Romans
8:23-27 (NASB)
23And not only this, but
also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the
redemption of our body. 24For in hope we have been saved, but hope
that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25But
if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. 26In
the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray
as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep
for words; 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of
the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of
God.
Hope
and Help
The previous verses described the
world subjected to futility. It was
noted that while the futility of the world systems was not part of God’s
original creation, it was something that God did in order to save fallen
man. These verses make sense of
suffering in the world. All of the
horrific events of reality are found to be the result of Sin, and will
ultimately be removed from the physical creation. The believer has special assurance in spite
of all of these difficulties. The one
who is in a relationship with Christ looks forward to the glory of the Lord
being revealed both in and though him.
The believer in Christ can also look forward, in faith, to the time when
the physical creation will be restored and made right. This is an exciting
thing for the believer, as we will behold with our very eyes what the world was
meant to look like during the millennial reign of Christ. This is an exciting thing indeed. The following verses talk about that hope
that we have been given in Christ and our help in the Holy Spirit, with Whom we
are indwelt.
Romans
8:23
And not only this, but also we
ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan
within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of
our body
Continuing
the thought…
It is important to remember that,
while it is quite profitable to look at Scripture one verse at a time it was
written as a letter. It is a constant
tension that we must keep both looking carefully, but understanding that each
of the verses flow together into larger themes and purpose. Paul’s purpose in chapter 8 of Romans is
still to display the life of the Christ in the believer for whom there is now no
condemnation in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
This verse starts with a logical connection that says that Paul is
adding to the train of thought that he was already working with. In previous verses Paul had the believer
looking forward to his or her glorious future in Christ.
We,
not just “you”
Paul takes these believers shoulder
to shoulder with him here. He tells them
that this is something that every believer shares. So many man-made religions are riddled with a
sense of hierarchy in which people have differing positions before God based on
how much money they have, or what they have done or given up “for God.” There is none of this in the Biblical
faith. Every believer comes to God
through Faith alone, by Grace alone, in Christ alone. Paul is very clear that every believer shares
this same destiny, and he is pleased to include himself in this same fact and
expectation.
First
fruits of the Spirit
Paul has already written about some
of the ministries of the Holy Spirit in this chapter. He has established firmly that the sealing of
the Holy Spirit is not an “up and down – Now you see Him now you don’t”
ministry.
However, you are not
in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But
if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If
Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is
alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from
the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans
8:9-11
The Spirit Himself
testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs
also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him
so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:16-17
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the chief resource for living
the Christian life. A few that He would be constantly abandoning us or “coming
and going” is a destructive idea that will keep us from our full potential of
joy, peace and love in Christ.
But there is more to this exciting story. This indwelling Holy Spirit that is the
provision for our day by day moment by moment existence is here called the
“first fruits”. The Jewish system of
harvest was in three broad stages. The
“first fruits” were was the first element of the harvest, after the first
fruits came the bulk of the harvesting season, finally the gleanings were
gathered as the final phase in the harvest season. Notice, that the indwelling Spirit, while a
greater blessing than we can comprehend, is only the beginning of what the Lord
is doing in our lives. In Ephesians
1:13-14 describe it this way:
In Him, you also,
after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having
also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is
given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's
own possession, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14
Here the Holy Spirit is called a “pledge” or a
down-payment. The Holy Spirit is the
beginning (and WHAT a beginning!) of what the Lord is doing in us. There is yet more ahead for the believer and
our final conformation to the image and character of Jesus Christ. Believers have much to look forward to in
every situation, along with the constant assurance that the Lord is not done
with us yet. Praise the Lord for His
great and wonderful gift!
Groaning
Paul is not talking about whining
here. What Paul is writing about here is
the experience of most believers who understand the Lord’s great love for them
and all that is ahead for them. In the
last verse the world was “groaning” but here the believers are groaning as
well. A deep groan is sometimes the only
way to express what we are feeling, often at the times that words won’t
do. It is important to understand what
we are groaning for, as believers. Note,
that Paul includes himself in this groaning as well. It is common, you may even say normal, for a
believer who understands the Lord’s love to feel “out of place” here on
earth. We look around and wish for the
time when we are no longer plagued by our sin nature, when the world system is
ruled by the one legitimate ruler: Jesus
Christ.
More than anything else this sensation
is akin to homesickness. We may have
experienced the desire to be back with family, or friends when we’ve moved, or
when we first left home to go to school, or on a long trip of some sort. The desire for familiar things burdens us and
we are emotionally effected. The strange
thing about this homesickness is that it is a desire for a place that we have
never yet been. However, it is looking
forward to unbroken fellowship with Jesus Christ that makes it perfect, that
increases our longing. He is the one
whom we will always be with thereafter, never to depart from Him. It is
important to realize that those feelings (and desires) are entirely godly and
acceptable. Everyone who is walking with
the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith longs to know Him better. The longing actually draws us closer to Him!
Longing
for what?
The thing looked forward to here is
translated “adoption as sons”. In our
context we talk about adoption chiefly in terms of a child, or a baby, who is
brought into a new family. While this is
a beautiful picture, this was not what Paul is saying that the believer is
waiting for. This Greek word combines
the word for “son” with the word for “to place, or position”. So this is really a “son positioning”. This was not a process that was done to a
child or to a baby. Up until a child was
“son-positioned” his father could kill him, or disown him at any moment. However, when a person was “son-positioned” a
few radical things occurred:
1) Once “placed” a person could never be
eliminated or abrogated. If the “placed”
person was not of the biological family of the on doing the “placing” even a
biological son couldn’t take his place.
2) All former identifications were
severed permanently – no longer considered a part of their previous family, and
all debts against the person were wiped out completely
3) The “placed son” was given access to
all of the family accounts, riches and resources.
This idea of being “son-placed” by
God was something that is shocking, and amazing. Truly we have in this simple word a promise
of our security, a deeper understanding of our position in Christ, and a fuller
appreciation for all that God has done for us in Jesus Christ.
Interestingly, there are other
scriptures that say that we have already received this “son-placing” (Ephesians
1:3-14), yet it appears that there is an experience of this that is yet
future. We will have fully come into our
inheritance at the return of Jesus Christ for His Church (the Rapture). And we are longing for that time with our
deepest desire.
Romans
8:24-25
24For in hope we have been
saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already
sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we
wait eagerly for it.
Hope
worth Hoping for
Here true biblical hope is again
explained. It is important to notice
that “hope” in the Bible is never an “I hope so” type of hope. Hope, in the biblical sense, is something that
you know is ahead. In considering what
the believer looks forward to there is not any doubt whatsoever about what the
believer is looking forward to. That is
why biblical hope is such an enduring encouragement. It is the absolute assurance about what is
ahead for us. When the Holy Spirit,
writing through Paul, says “in hope we have been saved” it is telling us that
it was daring to believe in the promise that God has given that saved us.
Have
been
The word translated “has been saved”
is in the passive voice. Paul places
into the very grammar the fact that we did not save ourselves, nor do we
maintain this salvation ourselves. God
had to act upon us, on our behalf, in order for us to be saved. Yet while we are in these bodies we look
forward to “the redemption of the body” which was mentioned at the end of the
last verse. The thing that we are
looking forward to “our Hope” is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ for
us.
Encouragement
Paul then talks about the nature of
hope. Our relationship with Christ is
beyond anything that we could ever imagine.
Our day by day moment by moment communion with the Lord Jesus Christ through
His indwelling Spirit is beyond understanding.
Our access to Him through His word (the Bible) and the illumination that
we receive through the Spirit is also beyond compare, and an endless source of
encouragement for us. Not only this,
believers are gifted to be a part of the Body of Christ. We have our brothers and sisters in Christ as
relationships that constantly point us towards Him. Of all of these blessings and the Lord’s
constant provision for us what we look ahead to is greater still. These beautiful blessings are only a shadow
of what is to come. We aren’t hoping for
something that is qualitatively much like this “only a little bit better.” We aren’t looking forward to “Life 2.0” we
are looking to an existence in the future, the greatness of which is only
alluded to by the best moments and aspects of our current existence.
Perseverance
So, what is ahead for us remains yet
to be seen. Because our eyes are fixed
upon these amazing promises of God we wait with perseverance. This word for “perseverance” has been called
“the manliest of the Christian virtues.”
It is a patience that is stands firm under the most adverse
circumstances. It has a sense of courage
to it, it is the same kind of courageous perseverance that stirs our hearts
when watching movies like Braveheart, Rocky, or Rudy. This perseverance, however, is not rooted in
the essential and inherent strength of the person, but in the greatness of the
promises that have been given to us in Christ.
In order for the believer to withstand the world with this kind of courage
his eyes must be fixed on the Lord and His promises. Most centrally the greatest promise that we
will be with Christ in all things. That
is the defining feature of our future: with Christ always. That is worth waiting for eagerly!
Romans
8:26-27
26In the same way the
Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should,
but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27and
He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes
for the saints according to the will of God.
More
Groans…
In verse 22 the whole creation is
described as groaning, in verse 23 the saints are groaning and now in verse 26
the Holy Spirit is groaning. The idea is
clear that it is quite plain that things are not yet as they should be, though
they will be someday, yet until then everything that longs for the everything
to glorify God as it was designed to groans in anticipation of that day. These verses give yet more vital information
about the Holy Spirit, who is the life source and essential resource for the
believer to rely upon in living life with Christ.
Helps
our Weakness
The word “weakness” is translating a
word that means “feebleness or infirmity.”
The idea is that we are spiritually incapable. We notice this “feebleness” when we attempt
to run our own lives. As limited,
finite, humans we simply don’t know what must be done in most situations. Because we are unable to control all the
factors our ideas and our plan’s are frequently completely the wrong way
around.
Our limitations also disable us from
praying with all wisdom. We may pray for
the Lord to take a trial away from ourselves, or a loved one, when His desire
is for us to go through that trial and grow in the way that He intends us
to. We may pray that the Lord spare us
from one situation, when His plan is actually for us to go through it so that
we might avoid another difficulty later down the road. The reality of the matter is that we are
fully incapable of saying what will happen, what should happen or what would
have happened if something had gone differently. However, that does not mean that we are not
to pray! Prayer is not centrally
concerned with what the Lord will or won’t do.
It is not twisting God’s arm to give us blessing. These worldly views of prayer also suggest
that God doesn’t already long to give us what is absolutely the best for our
lives and relationships – which He does.
Prayer is concerning relationship.
It is us, talking to the Papa who loves us, and who cares for us.
Prayer
Partner
We may occasionally have a
relationship that is dedicated to prayer (a “prayer partner”). This verse is
about the ultimate Prayer Partner – the Holy Spirit. Here Paul makes clear the fact that the Holy
Spirit is actually interceding for us in prayer. Think of the advantages of this! Does the Holy Spirit know exactly what we
need? Of course! He sees every believer all the way to the
core. The Holy Spirit knows right down
to the very bottom of a person’s spirit what they are in need of, what their
greatest struggle is and what their greatest need. So the perfect Holy Spirit is then guaranteed
to be praying for the believer perfectly.
But that is not all! The Holy
Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, will never be denied His request of
intercession by the Father. It is
amazing to think that every believer has within them the Holy Spirit, Who knows
everything about that believer, and knows exactly what he or she needs most in
the world and then requests the Father for those things on the believer’s
behalf. Can a believer resist the
“prescription” of the Holy Spirit? Of
course. However, for the believer who is
in fellowship with the Holy Spirit there is a 100% chance of growth each and
every day and each and every situation.
This if phenomenal news! But
there is more!
Groaning
Not only does the personality of the
Holy Spirit do His work in the believer perfectly, He is also a
personality. He even groans, mourns,
longs to see the burden of sin wiped away.
He intercedes with us with a groaning of his own. One that is “too deep for words” (Literally –
“unutterable, unspeakable”). So while we
may groan on a physical “surface level” the Holy Spirit groans in a deeper way
still, both seeing and understanding the full effect of Sin and embodying the
full glory of God which sin offends. No
one understands the suffering that Sin brought about more than God.
As a special note, many have
wrongfully equated this verse with weird ecstatic experiences such as “prayer
languages” and “prayer groaning.” There
are two major problems with this interpretation. Firstly, it is the Holy Spirit who is
groaning here, not the believer. This is
not something that we are doing (as the believer was groaning in verse
23). Secondly, the text specifically
said that this groaning is “unutterable” thus it could not be communicated with
the Human lips tongue and vocal chords.
The third problem (which is less a textual problem as an exegetical
problem) is that this interpretation seeks to take a human experience (carnal
psychological phenomenon) and read it into the text of scripture anywhere it
looks possible. This, however, is very
much not the thrust of the passage.
The
Father…
Yet, the Father is involved with our
Spiritual growth, maturity and experience of suffering as well. The Father is the one who searches the hearts
and minds of men. It may be terrifying
for the unbeliever to think of a God who knows every unspoken thought, every
hateful intention. However, for the saint
this is nothing to fear at all. Not
because we have no sinful thoughts, but because we know that God is now able to
view our thoughts with a desire to forgive and renew us. Now the fact that our thoughts are known is a
relief because in Christ alone is the only forgiveness and restoration that we
could ever hope for.
Working
together
Verse 27 tells us that there is no
sense in which the Holy Spirit is pleading for us before an unwilling
Father. Far from it! The reality is that the Father, Son and
Spirit are all in total agreement about their goals for the believer, and they
will not fail! We see the Father being
pleased to grant the requests of the Spirit regarding the believer because He
knows just as well as the Spirit what is needed in every moment in the
believer’s life. The words “will of” in
the last phrase were added by the translators.
The true sense is that the requests of the Spirit are fully in accord
with the character, nature and desire of God the Father. This is a “cannot fail” situation. When we understand what an amazing amount of
power is being exercised on our behalf we realize that we are able to rest in
what God is doing in our lives. We can
rest in the life and character of Jesus Christ. Then we will be equipped to see
what He will do!
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