TEACHING NOTES ‌ Introduction In this series we have been going verse-by-verse through Romans 8. This chapter is filled with the good news of the Gospel. Paul lays out for us what God has done in order to save us and bring us into His family. However, God did not stop at saving us from sin. God continues to be good to His people and Paul wants us to realize that God’s goodness overcomes all bad news in the world. ‌ Romans 8:1–3 ESV 1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ‌ Review of Romans 8: ‌1. God condemned sin to set sinners free. ‌2. God adopted us into His family. ‌3. Our present suffering cannot be compared to our future glory. ‌ Romans 8:26 ESV 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ‌ Likewise = Grk. hosautos de kai - in the same way, in like manner. This conjunction indicates that this passage is still connected to the previous information in Rom. 8:18-25. Paul is still talking about “the sufferings of this present time.” Everything Paul is about to say provides further good news to those who are suffering in this life. Rom. 8:26-27 is all about praying through our suffering. ‌ The Spirit = Grk. pneuma - air, breath, wind, atmosphere, spirit. Earlier in Rom. 8:9, Paul said that we “are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” To be “in the Spirit” is to live as if the Spirit is the very air we breathe. The Spirit is our source of life and the oxygen that empowers the mind. To live “in the flesh” is to be enslaved by our sinful desires. To live “in the Spirit” is to be empowered by the desires of God. ‌ The Spirit helps us = The Greek word for “helps” here is synantilambanetai, which means “to join in helping” or “come to our aid.” This Greek verb is in the present tense, which means that the Spirit is constantly helping us. ‌ Weakness = Grk. astheneia - weakness, sickness, limitation. In this context, Paul uses astheneia to refer to our limited knowledge. We are weak because we do not know what is really going on nor what God is planning to do. ‌ We do not know what to pray for = On one occasion, the mother of James and John asked Jesus if her sons could sit on His right and left on His throne. Jesus replies, “You do not know what you are asking” (Matt. 20:20-28). What we think we want to ask God for may be totally wrong. We do not know what is best for us, because God can see what we cannot. This is why we need to Spirit of God to intercede for us and ask for God’s will over our own. ‌ The Spirit intercedes for us = The Greek word for “intercedes” here is hyperentynchanei, which an active present tense verb that means “to plead on behalf of another.” The term Jesus gives to the Holy Spirit is parakletos, which means “advocate” and carries the idea of a defense attorney. ‌ Groanings too deep for words = This could also be translated, “with great concerns that cannot be described.” Paul, who was no stranger to suffering, is telling us that the Spirit Himself is deeply concerned for us because God deeply loves us. If that is how God feels about us, then we can trust Him and live with confidence that God is working in our lives. ‌ Whatever you are dealing with on earth is being discussed in heaven. ‌ Romans 8:27 ESV 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ‌ He who searches hearts = Paul is alluding to Jeremiah 17:9–10 “9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” ‌ Knows the mind of the Spirit = God the Father knows the mind, or mindset, of the Spirit. This phrase could also be translated, “He who knows the intentions of the Spirit.” The Father searches, or evaluates, our hearts and the Spirit works to change our hearts. ‌ The Spirit intercedes for the saints = The Greek word for “saints” is hagion, which means “holy ones” or “those who are set apart.” The Spirit is not interceding for everyone, but only for God’s people. Jesus taught in John 14:16-17 that the Spirit is an Advocate for God’s people. But Jesus also taught in John 16:8 that the Spirit will convict unbelievers of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Spirit is a defender of God’s people and a prosecutor against God’s enemies. ‌ According to the will of God = The mind or intentions of the Spirit is to align us with the will of God. This is why we must “live according to the Spirit” and “set our minds on the things of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:5). This is the only way to stay in the will of God. We must spend time daily, or every moment, in prayer asking the Spirit to align our will with God’s will. ‌ Common Problem: Our natural desire is to get God’s will to align with our own. We decide what we think we want or need and then ask God to do it. In other words, we’re telling God to get on our agenda and bless our decisions. This is completely backwards and ineffective. ‌ Romans 8:28 ESV 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ‌ For those who love God = The Greek verb for “love” here is agaposi, which is in present tense and active voice. Therefore, this phrase could be translated, “for those who are loving God.” Jesus taught in Mark 12:30 that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are called to love God with everything. Therefore, God does not want to be a part of your life, but wants to be all of your life. ‌ All things work together for good = The Greek text literally reads, “all work together for good” and “things” is not present. Therefore, Paul could be saying that the Father and the Spirit work together for our good. Or Paul could be saying that the Father and the Spirit and our suffering (things) all work together for our good. Either way the meaning is the same. God causes everything to work together for our good. This does NOT mean that God causes all things that happen. ‌ Those who are called = Later in Romans, Paul describes being “called” in Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” Whenever the Gospel is shared, God is calling people into His family. Those who believe and love God are “called according to his purpose.” God’s purpose is to bring sinners into His family and make them saints. ‌ Romans 8:29–30 ESV 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ‌ Foreknew = Grk. proginosko - to know beforehand. Since God knows all things, He knows ahead of time who will believe and love Him. Some teach that “foreknew” means that God chooses who will be saved beforehand. This view is often called Calvinism or Reformed theology and did not really exist before the 1500s. The term “foreknew” simply means that God knew beforehand, because God knows everything beforehand and everything in the future. ‌ Predestined = For those who God knew would trust in Him, He pre-planned or predetermined their destination. This simply means that for those who are faithful to Jesus God has a plan for their life. This does NOT means that we have no choice or that our choices have been predetermined. It means that for those who choose to stay faithful to Jesus are guided by the Spirit in God’s plan for them. Paul explains this “predestined” plan in the next phrase. ‌ To be conformed to the image of his Son = This is what God has predestined for us. God’s predestined plan for those who love Him is to be like Jesus. The Greek word for “conformed” here is symmorphos, which means “to have a similar nature” or “to be like.” This is the goal of the Christian life—to be like Christ. We must choose daily to stay in this process of being changed. Paul writes in Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Paul is clear in Romans that we must choose to stay faithful and choose to be transformed. ‌ He also called = Grk. ekalesen - to call by name or summon. Paul is clear in Romans that we are called when we hear the Gospel. Then we choose to call on Him to forgive and save us from the penalty of sin, which is death. God calls on us first and “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13; Joel 2:32). ‌ He also justified = Grk. edikaiosen - to make right with, vindicate, declare righteous. When we call on God for salvation, we are “set free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). Paul wrote in Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And in Romans 5:9 “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Paul explains in Rom. 1 that God’s wrath is God letting us continue in sin and self-destruction. Paul says that God’s wrath is revealed when God gives us over to our sinful desires. To be saved is to turn away from sin, trust in Christ, and be declared righteous. This is why Paul says, “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” (Rom. 8:33). ‌ He also glorified = Grk. edoxasen - to be honored, to be clothed in splendor in the next life. Jesus was “glorified” when He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God. In the same way, those who love God will ascend to God’s presence (glory). In the context of Greco-Roman culture, those who were suffering were viewed as shameful. Paul wants suffering Christians to know that we are not shameful, but are honored in the eyes of God. ‌ God planned to save us. So He called us, set us free from sin and death, declared us righteous, and gave us a place of honor in His family. ‌ Romans 8:31–32 ESV 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ‌ Two Big Questions: ‌1. If God is for us, who can be against us? ‌2. If God gave His Son for us, won’t He also take care of us? ‌ Conclusion ‌In view of all we have just heard, our proper response is worship. Because of all that Jesus has done for us, we worship and praise Him as our King. How? First, we repent and ask for His grace and forgiveness. Then, we worship Him and take Him in through Communion to celebrate our forgiveness. ‌