Help in Suffering and The Hope To Come! Romans 8:26-28
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All followers of Christ go through tough times and suffering. We discussed this fact last week. Remember that in verses 18-25, we are told that the sufferings that we face in this present time are of no comparison of the glory that is to come. We looked at how all of creation suffers because of the effects of sin. However, for the follower of Christ, there is hope. There is hope for a better day. We talked about what is waiting for us up in heaven.
Now, Paul continues the discussion of that hope. in Romans 8:26-28, he continues to teach us about that hope and that help that is available throughout that suffering.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
There’s Help When We Are Weak (vs. 26)
There’s Help When We Are Weak (vs. 26)
We closed out last week talking about the hope that is for the saved person. That person who has been adopted into the family of Christ. We are to endure the suffering with patience because God is at work. We are to learn through the suffering. However, as Paul teaches us today, there are times that suffering leaves us bumfuzzeled! Ya’ll know what that word means?
It basically means, we are going through such a tough time that we are wanting to just throw up our hands and quit. Don’t quit, that is what Satan wants us to do. We have help and that help is the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
Notice in Romans 8:26
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
The Spirit helps us in our weakness.
This is why it is so important to trust in the Lord. To turn your cares and anxieties over to Jesus. To carry your burdens to Jesus.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
As followers of Christ, we are never to bear our burdens alone. In John 14:26, the Jesus tells His Disciples (Followers) that the helper/comforter/advocate, will come and teach them, help them, and confirm everything that Jesus had said.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
What had He just told them in John 14:1
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
So, folks, when that suffering occurs, we have help in our time of weakness.
Exalting Jesus in Romans Rest in the Spirit’s Intercession (8:26–27)
What kind of “weakness” (v. 26) does Paul have in mind? It is that “we do not know what to pray for” in the midst of this suffering world. It is not only that we do not have the right words; it is that we do not always know God’s will in particular situations (v. 27). In this time the Spirit “also helps us” with “inexpressible groanings” (v. 26) or “groanings too deep for words” (v. 26 ESV).
Exalting Jesus in Romans (Rest in the Spirit’s Intercession (8:26–27))
John Piper applied this ministry of the Spirit to his congregation this way:
So what is it that we don’t know what to pray for in this weakness? I think the answer is: we don’t know the secret will of God about our sicknesses and our hardships. We don’t know whether we should pray for healing or for strength to endure. Of course, both are right and it’s not wrong to pray for either. But we long to pray with great faith, and we groan that we are not sure what God’s way will be with this sickness or this loss or this imprisonment. We just don’t know.
We can see some examples of this in Paul’s life. Consider his thorn in the flesh in 2 Corinthians 12. He asked three times that it be removed. And finally Jesus revealed to him that his will was not to take it away. Surely that experience would leave Paul wondering with every sickness and pain and hardship and imprisonment what God’s will was: Healing or not? Deliverance or not?
Now this is painfully relevant to many in this church now. And it will become increasingly relevant as the price of being a Christian and a missionary increases in the years to come. Not only are there many who are sick, but there are some now and there will be many over the next years who are in danger somewhere in the world, and wonder, “How should we pray?” Should we pray for a safe escape? Or should we resolve to stay and pray for protection? Or should we stay and pray for courage to suffer and even die? (“The Spirit Helps Us in Our Weakness, Part 1”)
It is indeed relevant, for what church does not have people who are physically ill, and many of our churches have missionaries on the front lines, some in dangerous places. It is of great comfort to know that when we do not know what to pray for, the “Counselor” (John 16:7) comes to our aid in this glorious intercession.
This is something great to think about. Yes, we are supposed to be seeking God’s will but there are times, we just have no clue what we are supposed to pray for, what we are supposed to be learning, what we are supposed to , or even what to say when we pray. The good thing is that God knows the heart. He knows your needs, and He can hear us voice our needs loudly without ever saying a word.
Remember in our study of The Lord’s Prayer for earlier this year. Matthew 6:8 tells us that God knows what we need before we even ask. That is His way of saying, He knows what we need before we even know what we need.
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Even in that toughest time, the Spirit of God intercedes on our behalf. That means He speaks when we can just groan/utter words or can’t even speak at all. Take hope and have joy in knowing that the Holy Spirit is there as our helper at all times.
The Spirit Searches Our Hearts
The Spirit Searches Our Hearts
The Lord knows what is in our heart. If our heart is seeking the Lord and our live belongs to the Lord, then we can have hope that Jesus will know what is best for our lives and that He knows exactly what we are going through.
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
John MacArthur pointed out that “When they (the Apostles) were choosing between Joseph Barsabbas and Mattias as a successor for Judas, the eleven apostles prayed, “Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which one of these two Thou hast chosen” (Acts 1:24)
You see, God knows your heart way more than even you know your heart. So, if He knows what is in our hearts, why shouldn’t we open our hearts and let Him freely search it. After all, He is going to whether we allow Him to or not. This is something that I want to spend a moment on. This thought might scare a few folks because you think there are things in your heart that you are hiding from God. Remember Adam and Eve couldn’t hide from God, Ananias and Sapphira couldn’t hide from God, and you can’t hide your heart from God. This is why it is so important to surrender your heart to God.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
We should daily be opening our hearts up to God and allow Him to search it. With that being said, not only should we be opening our hearts up for God to search it, we should be surrendering our hearts and lives to Jesus daily as well.
We should never forget the OMNISCIENCE of God. That Means HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!!!!!!
The Spirit Intercedes According To God’s Will
With God knowing the hearts of His Children, He also knows what His Children need. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is always going to intercede according to God’s will. The Spirit will never ask God to give you or allow you to do something outside of God’s Will.
CSB Study Bible: Notes (Chapter 8)
The Spirit’s requests are always according to the will of God and are always answered.
Warren Wiersbe States:
What is the will of God? That believers might be conformed to the image of Christ (v. 29).
The Spirit Works It All Out For God’s Children (vs. 28)
The Spirit Works It All Out For God’s Children (vs. 28)
This is one of the most misquoted verses that I have ever heard. There are so many people who says, “Well, the Bible says it will all work together for good.” They are basically saying don’t worry because no matter what it is, it will work out. However, there are conditions placed within this verse. Yes, the Bible does claim that it will work together for God, but it also says what is required for that to happen. We should also remember that it is only going to work out for those who are in a right relationship with God. If you’re not where you need to be with God, then this promise is not for you. It is only for those who are right with God.
Paul starts out by saying “We Know”
What do we know? Well, we know that if we take everything to God, if we are casting our cares on the Lord, if we are seeking HIs Will, and living for HIm in Everything we do, then that suffering that is mentioned in Romans 8:18, will all work out. Yes, it will all work out, but it might not work out until we dwell in the House of the Lord forever Psalm 23:6. There in lies an issue…are you sure you will spend eternity in the house of the Lord?
Tony Evans says, The promise of 8:28 is a conditional one. If believers are not loving God and progressively being conformed to the image of Christ, they will not see things working together for good. (Evans, Tony. CSB Tony Evans Study Bible (p. 5565). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)
So, let’s look at exactly what the Word of God says...
All things work together for good for whom?
THOSE THAT LOVE GOD!!!!!
THOSE THAT LOVE GOD!!!!!
If I were to ask people in this room this morning to raise their hands if they love God, I would almost bet my entire salary for this year that every person would raise their hands. If I were to go to the local grocery store and restaurant and survey people to see if they loved God, I would imagine that 75-85 percent would say yes. Probably even more. However, the Bible is very clear about what loving God looks like. So, let’s go back to that Search My Heart O God...
21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
Boom…this is pretty clear. If you claim to love God and not obey God, then chances are you are not of God and you might claim to Love God but your actions say something else. Remember God knows your heart!
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
19 We love because he first loved us.
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Look at this picture
This was posting on a clergy coaching facebook page this week. “Loving our neighbors is not the same as simply not hating them. Love is not a lack of hate or of anything else.
According to Scripture, love has form and content and it compels us to act. It compels us to actively seek the Well-being of others.
So, when Jesus told us to Love God and Love Others in Matthew 22:26-40, Chances are He meant for us to love everyone. How can not love everyone unconditionally and claim to love God?
Things are not going to work out of if we are not fully loving God and when we are not fully loving others, then we aren’t fully loving God!!!!!!
Condition #1 for it to work out for Good....LOVE GOD!!!!
So, not only is it going to work out for those who Love God. In order for it to work out, you must be called by God.
Condition # 2 for it to work out for GOOD…BE CALLED BY GOD!!!!
The only way to fully love God is to be called out by God. This is what happens when we are convicted of our Sin and surrender our lives to Jesus.
One can’t simply just say they love God or that they believe in Jesus because James 2:19 tells us that even the Demons believe in Jesus. You have to answer the calling to salvation. The call to surrender your life to Jesus. The call to die to self, die to the flesh, be raised to new life in Christ.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
So, you want everything to work out in your life. It might not be a bed of roses as some might say. However, as we read in Romans 8:18
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
There’s coming a day that we know that everything will be revealed to us and it will be far better than any suffering we have gone though.
It starts with Repentance and Surrender
It continues with Commitment to Christ and His Teachings
Closing:
Where are you in your life today? Are you struggling and have no clue what to do? Surrender it to Christ. He knows your struggle and as we read, you might not even know what to say to God, but the Holy Spirit within you knows. For that to happen, you must have the Holy Spirit within you and in a right relationship with Christ.
If you’ve never been saved, that’s the first step you need to take today.
If you’ve been saved but things just don’t seem to be working out, maybe there is some kind of sin or multiple sins in your life that you need to repent of and recommit you life to walking with Jesus.
While you might claim to Love God today, are your actions showing it in and through everything in your life? If not, then you need to repent as well because all things only work out for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Oh, there is condition number 3…It’s about Jesus and not yourself. That’s why we must be die to self, die to the flesh, surrender our will and desires, and walk in His will for our lives. If you are not doing that today, then this altar is open.
PRAY!!!!!