Living with Weaknesses
25 August 2013 AM – Romans 8:26-30 – Romans – Scott Childs
Introduction: Though God gives Christians assurance of salvation, living godly in a sinful world is not easy. While our new spirit wants to do right, our flesh is weak. We suffer as we struggle against sin and endure persecution for living godly. At the same time, our future is bright. God promises to resurrect us, receive us as His sons, and give us an awesome inheritance. He will give us glory, deliver us from sin, and redeem our bodies. But these are all future. As long as we live in earthly bodies, we will live with infirmities or weaknesses.
Transition: Our text describes three facts on which we can depend to help us joyfully live with weaknesses.
I. God Gave Us the Holy Spirit to Help Our Weaknesses
A. The Holy Spirit is helping our weaknesses (28)
1. Just as God helps us wait patiently for the redemption of the body to deliver us from the suffering of this sinful life (v.25), the Holy Spirit also helps us with our weaknesses.
2. The word “infirmities” refers to our weaknesses or any lack of strength.
a) This may refer to lacking patients as we wait for our new bodies, but it is not limited to that.
b) It may refer to weak faith or even a weak body.
3. We ought to pray in times of weakness, yet many times we just do not know what to pray for or how to pray as needed.
The reason the KJV refers to the Holy Spirit as “itself” is that the word “spirit” is neuter in gender. It does not imply that the Holy Spirit is just an object. He is a Person, just like God the Father and Jesus Christ (i.e., John 14:17, 16:13).
4. The Holy Spirit, who lives in you, understands your weaknesses and truly cares. He makes intercession for you when you are lost for words. Times of grief, sorrow, and fear are often times when we just do not know what to pray.
Thomas Constable said, “The basic principle of effective praying is that it must be in harmony with the will of God to be effective (1 John 5:14-15; John 14:13; 15:16; 16:23-24). However what the will of God is is often hard for us to ascertain.”
5. The Holy Spirit intercedes with “groanings” not expressed in words. In other words, He lovingly sighs and puts our feelings into prayers for us.
B. God knows the mind of the Spirit
1. It is God the Father who searches the hearts. Ponder that for a moment! God easily examines all the content hidden in your heart. You can hide sin from people but not from God.
2. Our God is three Persons in one Being. The Father, Son, and Spirit are all the same God in different Persons. That is why God knows the mind of the Spirit. Their thoughts are always synchronised because the Spirit is constantly going to the Father on behalf of the saints.
God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us with our weaknesses. Depending on this fact will help you live with weaknesses. Let’s look at the second fact that will help.
II. God Will Do What is Best Regarding Our Weaknesses
The result of the Holy Spirit helping our infirmities is found in the promise in verse 28.
A. This promise applies to Christians
1. We know this is true because of God’s descriptions.
a) It is to them that love God.
b) It is to them who are the called according to his purpose.
2. For this verse to apply to you, you must be sure you have answered God’s call to salvation. Religion does not save anyone. We are saved by answering God’s call to repent and place our faith in Christ’s atonement as our only hope of forgiveness and eternal life.
B. God is working all things together
1. God is weaving together all the events He allows in your life for your ultimate good.
2. God works blessings together with burdens, joy together with sorrow, health together with sickness, prosperity together with poverty all for our good.
3. God, your Creator is the Master Craftsman who is working every event in your life together for your good and His glory.
We like the sunshine, but we must not forget that all sunshine makes a desert.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
III. God Will Eventually Replace Our Weaknesses with Glory
A. God foreknows every Christian
1. The word translated “foreknew” is a compound word meaning “before” and “to know”. To know something before it happens is the literal meaning of the word.
2. God knew in eternity past who would answer his call to salvation and who would not. He gave man a free will to choose or reject salvation, yet He has always known who would make the right choice.
3. Many today believe that “foreknew” means that in eternity past God elected some to go to heaven and the rest to go to hell. That is not what the word means, nor is it consistent with the character and words of God.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
B. If you are a Christian, God plans to glorify you
1. Because He foreknew that you would be saved, He predestinated that you be in the image of Christ. In other words, He predetermined (in ages past) to make you a new creation in the image of Christ. Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. That means he was the first resurrected with an immortal body and many others (every Christian) will follow.
2. He called you.
a) Because God invites “Whosoever” (i.e., anyone) to be saved this calling cannot refer to salvation.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
b) In 1Th 4:7 He calls Christians to holiness. In 1Pe 3:9 He calls us to blessing. In 2Pe 1:3 He calls us to glory and virtue. God has called us to be saints – set apart from sin unto His glory.
3. He justified you. He made you totally right with God. He washed away every single sin. Amen!
4. He glorified you. He will honour you. This is the climax. It is the top of the mountain of things God has planned for you. Though this is yet future, God states this as if it has already happened because it is that sure.
Conclusion: When you think about all that God has done to help us live with weaknesses, we ought to rejoice. We have the Holy Spirit’s help. We have God’s assurance that he is working all things together for our good. God then promises that He will eventually replace our weakness with glory or honour. Let us depend on these facts and joyfully live with our weaknesses.
If you have been complaining about your weaknesses, you owe God an apology. Then begin rejoicing in the blessings God has promised you.
If you have never been saved, please come to Jesus today. He said, “whosoever will may come.” That includes you.
Song: Thank You Lord – 221