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