Romans 8:26-30

Take your copy of God's Word and turn to Romans chapter 8, where we'll spend our time this morning.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

At home, Sam and I have gotten in the habit of singing the doxology after we pray before our meal, hoping that Cade will learn it and learn it well.

We don't sound nearly as nice as you guys all do together though, so I think you guys should all come to our house for dinner every night and help us sing that song.

Because my leading it just is not nearly as beautiful.

I'm really thankful today. I'm thankful first and foremost for the redemptive work of Christ on my behalf.

I just feel unfettered this morning. I feel so free and unburdened because of the lack of slavery to sin this morning.

I'm incredibly thankful this morning. On this day, six years ago, I married my lovely wife, Sam.

So I'm really thankful for her. Thank you.

And my family's here this morning. You guys know there's been a lot of sickness in our home.

And I'm just really, really, really thankful that they get to actually be here.

Both of my precious boys are here.

I'm not stag this morning at church.

So I'm thankful for all these things this morning.

And I'm thankful that I get to preach this morning to you out of Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

We have, just to remind you, in Romans we've been venturing through this gospel presentation

that Paul is giving to us.

And he has said to us that the curse of sin has affected all humanity.

We all bear that curse.

And in addition to that, we've all sinned ourselves.

So not only has the curse of Adam passed on to us, but we have brought our own condemnation because of our own sin.

And therefore, none of us can escape the wrath of God on our own.

Praise him for the propitiation of Christ.

That he came and stood in our place.

Bore God's wrath on our behalf.

That if we will place our faith in that work of Jesus, we might be saved.

We've seen now the effects of the gospel in chapters 6 and 7.

And now into chapter 8, we get to learn about these positive effects of the gospel.

The life that the Spirit has brought us.

And we're looking together at the ministry of the Spirit.

And we see that the Spirit in our lives ministers to us in regeneration.

He gives us a new nature.

We've been born in the Spirit.

We see this in chapter 8, verse 5.

I just won't read it to you.

Chapter 8, verse 5.

You can look at it.

As well as in 1 Peter 1, 3-5, which says,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again through the Spirit.

To a living hope.

To the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

And kept in heaven for you.

Who by God's power, which is the work of the Spirit in us, are being guarded through faith.

For a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We see also that the Spirit ministers to us in our lives through the process of sanctification.

Sanctification, that process by which we are passing from one degree of glory to another.

That we are becoming more perfect as we progress in our Christian living.

So he ministers to us in sanctification.

Chapter 8, verse 13.

As well as Philippians 1, 6.

Where Paul says,

We are being moved steadily by the Spirit towards perfection.

We also saw that last week that the Spirit ministers to us in our security unto glorification.

So after we die, the work of the Spirit is our glorification.

But up to that point is our security keeping us to that day.

You can see that in chapter 8, verse 14.

That he puts in us the Spirit of adoption.

That we are called sons of God because he lives within us.

As well as Ephesians 1, 13 and 14.

Which reads,

So last week we saw that Paul turned in verse 17 to begin to talk about suffering in the life of a Christian.

And that suffering includes all of the things we encounter as Christians along the way.

As we're moving towards glorification.

It's all those things.

So it's from the head cold I still kind of have this morning to martyrdom.

It's all those things that are uncomfortable for us as we're in this process of being made perfect.

And he gives to us the way that we bear up underneath that.

Which is the hope of future glory.

We saw last week a certain amount of groaning going on.

He speaks to us of the creation groaning.

Waiting eagerly to be restored.

To be put back in the place that it was meant to be.

And we saw that we as believers groan inwardly.

We wait eagerly for the adoption of the Son.

For the redemption of our bodies.

That final state.

And this morning's text, we're going to see the Spirit groan on our behalf.

So let's read together.

Beginning in verse 26 through verse 30.

I know that you may be thinking me rather ambitious.

But I hope by the end of this you'll understand why I'm going to take us that far this morning.

Beginning in verse 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.

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.

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good.

For those who are called according to his purpose.

For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of a son.

In order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those whom he predestined, he also called.

And those whom he called, he also justified.

And those whom he justified, he also glorified.

Let's pray together.

Father God, we thank you for your word and the ministry it is to us.

We thank you that you have planned the end from the beginning.

We thank you that you're bringing it about through the personal work of Jesus Christ.

And through the work of the Spirit in our lives.

Father, we appeal to you this morning.

That you might work in us a miracle in clear speaking and clear understanding.

That you will provide both knowledge and understanding that yields wisdom in our lives.

That we might live for you and exalt Christ in all that we do, even in the midst of our suffering.

We pray this in the precious name of Christ, who gives us the ability to approach you and even pray to you.

Amen.

So, we see that he starts out this language in talking about the Spirit.

He starts groaning on our behalf.

And he speaks of our weakness.

So, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

And what does he mean by that is the first question that came to my mind as I began to study this text.

Initially, I looked at verse 25.

And verse 25 says,

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

This future glory that's coming, we wait for it with patience.

And so, I presume that the weakness he was talking about was when we fail in that.

So, we, in his hope of glory, we are waiting.

We are eagerly anticipating the coming hope of glory for us.

And when we fail in that, the Spirit intercedes for us.

But that's not actually what he means in this text.

The word weakness here, the Greek term, is found in Romans 6.19.

And Paul refers there, and it's translated in the ESV to our natural limitations.

And John chapter 5, when Jesus is at the pool of Bethesda, there's the lame man.

John 5 · chapter mention

And in verse 5, it says,

One man was there who had been an invalid for 38 years.

That term invalid is the same term weakness here.

The inability of his body to walk.

1 Corinthians 15.43 and 44, speaking of resurrection, says,

It is sown in dishonor.

It is raised in glory.

It is sown in weakness.

Same word.

It is raised in power.

It is sown a natural body.

It is raised a spiritual body.

And so, what he's talking about here, when he says that the Spirit helps us in our weakness,

is the frailty of our flesh, the burden of our sinful nature that we all carry around.

So, does that include our failing to wait with patience for future glory?

Absolutely, it does.

But he's expanding beyond that and speaking much more broadly than that.

Look at the very next sentence.

He says,

For we do not know what to pray for as we ought.

So, in the middle of our suffering, we don't even know how to pray because we are so corrupted by our sin.

That's what he's talking about here.

He starts this sentence out by saying,

Likewise.

He talks out by saying,

Likewise the Spirit helps us.

So, what is the likewise he's referring to?

Well, it's the groaning.

It's referring back to verse 18, the eager longing of the creation,

the creation groaning in the pains of childbirth.

It's that same groaning, which is the way the Spirit helps us on our behalf.

See that at the very heart of the Spirit of God within us

is a longing for us to be made perfect.

He desires that.

And he groans on our behalf

for such a thing

to take place.

And he groans with words,

with a groaning that is

too deep

for words.

Now, we in Protestant evangelicalism

have really neglected

the Holy Spirit.

We make much of God the Father

and much of God the Son,

which we should do, and we should never cease doing.

We can never talk too much

about God the Father

and about God the Son.

But we do

talk too little

about the Spirit.

Pentecostals have

elevated

the role of the Spirit

in life.

They have

done so to the degree

that they have

relegated,

they have diminished

the Gospel itself.

They talk

often

about

the baptism of the Holy Spirit,

very little

about the Gospel.

they've gotten it out of balance

in that direction.

I think we've done

the same

by not talking

as much

as we ought to

about the work

of the Holy Spirit.

We should put him

in his proper

place

as part

of the Godhead.

If you're like me,

often in my life

I think of the Holy Spirit

as a minion

of the Father

and the Son

doing

doing the bidding.

He is equally God

dwelling within us.

We need to see

that that

part of God

dwells within us

and grows

for us,

longs

for us

to be made

perfect

in the image

of Christ.

What an amazing

reality

that is.

This does not

mean

that when we

don't know

how to pray

we should

begin to speak

in gibberish.

Should have

bought a Honda

but I bought

a Yamaha.

It's not what

this text means.

That's what the

Pentecostals

have done with it.

That is not

what this text

means.

And I hope

to show you

beyond that

what it does mean.

So we see

that the Spirit

then groans

for us

in verse 27

according

to the will

of God.

It intercedes

for us,

prays on our

behalf

according

to the will

of God.

So we see

clearly here

that there's

a conversation

happening between

the Spirit

of God

within us

and God

the Father.

Now is that

to the Spirit's

benefit?

If the Spirit's

groaning,

longing for

our perfection,

for the

saints'

perfection,

does he

have this

prayer time

with God

so that he

can feel

a little better

about the

end results?

Of course not.

The Spirit

of God

knows exactly

what will be

accomplished.

The Spirit

of God

prays,

groans

by the

will of

God.

So the

Spirit longing

within us

for perfection

is not for

his benefit,

it's for

ours.

When we

suffer and

we don't

know how

to pray,

the longing

in our lives

for the

will of

God,

even when

we don't

know exactly

what the

prayer should

be,

it's for

our benefit

that we

know the

Spirit of

God is

moving us

toward future

glory.

As I

mentioned

before,

this is a

chunk of

Scripture.

These verses,

particularly

verse 28,

29,

and 30,

are very

expandable.

Boy,

can we

preach some

sermons out

of those

three verses.

But keeping

it in its

context is

why I'm

going to

take us

that far.

I want

you to

see that

he's

working

these

things

for our

good that

we might

hope in

future glory

and bear

up under

suffering.

So,

in verse

27,

he says

he prays,

he intercedes

for the

saints

according

to the

will

of God.

What is

God's

will for

us?

We see

in verse

28,

it talks

of those

who are

called

according

to his

purpose,

and then

verse 29,

here's the

answer,

to be

conformed

to the

image

of his

Son.

And there

you see

again the

longing of

the Spirit

to move

us,

to progress

us,

towards

perfection.

This is a

Trinitarian

activity,

our future

glory.

God the

Father

planned it,

God the

Son provided

for it,

and God

the Spirit

protects it

until it

comes to

pass.

I want you

to see that

this morning.

Verse 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.

Now,

this morning

I want to

give to

you,

and I

believe it's

what Paul

intended here,

a sense

of your

security

in Christ.

But I

don't want

to give

to you

false

security

at all.

So,

how is it

that things

work together

for good?

For whom?

For those

who love

God.

John MacArthur

in a sermon

on this text

says,

we love

God.

I hope

you're one

of those.

We love

God.

We love

Jesus Christ.

It is a

love that

meditates

on his

majestic

glory.

It is a

love that

longs to

worship,

to sing

his praises.

It is a

love that

seeks the

fellowship of

others who

love him.

It is a

love that

loves those

who love

him and

are loved

by him.

It is a

love that

seeks communion

with God,

intimate

communion.

It is a

love that

seeks the

knowledge of

God and

the word

of God,

to know

him more.

It is a

love that

is sensitive

to God's

honor and

God's

dishonor.

It is a

love that

hates what

God hates

and love

what God

loves.

It is a

love that

grieves

over sin

and rejoices

over righteousness.

It is a

love that

rejects the

world.

It is a

love that

longs for

the coming

of Jesus

Christ,

but mostly

it is a

love that

obeys the

scripture.

If you

love me,

do what?

Keep my

commandments.

Whoever

keeps my

word,

he it is

that loves

me.

That's

who all

this is

working for

for good.

That's

who the

Spirit of

God abides

in and

longs and

groans on

our behalf

for future

glory.

Those who

love God.

And we

see that

all things

in verse

28 work

together for

good.

All things

work for

good.

Now I

hope if

you've

spent any

time at

all as

a Christian

you're

familiar

with

Romans

8.

28.

Again,

I believe

this is a

verse that's

commonly

taken out

of the

proper

context.

Very

expandable.

It certainly

means that

all things

in our

life,

those things

good,

those things

bad,

the suffering

that we

experience,

works together

for good,

that we

might be

able to

share in

the suffering

of others,

that we

might learn

perseverance,

that we

might deeper

rely on the

grace of

God,

certainly

those are

good.

That is good

that these

things are

working toward,

but ultimately

what Paul is

saying to us

is an

ultimate good

for these

things to

work toward,

an ultimate

and final

good,

the glorification

of our

bodies.

So all

things,

including sin

in our

life,

God is

working and

bringing us

toward glory

together.

My son,

my second

son Judah,

is here this

morning.

I don't know

if many of

you have had

a chance

to meet

him yet

as Sam

has been

home with

primarily

Cade being

sick.

Please go

say hello

to him this

morning.

He's already

two months

old and he's

been such a

blessing for

us.

He was born

on February

17th.

Sam went

into labor

on the night

of the 16th

and labored

rather uncomfortably

all through the

night,

but the

contractions were

only about 10

minutes apart,

so we waited.

We didn't go to

the hospital.

The next day,

we had Cade

sent off to my

parents' house

and figured any

moment we would

rush off to the

hospital to have

Judah.

We waited and

we went for a

walk.

I think we walked

three and a half

to four miles

and got those

contractions speeding

up and we had

them about five

minutes apart on

clockwork and we

thought,

hey, let's go

home and take

off.

And we got

home and Sam

said we can eat

some lunch before

we took off to

the hospital and

in that time her

contractions slowed

back down to about

15, 20 minutes

apart.

So we waited and

we waited and

finally Sam just

said, I'm tired of

waiting.

Let's just go to the

hospital and see

what's going on.

They're probably

going to laugh at us

and send us home,

but let's just go

see what's going

on with me.

We got there and

they were quite

busy and in fact

the nurse that

checked Sam,

you could actually

tell she was a tad

agitated that Sam

just wanted to be

checked out and

she even assumed

that by Sam's

telling that she

was going to send

us on home and

she checked Sam

and laughed.

Sam was six

centimeters dilated

and gentlemen,

for those of you

who don't know,

that's quite

dilated.

It's time to be at

the hospital at

that point.

And so they very

quickly admitted us

and got everything

going and Sam

decided to have an

epidural this time

and got her on an

epidural and not

long after she

started pushing.

God's grace,

I believe,

to us,

Sam's epidural

didn't take

entirely so she

had a rather

massive pain spot

on her left

side and I

think that it

motivated her to

push hard and

I think she

pushed through

like four

contractions and

Judah's little

head came out

of the womb.

It was purple

and that's not

the normative

thing for a

child's head.

Quickly, as is

always the case,

doctors take a

little syringe

bulb and they

suck the gunk

out of their

heads and try

to get them

breathing as

they've been

breathing water

up to this

point.

They come out

and he still

didn't.

So the doctor

gave him a

little yank

and saw that

the umbilical

cord was

wrapped around

his neck.

I was going

to crack a

joke about

letting him

cut it.

Hey, you can

go ahead and

cut that if

you'd like to.

Before I could

even process

the words out

of my mouth,

he had go-go

gadgeted instruments

and snip-snip

cut and had

that thing

around Judah's

neck.

But still,

Judah didn't

change color.

His head was

still very,

very purple.

So the doctor

said, let's give

him one more

push and

yanked him

right out of

him.

And his little

body was

lifeless,

gray.

His head was

purple, his

body was just

gray.

And the image

of the doctor

looked like a

lateral to the

nurse.

Judah's little

body just limp,

arms hanging,

looked entirely

lifeless.

And quickly

shuffled him

over to the

receiving nurse.

She had already

hit the triage

button, so a

team of nurses

came kind of

busting in the

door.

There's just

this kind of

pandemonium

breaking out.

And we had,

in a number of

ultrasounds

beforehand,

Judah always

looked a little

funny in the

womb.

He looked like

a bridge troll.

And so Sam

and I had joked

around about him

being a rather

ghastly baby.

So I just kept,

I believe at least,

from what I can

remember, I was

just saying the

same.

He's beautiful.

He's so cute.

Like everything's

great.

Definitely good.

And it wasn't.

And you know,

you've ever seen

a movie where

time seems to

kind of stand

still.

Like the characters

are moving at

regular pace,

but everything

around them is

moving in slow

motion or it's

stopped.

That's how it

felt.

All these nurses

and doctors

are running in

and out and

all this stuff.

And all I could

do was look at

Judah's little

lifeless body

on the table.

He's obviously

alive, so the

story ends very,

very well.

They just had to

get him on some

oxygen.

The little bit of

trauma he experienced

with the cord around

his neck coming

out, he just

didn't jumpstart

the way he should

have.

And that first

little cry was

so precious.

Even the doctor,

I heard him go

when he started

to cry.

I'll always

remember that.

But what was

going on in me

as this is

happening was

828.

All things for

good.

All things for

good.

All things for

good.

I didn't even

know what should

have happened.

I didn't know

how to pray.

If my life is

ultimately about

exalting Christ and

moving in this

process of perfection,

I didn't know what

was best for me.

maybe losing my

son was the best

thing.

Maybe that would

have been the best

thing to move me

toward ultimate and

final glory.

I didn't know what

to pray, but I

believe that the

Spirit of God was

groaning for me and

reminded me of 828.

All things for good.

All things for good.

All things for good.

And I came back.

But that would have

been true either way,

wouldn't it?

There are people in

our congregation who

have lost babies.

It's for good.

Ultimate and final

good.

And that can be so

hard to swallow in

the moment.

But we have the

Spirit within us who

groans for us.

Then we might

believe that to be

true.

And Paul affirms

that for us.

He puts that into

proper perspective

for us with a

view of eternity.

Verse 29.

For those whom

he foreknew,

those that he knew

would be his,

those that he knew

would have the

Spirit of God

abiding within them,

that would cry to

him, Abba,

Father.

Father.

Those he knew

that about in the

beginning of time.

There's not such

a thing.

But in the beginning

of eternity,

he predestined,

he preordained

that we would be

conformed to the

image of his Son.

That we would,

in fact,

reach final and

full glorification.

It's going to

happen.

Because God

wrote it.

In order that we

might be the first

born among many

brothers.

Verse 30.

And those whom

he predestined,

he also called.

So those that he

preordained would

become like his

Son, he called.

And this is an

effectual call.

This is not a

general call here.

This is an

effectual call.

If he, in fact,

preordained that

they would become

like his Son,

the calling must

have been answered.

Because those who

he called, he

justified.

If you don't know

Christ, if you

don't have saving

faith, this, I

think, would cause

you to question,

how do I know?

If I'm being

called, if I'm

feeling a tugging on

my heart to answer

the call to the

gospel, how do I

know if it's an

effectual call?

Your response is

the evidence of

that.

If you respond to

the gospel in your

life, you place your

faith in Jesus

Christ, it was an

effectual call.

The Spirit of God

was working in you.

I can make a call.

I can preach the

gospel to you.

But I can't give to

you an effectual call.

I can't make you

believe.

The Spirit does

that.

Remember the first

ministry of the

Spirit?

Regeneration.

The Spirit gives

to you a new heart.

Causes you to

believe.

So how do you

know if the call

is effectual?

You answer it.

And he justifies

those.

The work of Christ

is given to you.

He has taken your

wrath, given you

his righteousness,

and we stand right

before God.

And those whom he

justified, he also

glorified.

Now notice that the

word glorified is

past tense.

Isn't that

interesting?

It doesn't say,

and those whom he

justified, he will

also glorify.

Talking about future

glory.

Remember, that's the

context that we're

in here.

Paul is telling us

the hope that we

can have and what

will come to pass.

Why does he use a

past tense version

of this verb?

Because it has been

accomplished.

We're in the process

of it being

accomplished, but it

has in fact been

accomplished.

It's already been

written.

God knew our

eternal ending from

the eternal

beginning.

Because he's the

one that brings it

to pass.

He's fully sovereign.

He's fully in

control.

And as we suffer

here in this earth,

we can know,

Paul's trying to

tell us here, we

can know that we

are secure.

It does not matter

what this world

throws our way.

And in fact, the

Bible teaches us

that we will suffer

as Christians.

If you haven't

already, it's

coming.

In all types of

degrees, you'll

suffer as a

Christian.

You'll long for a

better place.

This world is not

my home.

I don't know about

you, but I'm really

uncomfortable here.

I'm ready to go to

where I belong.

Heaven and then the

new earth when God

recreates all things.

is back as it

should be.

If I could lose

my salvation, if

God granted to me

any control at all

over these things,

if I could lose my

salvation, I would.

I am so utterly

corrupted by sin,

the weakness that we

talked about earlier.

I would lose my

salvation.

You would too.

You may not think

that, but you would.

Praise God that he is

fully in control.

from the very

beginning of it

to the very

end.

And so, those

whom he justified,

he also

glorified.

See that God the

Father planned

our glory.

That God the

Son provides

for our glory.

And that God the

Spirit protects

our glory.

Bear up

under suffering.

Bear up

in your sin.

Because our

end is sure.

It's pretty good.