Romans 8:25-31

We all can probably recite the text of Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,” but I wonder if we have really thought about why the Spirit is given to each of us at that time. Keep in mind that the Holy Spirit, like God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son of God, is omnipresent. That means He is present everywhere at the same time, thus he can be in the heart of every Christian. Scripture simply says that we are the temple of God, that that he dwells within us, but why?

     

25  But if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

We tend to pray for something, and usually we want it right now, just as soon as the words are spoken, but often that is not what is best for us. Like Jesus, who was led into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan for the next forty days, Satan is going to try to frustrate this new babe in the Lord. A newborn baby, wrapped in an old newspaper and tossed into the nearest trash bin, is not likely to survive. The nurses will clean a premature baby and gently place him into an incubator. At least two of my own grandchildren began living in an incubator. One was in an incubator for a month before he was allowed to go home with his parents.

( Timothy 1:3)

26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray as we ought: but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Here, we find that we never pray alone. We have an advocate who prays far more effectively than we can ever do ourselves. The Spirit knows us better than we know ourselves, and he knows what lies ahead.

(Matthew 20:22, 2 Corinthians 128, John 14:16, Romans 8:15, Ephesians 6:18)

27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

I personally always pray in the name of Jesus who said, “No man cometh unto the Father but by me.” And I often include, “Thy will be done.” For only He knows the future and we can be certain that He wants what prepares us for that.

            

(Psalm 139:1, Luke 16:5, Acts 1:24, Revelation 2:23, Romans 8:6, Romans 8:34)

28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

(1 Peter 3:9, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 2:20, Romans 9:23, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 1:5, , Ephesians 1:11, 1 Corinthians 15:49, Colossians 1:18, Hebrews 1:6)

(Romans 8:32, Romans 8:30, Romans 9:24, Romans 11:29, 1 Corinthians 1:9, Galatians 1:6, Galatians 1:15, Galatians 5:8, Ephesians 1:11, Ephesians 3:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, Hebrews 9:15, 1 Peter 2:9)

29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

(Romans 11:2, 1 Corinthians 8:3, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 1:20, Romans 9:23, 1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:11, 1 Corinthians 15:49, Philippians 3:21, Colossians 1:18, Hebrews 1:6)

30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

This is the light at the end of the tunnel. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” We have the Spirit dwelling in us to guide of decisions, we know that God loves us, Jesus suffered death on cross for us, and we are never alone. The Spirit represents us, praying so fervently on our behalf that Scripture calls it “groans!”