we do as a creation ends in futility.

It’s the law.

Entropy is the second law of thermodynamics.

Yet it wasn’t discovered by scientists until after the invention of the steam engine. Physicists were puzzled by the inefficiencies of steam power and sought to discover the answer.in their endeavors, the heat loss was discovered and explained. This was around the middle of the 19th century.

But here is Paul, writing hundreds of years before then…And them. He is telling us plainly that everything was subject to futility. It’s real. Creation was placed under bondage. Pail knew, but humans didn’t until relatively recently.

Yet creation is waiting to be set free.

How about you?

You might ask me why I would ask something like that. You work hard. You work to achieve things, to further yourself, to do better than your parents. The end of such labors is a modest grave. All of us die.

It is said that the good men do often lives after them. For how long?

See, we humans are also in bondage to that futility. We can work out, eat right… Give our bodies optimum nutrition. We can even attempt to avoid disease. We can do good things. But we still will die. We leave a fleeting imprint on this world and then we are taken from it.

It all sounds futile because it is.

You, too, can be set free.

That hope!

that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Romans 8:21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Paul is speaking of the time yet future when the entire creation is released from its bondage. Paul calls that release “the glorious freedom of the children of God.” That is for us believers who will return to this earth and reign with Jesus. These are those children of God.

If you want to be a part of that, and beat the cycle of futility, it’s easy. You can be a child of God.

Acknowledge that God is right. You need help. You need rescue from the futility.

Believe that Jesus is Who He said He was and did what He did… Died to reconcile God to men and rose again ascending to the Father making it possible for you and I to be reconciled to God.

Confess that belief out loud… That Jesus is the Lord God and that He rose from the dead. That you are a sinner and need your sins forgiven.

It’s that easy.