ROMANS 8 (2)

Church, we are living in the tension between what is and what will be. Between the ache of waiting and the assurance of glory. Romans 8:24–30 is not just a passage—it’s a pulse. It beats with the rhythm of redemption, the groaning of creation, and the whisper of the Spirit interceding for us in the silence of our suffering.

Romans 8:24–30 CSB

24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience. 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

We were saved in hope—not in certainty, not in sight, but in a holy expectancy that refuses to let go. And this hope is not passive. It groans. It waits. It clings. It believes that even when we don’t know what to pray, the Spirit knows. Even when we don’t see the good, God is working it. Even when we feel weak, He is predestining us for glory.

So today, we’re stepping into the furnace of divine purpose. We’re going to talk about a hope that holds us when life hurts. A Spirit who speaks when we’re speechless. And a God who weaves every thread of our story into a tapestry of eternal glory.

In the meantime, we share with creation in painful anticipation, groaning within ourselves, eagerly waiting for … the redemption of our bodies (8:23). But this anticipation is colored with hope, because the creation groans with labor pains (8:22), a fact proving that the present suffering is not meaningless. It may be difficult, but our groaning now is leading to life then.And just as a mother forgets the pain of childbirth once her baby is born, we too will forget our pains in the world to come.

8:24–25 This context of suffering and anticipation requires hope. Hope is a joyful expectation about the future, a trust that our tomorrows will be greater than our yesterdays. But hope that is seen is not hope (8:24). Real hope combines a radical trust in God with the candid admission that we don’t know the details about our own futures. What we do know, however, outweighs what we do not. We know that what awaits us is salvation, which gives us the confidence to eagerly wait for it with patience[1]

The Spirit helps us in our weakness, and he helps by praying for us, interceding for us with inexpressible groanings. I’m glad the Spirit is praying for us because we do not know what to pray for as we should. That is, we don’t know the language of prayer like God does. We’re like foreigners, wandering around a country completely helpless. But in this unknown territory, the Spirit of God translates for us.

8:27 The Greek word for “intercede” that Paul uses means “to appeal.” In our weakness, we may simply be groaning, but the Spirit translates that into an appeal that is according to the will of God. If we pray from the heart—even if our prayers are only groans—they are exactly as they should be by the time they reach God.   

When we are weak, and do not know exactly how we should pray, God Himself (through the Holy Spirit) helps by making intercession for us. The Holy Spirit’s help in intercession is perfect because He searches the hearts of those whom He helps, and He is able to guide our prayers according to the will of God. Everybody likes the first part of 8:28, where all things work together for the good of those who love God. Most people, though, ignore the second part—which is even more important. God is working in our lives for our good, but not so that we’ll live on Easy Street. Rather, he works for our good according to his purpose.

So, what exactly is God’s purpose for our lives? God desires to conform us to the image of his Son (8:29). He wants to make us clones of Christ, people who mirror Christ’s character and conduct. Sure, he wants to give us “all things,” but we can only receive them if we are conformed to Christ. Therefore, 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. Unfortunately, not all Christians steadfastly remain in God’s love (see Jude 21

Jude 21 CSB

21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life.

Here, then, is a neglected aspect of our transformation toward holiness. Sanctification is not only what we are doing to conform to God’s will; it is the Spiritinterceding to the Father for the saints(Rom. 8:27; Greek, holy ones) in accordance with God’s will. Whatever we choose to say about offering ourselves to God (12:1), we must also remember that the Spirit offers us to the Father in prayer. That is why Paul can speak of the twofold dimension of our transformation, incorporating both God’s initiative and our response.

Throughout this chapter, Paul has reminded the believers in Rome that the Spirit is acting on their behalf in transforming them into heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ (v. 17). The Spirit frees them from the law of sin (v. 2), controls their minds (v. 6), lives within them (v. 9), gives life to their mortal bodies (v. 11), leads them (v. 14), testifies to the spirit (v. 16) and finally, intercedes on their behalf (v. 26). Here is God himself, through his Spirit intimately involved with the daily life of the believer. Here is the Spirit creating the life of holiness in those of us who have been reconciled to God by faith.[3]

The calls of God are always enablements. The only way to fall short of the calling is to refuse the call. From the standpoint of God’s grace and provision there is no failure.[4]