ROMANS THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
Bible Text: Romans 8:26-30
Subject: Intercession And Purpose
Title: The Intercession Of The Spirit And The Eternal Purpose Of God
INTRODUCTION
Biblical Orientation:
Webster calls progress moving or going forward. By the end of this sermon, if you will let Him, God will reveal if your spiritual life is progressing or stopped
If it is progressing, you will learn how to progress farther. If you are stopped, you will have a decision to make; the decision is to be satisfied with your current state or to fulfill your destiny as God has appointed for your life
Sermon Orientation:
In our passage we will see the help and intercession we receive from God’s Holy Spirit, there are a couple of things we can know because of these workings, and we can understand the results of what God has accomplished and is accomplishing in us
MAIN TEXT/EXPOSITION
I. HELP AND INTERCESSION FROM GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT V 26-27
A. Another Help For Our Infirmities
1. In the same manner as the creation groans, the Spirit helps us with those things that are our weaknesses
2. We do not pray for that which we must have
3. However, the Spirit of God knows what we need, He intercedes for us
a. By the way this is a spot where many have gotten confused in the tongues crowd; they believe they can groan in the language of the Holy Spirit
b. No where in the Bible is there any such indication
4. The Holy Spirit speaks in a language we cannot utter
a. We do not know if it is beyond our capability or if the things are too much for us to understand
b. What we do know is that He intercedes on our behalf
5. Sometimes we get before God and do not know what to say or how to say it
a. The Spirit carries our real thoughts and feelings to the Father
b. He knows what we feel and think and that is what He conveys
c. The Holy Spirit loves to convey the prayers of the saved to God the Father
B. Do Not Fail To Notice That The Things That The Holy Spirit Intercedes For On Our Behalf Are Exactly In The Will Of God
1. God searches our hearts with the Holy Spirit
a. He knows exactly what is within our hearts
b. He knows what our needs are, not a need will be missed
ü Shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart Psalm 44:21
2. God knows the mind of the Holy Spirit
a. The Holy Spirit prays for us according to the will of God
b. Therefore, God knows that what the Spirit requests for us is exactly what God wants for us
c. There is perfect agreement between the Holy Spirit and God the Father
II. THE THINGS WE KNOW BECAUSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING IN OUR LIVES V 28
A. Tying The Two Topics Together, Intercession And God’s Eternal Purpose
1. Verses 26-27 reveal that we have an intercessor who is the Spirit of God
a. He prays for us
b. He communicates to God on our behalf according to God’s will
2. And we know…
a. The conjunction “and” gives a grammatical clue
b. What we know is because of what the Holy Spirit does: He helps, He searches, and makes intercession
3. Therefore, we know that everything works together for our good because the Holy Spirit is working on our behalf
B. The Characteristics Of Those Who Qualify For The Promise That All Things Work Together For Good Verse 28
1. The wrong way to comprehend what has been said would be to say, ‘well, according to God, everything works together and will turn out good’
2. However, it does not say that all things work for good or even turn out good, not at all
3. What it tells us is that things work together for good to a select group
a. To them that love God
b. To them who are the called according to his purpose
4. Comprehending these qualities
i. 1 John 4:19 reminds us we love Him because He first loved us
ii. We love God because of who He is and what He has done for us
iii. We love God by living out our salvation
iv. As for being the called, we are if we love God
v. We are called according to His purpose or to do and live in His will
5. Do you love God? Then all things do work for your good
III. THE WAY WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR OUR GOOD V 29-30
A. The Result Of God’s Foreknowledge And Predetermined Purpose Works Towards Our Good
1. I know that many want to make this section about who God will and will not save
a. It has nothing to do with that
b. Read carefully
i. Who He “foreknew” are those who love God
ü God knows who will and will not accept the outstretched arms of Christ
ü Those who were foreknown are those who are the saved and God has a purpose for them
ii. God predestinated them
ü Only He did not predestinate them to be saved or not saved
ü He predestinated those that would accept Christ to be conformed to the image of His Son
2. The ultimate purpose of God in your life is to make you like Jesus
a. He saved you and me to change us
b. God wants to make our life so much better by working in us that which saved us, Christ
c. God predetermined that all who would accept His Son would experience ultimate and complete sanctification
3. When all this has come to pass, we will be lifted up as the firstborn
B. In Addition To That
1. God reveals the three step plan for your life: call, justify, glorify
2. The saved have already answered His call to forgiveness and salvation
3. He also justified you
a. Notice this is in the past tense
b. You were made just by the blood of Jesus Christ when you asked Him to forgive you of your sins
c. Not only were you justified, you were glorified
i. God speaks this in the past tense because when He promises something it is as good as done
ii. Right now, your glorification is hidden by the veil of flesh, but one day it will be revealed
iii. Verse 19 reminds us we are just waiting for the perfected whole to be revealed
PREACHING PORTION
Putting It Together
1. Most of us pray, we know that we should
2. When we pray, we think we know what we are doing and what should be the result
3. The Holy Spirit prays with us, searching and seeking, conveying to God the Father the things that are most important
4. He intercedes and says the things that we do not even know to say
5. Here is the reason why, do not lose this in its simplicity, because this is the second most transforming truth you will learn after salvation
a. God has the Holy Spirit pray with and for us
b. He does this so that He might transform our lives through prayer
c. This is part of the work of the Holy Spirit, to change us
d. The main change He works upon is conforming our lives to the life of the Son of God, Jesus Christ
6. The way to best grasp why this is such an incredible statement is to understand the word “conform”
a. Conform comes from two Greek words
b. The first word is “σύν” it means to accompany or go beside
c. The second word is “μορφή” this word means to take the form of or the appearance of something
d. Together they make up the word “σύμμορφος”
e. The Holy Spirit is working to get you to the place that you are in the greatest position you could ever be
i. If you will let Him, He will bring you to the place that you accompany Christ in your life
ii. The way you will do this is by being changed into the very image and form of Christ
f. Through the intercession of the Holy Spirit you will experience the eternal purpose of God
Applying This Section Of Scripture To Our Lives
1. Take the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit seriously
2. Cultivate this relationship through knowledge and through yielding yourself to His workings
3. This must be done in order to achieve the desire of your heart, to be like Christ
What Do We Do, Assume Our Destiny
The destiny of being conformed to the image of Christ
Read verse 18, what God is doing in you is far greater than any earthly goal you have
What is so important that you thwart the workings of the Holy Spirit as He is conforming you into the image of the living Christ?
Instead, do as Christ taught: Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you
CONCLUSION
Therefore, your spiritual life, is it progressing?
If it is, do you see how your relationship with the Holy Spirit will cause you to be so much more than you have ever been in Christ?
If it is not, what are you going to do? Are you willing to continue to allow the world to conform you to its ways or are you willing to ask God’s Spirit to intercede and change you one prayer at a time?
