Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd. P.O. Box #3762 Gillette, WY 82717 (307) 686-1516

“Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)”

THE SPIRIT’S HELP IN SUFFERING

(Rom 8:23-27) 3/16/08

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

I. ALL CREATION SUFFERS BECAUSE OF THE FALL (19-22)

A. Creation Suffers In Waiting For The Believer’s Glory (19)

B. Creation Suffers In Futility (20)

C. Creation Suffers In Waiting For Deliverance (21)

D. Creation Suffers In The Present (22)

II. THE NEW CREATION SUFFERS BECAUSE OF THE FALL (23-25)

A. The New Creation of Sons Suffer (23)

1. When we think of the creation (ktisis) of God, we usually think of the physical creation. But there is also a spiritual creation which occurs to those who have trusted Christ. The Scriptures teach that believers are a new creation (ktisis) in Christ (2Co 5:17). This creation is new (kainos - new in quality not age) spiritually through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit (Tit 3:5 cp. Jn 3:3, 5).

2. In Rom 8:20-22, Paul teaches that the physical creation of God groans because it has been affected by the fall. Now he will teach that the “new creation” in Christ (sons of God) groans because it has been affected by the fall (23).

3. The new creation presently possesses the “first fruits” of the Spirit. The “first fruits” symbolically referred to the Israelites gathering the first fruits of their harvest and dedicating them to the Lord (Lev 23:9-14). Fifty days later (Pentecost), the Israelites would present a new grain offering (Lev 23:15-16).

4. The church began on the day the Holy Spirit descended to permanently indwell the church. This took place on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Paul then, refers to the “first fruits of the Spirit” in the sense that the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the church is but a first-fruit or foretaste of heaven. While the believer waits for the redemption of his body, the Holy Spirit ministers to the church in various ways.

a) The Holy Spirit regenerates and indwells (Rom 8:11; Tit 3:5 cp. Jn 3:3, 5).

b) The Holy Spirit baptizes (1Co 12:13).

c) The Holy Spirit imparts sonship (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6).

d) The Holy Spirit bears witness (Rom 8:16).

e) The Holy Spirit seals (Eph 4:30).

f) The Holy Spirit fills (Eph 5:18).

g) The Holy Spirit leads (Rom 8:14).

h) The Holy Spirit teaches (1Jn 2:27).

i) The Holy Spirit guarantees the believer’s inheritance (Rom 8:17; Eph 1:13-14; 2Co 1:22) and is but a “first fruit” of all that awaits the “adoption as sons.”

B. The New Creation of Sons Hope in the Spirit (24)

1. Paul explains that the new creation possesses the hope of salvation. This does not imply that the believer is unsure about his salvation, in that he “hopes so.”

2. Rather, biblical hope is sure and rests upon several factors.

a) The sure hope in Christ (Heb 7:19; 1Ti 1:1)

b) The promise in God’s Word (Eph 2:12-13).

c) The immutability of God’s promise (Heb 6:17-18)

d) The faithfulness of God’s character (Heb 10:23 cp. Rom 4:20-21)

3. However, the one quality of hope with which we struggle is that it is intangible. Physically we do not see it, taste it, or touch it. Paul explains that if we did see it, then hope would not come into play. Hope is the sure possession of what we do not see. Biblical hope is the sure hope to which our faith is anchored.

C. The New Creation of Sons Wait for the Lord (25)

1. The believer’s response in hope is described as waiting eagerly and expectantly. “Waiting eagerly” comes from the word apekdechomai, which means on the one hand to wait with intense anticipation, but on the other hand to wait with confident expectancy.

2. The believer has intense anticipation for Christ’s return (1Co 1:7; Phil 3:20) in addition to his anticipation for freedom from corruption (Rom 8:19b, 23).

3. Therefore, in the midst of suffering, the believer is able to confidently expect (hope) and wait with intense anticipation for his Lord. Furthermore, he is able to do so with perseverance (hupomonế - remain under, patient enduring).

III. THE SPIRIT AIDS THE NEW CREATION IN SUFFERING

A. The Spirit Helps the Believer’s Weakness (26)

1. The Spirit helps the believer’s (“our”) weaknesses, which are a result of the present suffering. “Help” (sunantilambánomai) literally means to take hold of another by the hand and be with them. The word portrays an active role in helping and supporting (Luk 10:40; Exo 18:22).

2. The Holy Spirit especially helps the believer in prayer. Believers do not always know how or what to pray. In such cases, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.

3. The Holy Spirit prays and communicates to God with groanings too deep for words. These “groanings” (stenagmós from stenázō cp. Exo 2:24; Psa 6:6) are divine articulation, which convey deep expression and empathy (cp. 1Co 2:11). This in no way refers to speaking in tongues. The believer is to “pray in the Spirit” by praying according to the will of God.

4. “In the same way” that creation (stenázō - vs. 22) and believers (stenázō - vs. 23) groan in suffering, so the Spirit groans alongside of them and for them.

B. The Spirit Intercedes for the Believer (27)

1. Because the Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead, and the Godhead is omniscient, one Member knows the mind of the Other. Therefore, the believer is assured that the Holy Spirit’s intercession (entugchánō - prayers and petitions on behalf of another) is always heard.

2. (Note: This verse supports the doctrine of the Trinity, which states that God is one in essence but subsists in three Persons.)

3. Not only are the prayers of the Hoy Spirit on our behalf heard, but also they are according to the will of God. Even though a believer may pray amiss, the Spirit’s prayers do not miss the will of God.

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. The Spirit’s Guarantee Helps Us Through Suffering

1. Since the Holy Spirit is our down payment and first fruit, we are able to get a foretaste of heaven.

2. No suffering in this world is able to separate us from the hope of heaven because the Holy Spirit guarantees it and we have partially experienced it.

B. The Spirit’s Guidance Helps Us Through Suffering

1. The Holy Spirit guides the believer’s prayers toward the will of God. When the believer is unable to do so, the Spirit intercedes for him.

2. In addition, the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to walk in the will of God.

C. The Spirit’s Groanings Help Us Through Suffering

1. Since the Holy Spirit communicates with the Father through empathetic articulation, a believer should never think that God does not know or care about him.

2. The Holy Spirit is correctly called the Paraclete (paráklêtos - one called alongside), which means he is our Helper and Comforter in the midst of suffering.