Rom 8:26-28 | KingComments | STEP | . Via a search program on your computer, you could look up how often the words “we know” occur in all the letters. These words fit only in a Christian’s mouth. Man without God makes much of his knowledge. By research he attempts to understand everything. Yet even the simplest Christian has a source of knowledge these very knowledgeable people have no idea exists. By the Spirit of God Who dwells in him, he has insight into the true state of creation. He sympathizes with the need it is in. For example, take a look at the vegetation. The short-lived beauty cries out for a new creation. These groans are compared to someone at the point of giving birth to a new life. The travails of creation point forward to the new birth of creation. In Matthew 19 the Lord Jesus calls this “the regeneration” ( ). Then the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus, will sit on the throne of His glory and will direct everything in such a way that creation will meet its goal by being a blessing and enjoyment given by God to man. . Inwardly, you already have seen a renewal. You have received “the first fruits of the Spirit” when you received the new life. The new life is a work of the Holy Spirit. You already are a new creation ( ; ) because God sees you completely in connection with Christ and His finished work. Only your body still awaits redemption. If you understand that your body can still be sick, tired and suffer pain, you realize that through your body you are still connected to this creation. For this reason there are, besides the groans of creation, groans within yourself. You’re longing for the redemption of your body. This will happen when the Lord Jesus returns to take us to the Father’s house. Then He will change your body of humiliation into a body that is like the glorified body He now has ( ). The previous verse in Philippians 3 says we eagerly await the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior or Redeemer ( ). So here in Romans you can see that the Lord Jesus is not only the Savior or Redeemer in regard to your sins, but in regard to your body as well. The first happened when the Savior died on the cross. The latter will only happen at His coming. Don’t be disturbed then by people who claim you shouldn’t be sick. Sickness has entered the world through sin. Sin has been judged by God in Christ, but not all of its consequences were removed through this, not in creation nor in your body. God uses these consequences to keep alive your desire for the full result of Christ’s work. If you’re prospering, you’re more likely to forget this. . God wants you to live “in hope” that aims at the future. Then redemption will be complete; your soul and body will no longer be affected by the consequences of sin. But this full redemption isn’t here yet. If it were, there would be nothing left for which to hope. Although you haven’t seen what you hope for, you are sure it will come. Since you still don’t have it and you have to wait, perseverance is necessary. It can all weigh heavily on you, and at times you may feel as though you have lost all hope. . How marvelous to know that the Spirit helps you in your weakness. You can have moments or even periods when you don’t know how to tell God the way you feel. You can’t find the words for it, but the Spirit living in you knows all about it. He makes Himself one with you in the way you feel in this creation that is under the curse. . He tells God what you cannot express. God searches the heart and there He meets the Holy Spirit, as it were. The things the Holy Spirit tells God will never be misunderstood by God. The Spirit knows exactly how to tell God about all your experiences. How good God is to help us in such a way in all our weaknesses. Now read Romans 8:22-27 again. Reflection: What are you hoping for?

‏ Romans 8:26-28

The Spirit Helps Your Weakness

Rom 8:22. Via a search program on your computer, you could look up how often the words “we know” occur in all the letters. These words fit only in a Christian’s mouth. Man without God makes much of his knowledge. By research he attempts to understand everything. Yet even the simplest Christian has a source of knowledge these very knowledgeable people have no idea exists.

By the Spirit of God Who dwells in him, he has insight into the true state of creation. He sympathizes with the need it is in. For example, take a look at the vegetation. The short-lived beauty cries out for a new creation. These groans are compared to someone at the point of giving birth to a new life. The travails of creation point forward to the new birth of creation. In Matthew 19 the Lord Jesus calls this “the regeneration” (Mt 19:28). Then the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus, will sit on the throne of His glory and will direct everything in such a way that creation will meet its goal by being a blessing and enjoyment given by God to man.

Rom 8:23. Inwardly, you already have seen a renewal. You have received “the first fruits of the Spirit” when you received the new life. The new life is a work of the Holy Spirit. You already are a new creation (2Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15) because God sees you completely in connection with Christ and His finished work.

Only your body still awaits redemption. If you understand that your body can still be sick, tired and suffer pain, you realize that through your body you are still connected to this creation. For this reason there are, besides the groans of creation, groans within yourself. You’re longing for the redemption of your body. This will happen when the Lord Jesus returns to take us to the Father’s house. Then He will change your body of humiliation into a body that is like the glorified body He now has (Phil 3:21). The previous verse in Philippians 3 says we eagerly await the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior or Redeemer (Phil 3:20).

So here in Romans you can see that the Lord Jesus is not only the Savior or Redeemer in regard to your sins, but in regard to your body as well. The first happened when the Savior died on the cross. The latter will only happen at His coming. Don’t be disturbed then by people who claim you shouldn’t be sick. Sickness has entered the world through sin. Sin has been judged by God in Christ, but not all of its consequences were removed through this, not in creation nor in your body. God uses these consequences to keep alive your desire for the full result of Christ’s work. If you’re prospering, you’re more likely to forget this.

Rom 8:24-25. God wants you to live “in hope” that aims at the future. Then redemption will be complete; your soul and body will no longer be affected by the consequences of sin. But this full redemption isn’t here yet. If it were, there would be nothing left for which to hope. Although you haven’t seen what you hope for, you are sure it will come. Since you still don’t have it and you have to wait, perseverance is necessary. It can all weigh heavily on you, and at times you may feel as though you have lost all hope.

Rom 8:26. How marvelous to know that the Spirit helps you in your weakness. You can have moments or even periods when you don’t know how to tell God the way you feel. You can’t find the words for it, but the Spirit living in you knows all about it. He makes Himself one with you in the way you feel in this creation that is under the curse.

Rom 8:27. He tells God what you cannot express. God searches the heart and there He meets the Holy Spirit, as it were. The things the Holy Spirit tells God will never be misunderstood by God. The Spirit knows exactly how to tell God about all your experiences. How good God is to help us in such a way in all our weaknesses.

Now read Romans 8:22-27 again.

Reflection: What are you hoping for?

Called According to God’s Purpose

Rom 8:28. There are only three verses this time. They are so full of blessings that you must read them carefully and let them speak to you.

Again this portion starts with “we know” (see Rom 8:22). It indicates a contrast with Rom 8:26. There it said we don’t know how to pray. If you feel in your body and spirit how much everything is corrupted by sin, it results in a sense of powerlessness, of not being able to cope. It could even make you feel depressed, but then come those encouraging words “we know”. This is the language of faith. If you see everything around you decaying and that your body is so vulnerable, you may know that “all things … work together for good to those who love God”.

What a rich comfort to know God is above all change. He even uses it to make those who are His own richer, that is, richer in their life of faith. Haven’t you experienced that when something miserable happened to you, it brought you nearer to God? Notice “those who love God”. It’s not true to say that all things work together for good. You can only say that if you love God.

Your love of God will affect you so you will not doubt Him, even with the disappointments that will come in your life. He really makes everything work together for good. This doesn’t allow for any exceptions. Would it hold as well for the sins you do? Yes! Peter experienced this. Three times he denied the Lord. He repented of it and thus received forgiveness. This is a necessity, but as a result of this he came to love the Lord Jesus more when he saw the Lord hadn’t let go of him. He had a better understanding of himself and of the Lord.

But in the first place, “all things” have to do with everyday life. God makes all things that take place in it to work together for good. He uses all things, including sickness, joblessness, poverty, disability, an accident, even death to loosen you from the things around you and to direct your desire to eternal things.

How real are those eternal things to you? Do you know that in eternity past God had the purpose of calling you? God was thinking of you long before you came into being.

Rom 8:29. What is written in Rom 8:29-30 is called “the golden chain”. This chain consists of the following five links:

1. foreknown,

2. predestined,

3. called,

4. justified and

5. glorified.

He knew you all along as someone for whom He had a magnificent destination in mind. Isn’t it wonderful that He wants to transform you into the image of His Son? This is incredible, but God says it is so. He had this idea when nothing had yet been created and when sin had not yet entered the world. And what God thinks of and says, He will do.

He is able to make people who are nothing but poor, tiny, rebellious, lost creatures look like His Son. This makes an enormous change in their situation. This change has come through what the Lord Jesus has done. Therefore, among all those people who are like Him, He will have the first place, the place of honor and respect. This is what matters to God. He wants His Son to be the radiant center of all the redeemed ones, among whom you may count yourself.

Rom 8:30. What becomes clear to you through these verses is that God works according to His own purposes. What you have done as a sinner isn’t mentioned in these verses. You can have a look into God’s heart here, knowing He doesn’t lose control of anything, even if everything around you seems contrary to this. He has a purpose with your life and He will reach it. In Rom 8:30 you can see how He reaches this purpose. You can see what He has done.

He destined you for this purpose (from Rom 8:29) before you were even born. When you were born you turned out to be a sinner who couldn’t participate in God’s glory. Then God called you to Himself to make clear He didn’t want you to perish. Instead of perishing, He had a plan to which you belonged.

He couldn’t execute that plan with you being as you were. Therefore He justified you. In the previous chapters of Romans you have read about this. You are someone who belongs to God because everything of you that didn’t belong to God has been put away by the work of the Lord Jesus. In its place you have received the new life that is at home with God. And to make this complete, God sees you as glorified. To Him, it is already finished. What God purposes to do will happen. If He is the Guarantor, would you doubt the outcome?

Now read Romans 8:28-30 again.

Reflection: Thank God for His counsel.