How the Spirit Helps Us in Suffering (Romans 8:26-27)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:12.029 These remain standing, and let's hear God's word from Romans Chapter Eight. Romans 2 00:00:12.109 --> 00:00:17.269 Chapter Eight, versus Twenty Six and twenty seven. If you're using one of 3 00:00:17.350 --> 00:00:21.070 the bibles that you picked up on the back cart, this is page nine 4 00:00:21.070 --> 00:00:33.500 hundred and forty four Romans Eight, verse Twenty Six. Likewise, the spirit 5 00:00:33.619 --> 00:00:37.450 helps us in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray for, 6 00:00:37.649 --> 00:00:43.729 as we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too 7 00:00:43.810 --> 00:00:49.369 deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of 8 00:00:49.409 --> 00:00:55.439 the spirit, because the spinner, Spirit innercedes for the saints according to the 9 00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:00.799 will of God. May God bless his word to us. Please be seated. 10 00:01:12.629 --> 00:01:19.260 The first word that begins these two verses is likewise, and that tells 11 00:01:19.260 --> 00:01:23.340 you that we're in the middle of something. Comparison is being made. Well, 12 00:01:23.379 --> 00:01:26.299 I'll tell you what we're in the middle of. We're in the middle 13 00:01:26.340 --> 00:01:32.500 of one of the most comforting chapters in the entire Bible. We're in a 14 00:01:32.659 --> 00:01:37.530 chapter where we have been called to suffer with Christ in order that we may 15 00:01:37.569 --> 00:01:42.409 also be glorified with Christ, but a wet but we are also being consoled 16 00:01:42.650 --> 00:01:48.280 in that suffering, comforted in our suffering, reminded of all kinds of things 17 00:01:48.519 --> 00:01:53.879 that we can bring to mind in the middle of our trials, tribulations and 18 00:01:55.599 --> 00:02:00.359 various difficulties. God has a reminded us that we are those who have been 19 00:02:00.870 --> 00:02:05.230 born of the spirit, that we live by the spirit, and by the 20 00:02:05.349 --> 00:02:10.430 spirit we are called sons of God, receiving an inheritance and and an adoption, 21 00:02:10.469 --> 00:02:19.139 an adoption by which we can call God our father. Any prayer that 22 00:02:19.500 --> 00:02:24.819 begins with our father is a prayer that is speaks richly of our relationship with 23 00:02:25.099 --> 00:02:34.490 God, is not one of fear and a trembling and slavery, but one 24 00:02:34.610 --> 00:02:38.250 in which we go to him and we lean on him as we would an 25 00:02:38.370 --> 00:02:46.400 earthly father, a good one anyway, and God is always good. So 26 00:02:46.879 --> 00:02:52.919 we are here in this very comforting chapter, and Paul is in the middle 27 00:02:52.919 --> 00:02:58.000 of giving us three reasons, three ways in which we can be reminded and 28 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:02.789 we can remind ourselves, calling to mind these words, of why it is 29 00:03:04.189 --> 00:03:09.389 verse eighteen is true. Paul says in verse eighteen that I consider that the 30 00:03:09.550 --> 00:03:15.500 sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to 31 00:03:15.620 --> 00:03:25.219 be revealed. Paul is very persuaded about something. He is persuaded that everything 32 00:03:25.259 --> 00:03:30.250 is going to be okay, that there is a real, solid hope in 33 00:03:30.409 --> 00:03:37.849 God, which puts into perspective the things that we must face, the things 34 00:03:37.930 --> 00:03:44.240 that we must endure in this world. God speaks to us, and ways 35 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:49.719 in which week to help us and do our suffering, hardship, personal weaknesses. 36 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:54.870 Let me ask you a very personal and practical question then. Is that 37 00:03:55.110 --> 00:04:04.629 something that you need? Do you need comfort, consolation, courage? Is 38 00:04:04.710 --> 00:04:11.659 there tenacious sin in your life? Is there a relationship that is gone sour? 39 00:04:13.060 --> 00:04:19.300 Is there a fear that's overpowering or doubt that is disabling? Are there 40 00:04:19.379 --> 00:04:25.769 other things going on, things which you don't often speak of, things which 41 00:04:26.329 --> 00:04:35.170 trouble you and bring fear into your hearts? If so, and listen, 42 00:04:36.529 --> 00:04:42.560 listen to what God says in Romans Chapter Eight, because here he's giving to 43 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:46.480 us this comfort, this consolation in the middle of these things. We so 44 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:53.509 often, as I mentioned earlier in the in after the called worship, we 45 00:04:53.629 --> 00:04:59.470 so often neglect to go to the place where we can find salvation, to 46 00:04:59.790 --> 00:05:03.910 establish or set our feets upon a rock, but instead leave them in the 47 00:05:04.750 --> 00:05:11.899 sifting sands of our her shifting sands of our own souls. But here we 48 00:05:11.980 --> 00:05:17.420 have God and his word to us, and he says likewise. The spirit 49 00:05:17.660 --> 00:05:26.449 helps us in our weakness. He says likewise because he's just told us of 50 00:05:26.490 --> 00:05:32.410 another hope or another given us another consolation. That was a world that hopes. 51 00:05:33.250 --> 00:05:35.920 He says that when we look out into the world, we see a 52 00:05:36.120 --> 00:05:43.360 world that is subjected, yes, but it is subjected in hope. Verse 53 00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:46.879 Twenty One, creation itself will be set free from its bondage and corruption and 54 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:53.470 will obtain the freedom of glory. That's something that Paul wants us to see. 55 00:05:53.550 --> 00:05:56.910 It's how, he says, we are to evaluate the world. When 56 00:05:56.949 --> 00:06:01.870 we look out the world, we see corruption and problems and bondage, but 57 00:06:02.029 --> 00:06:06.220 we see a world that is ultimately hoping for freedom of glory that is to 58 00:06:06.259 --> 00:06:12.660 come. But that glory is not just any glory, Paul says, at 59 00:06:12.699 --> 00:06:15.459 the end of that verse it is a glory of the children of God. 60 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:19.810 That's why it's a hope for us as Christians, because the the the groaning 61 00:06:20.129 --> 00:06:26.730 that the creation is in and dealing with is a groaning that is similar in 62 00:06:26.810 --> 00:06:31.730 our own hearts. Weaknesses and struggles, but it has hope and likewise we 63 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:38.160 can have hope to the reason for that, Paul tells us, is because 64 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:44.199 of Jesus. The world that was subjected back in Genesis three was subjected in 65 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:48.389 hope because of the promised child that would be born that would undo the curse 66 00:06:48.509 --> 00:06:54.949 and set everything right. Well, that child, of course, is Jesus 67 00:06:54.990 --> 00:07:00.949 Christ, who tones for our sins, who we read in First John, 68 00:07:00.110 --> 00:07:03.939 is an advocate for us, who sits now at the father's right hand, 69 00:07:04.339 --> 00:07:12.180 please eating for us against any accusation that would come against us. But we 70 00:07:12.339 --> 00:07:17.209 also have another advocate. In Verses Twenty Six and twenty seven, we hear 71 00:07:17.370 --> 00:07:24.649 that we have the spirit helper, who intercedes the likewise, therefore, is 72 00:07:24.689 --> 00:07:28.490 a kind of a second hope. We have a world that hopes. That's 73 00:07:28.529 --> 00:07:32.360 our first consolation, but we also have a spirit that helps. That's our 74 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:42.480 second consolation. The spirit helps us in our weakness. So what does he 75 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:48.870 have in mind when he says our weakness? Well, he speaks specifically about 76 00:07:48.870 --> 00:07:55.509 our prayers, but because of the context it's more than that. He really 77 00:07:55.550 --> 00:08:01.379 has any kind of weakness in mind. Mostly sin and its effects, the 78 00:08:01.500 --> 00:08:07.860 sufferings that we face in this present time, our sufferings that result from sin. 79 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:13.370 That's where they come from. We know throughout the Bible God speaks to 80 00:08:13.490 --> 00:08:20.810 this. We realize that what happened in the fall was damaging, even mortally 81 00:08:20.850 --> 00:08:26.610 damaging. What does sin do? What kind of affects do we feel? 82 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:31.080 Well, in a personal sense, it affects every faculty in our souls, 83 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:35.200 are in our persons, I'd rather, and our mind and our heart, 84 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:39.679 in our will, in our mind, it takes any knowledge that we have. 85 00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:45.830 Sin Takes any knowledge that we have of God and perverts it, and 86 00:08:45.950 --> 00:08:50.870 then it clouds any possible insight with pride. It's like having a bright, 87 00:08:52.149 --> 00:08:56.779 beautiful sun which can shine and illumine all things, but sin comes in and 88 00:08:58.259 --> 00:09:03.379 covers it all up. Rather, it might be closer to putting on sunglasses 89 00:09:03.980 --> 00:09:07.899 or blinders even. This is what we do in our sin, and it's 90 00:09:07.980 --> 00:09:11.570 what sin does to us. It causes us so that we can't see the 91 00:09:11.690 --> 00:09:20.529 things that are there. It's it's blinding. Sin also works in our hearts, 92 00:09:20.809 --> 00:09:22.970 in our affections, in our desires, and you know this is true. 93 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:28.480 It takes good and holy things and it bends them. It takes our 94 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:35.960 deepest wants and it moves them towards sinful cravings, things that are against God 95 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:41.669 and against his law of love, and it does this with our wills to 96 00:09:41.830 --> 00:09:48.350 it binds them to disobedience. And so if it was just you on the 97 00:09:48.470 --> 00:09:54.899 earth all by yourself, there would be enough sin all there to cause you 98 00:09:54.980 --> 00:10:01.580 all kinds of suffering and pain and turmoil and heartache. You bought, Paul 99 00:10:01.700 --> 00:10:05.019 says earlier, in Romans, are bound to it, in enslaved to it, 100 00:10:07.019 --> 00:10:13.129 according to original sin. This is how we are all born. But 101 00:10:13.210 --> 00:10:16.409 it gets even worse sin and suffering in the world, because it's not just 102 00:10:16.730 --> 00:10:22.960 you here, it's you and me in a room together with our sinful selves 103 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:28.120 bumping up against one another, sinning against one another, spreading disease and causing 104 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:33.600 more and more pain. And so what we have happit, what we have 105 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:41.909 in the world in this present age because of sin, is deep and troubling 106 00:10:43.269 --> 00:10:46.389 things in our own hearts and our minds and our wills, and then also 107 00:10:46.429 --> 00:10:50.500 in our relationships, and cought that in all the conflicts and other things that 108 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:56.980 arise. We don't need to give many examples to show that we all face 109 00:10:58.220 --> 00:11:03.940 the effects of sin and suffering in this world. Well, that is all 110 00:11:03.139 --> 00:11:11.409 sort of narrowed down and very poignantly put with prayer. Even in our prayers, 111 00:11:11.970 --> 00:11:16.129 on this place where we meet with God, where we can communicate with 112 00:11:16.289 --> 00:11:22.399 God, we see all this weakness as well. How is that so? 113 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:28.039 Well, Paul says that in this way, he says he gives this one 114 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:31.879 reason. We do not know what to pray for, as we ought. 115 00:11:31.950 --> 00:11:37.789 This is insane. We are the most needy, despicable creatures. We have 116 00:11:39.029 --> 00:11:43.309 all kinds of troubles and problems and suffering, and yet we don't know how 117 00:11:43.470 --> 00:11:48.500 to pray, we don't know what to ask for. God has created us 118 00:11:48.539 --> 00:11:52.860 in all of this wisdom and Righteousness and glory. He's revealed his Justice and 119 00:11:52.980 --> 00:11:56.620 His Holiness to us, and we don't know how to speak to him, 120 00:11:58.899 --> 00:12:03.009 we don't know how to communicate with him. But it's true, isn't it? 121 00:12:05.330 --> 00:12:11.409 We find ourselves without words, we find ourselves blanking, stammering, saying 122 00:12:11.570 --> 00:12:18.320 things that aren't true, confessing things that are unbiblical, wanting things that aren't 123 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:22.559 according to the will of God. And that's just the content of our prayers. 124 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:30.909 The manner of our prayers can be demanding, proud or just plain neglectful. 125 00:12:31.549 --> 00:12:37.750 There are so many weaknesses, I'm in all to our shame, and 126 00:12:37.950 --> 00:12:43.429 this is true for every single person on earth, because sin has its effects 127 00:12:43.230 --> 00:12:50.059 on this way to every single person on earth. But there is a distinction 128 00:12:50.220 --> 00:12:56.500 among humanity which Paul wants us to recognize, a distinction between the lost and 129 00:12:56.539 --> 00:13:01.409 the saved, between the believer and the unbeliever, between the Christian and the 130 00:13:01.529 --> 00:13:07.409 Non Christian or, as Paul calls us here, the saints or Holy Ones. 131 00:13:09.409 --> 00:13:13.679 Even though we all struggle with these weaknesses, there's a difference in the 132 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:20.840 Christian if you have been bought by the blood of Christ, redeemed out of 133 00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:24.799 slavery and bondage, if you have received the spirit of adoption through faith in 134 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:31.389 Jesus, then something is different. You face these weaknesses, but in a 135 00:13:31.549 --> 00:13:37.269 different way. Because of this, the spirit of God is helping you, 136 00:13:37.389 --> 00:13:43.580 instead of being bound and enslaved and totally controlled by your weaknesses, instead, 137 00:13:43.700 --> 00:13:54.700 you have God himself helping you, strengthening you, uplifting you. Imagine trying 138 00:13:54.779 --> 00:13:58.450 to carry a big heavy weight all on your own. I'm going to move 139 00:13:58.610 --> 00:14:03.250 soon, so I'm thinking about this. You're carrying a giant entertainment center. 140 00:14:03.330 --> 00:14:07.970 It's a three man job and you're doing it all by yourself. It's impossible, 141 00:14:09.370 --> 00:14:15.679 it breaks your back, it her hurts you. But the spirit helps 142 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:22.200 us in our weakness. He comes and he lifts us up, he gives 143 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:28.789 us courage, he helps us in every way, even in our prayers, 144 00:14:28.669 --> 00:14:37.980 even in the ways that we communicate with God. Now God helps the unbelievers 145 00:14:39.019 --> 00:14:45.899 in their prayer to sometimes you remember, for example, the sailors on Jonah's 146 00:14:45.940 --> 00:14:52.139 boat calling out to God asking for a calm from the storm if and asking 147 00:14:52.259 --> 00:14:58.450 that he would not visit wrath on them for throwing this Prophet of God overboard, 148 00:14:58.490 --> 00:15:03.769 and God answers that prayer. They make a smart move in a sense, 149 00:15:05.250 --> 00:15:09.240 and they save their lives as a result. God preserves their lives and 150 00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:18.039 saves them. But it's different for a Christian. Those sailors didn't enjoy the 151 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:22.750 comfort of God or the communion of God, or the Fellowship of God or 152 00:15:22.789 --> 00:15:28.990 the love of God. It was all fear, only fear. They were 153 00:15:28.029 --> 00:15:33.309 reaching out to a great and powerful force that they hoped they could be saved 154 00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:39.659 from. They didn't want to die. But for the Christian, the one 155 00:15:39.740 --> 00:15:46.940 whose spear who in whom God's spirit dwells. It's not just fear, it's 156 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:56.809 love and hope and joy and faith and trust. I'm quoting passages from the 157 00:15:56.090 --> 00:16:00.929 prophets and proverbs. I'm drawing images from them. John John Owen says that 158 00:16:02.009 --> 00:16:07.120 the prayers of the Saints Are Incense and odors to God, allusion to revelation 159 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:14.080 eight, but those of others are howling, cutting off a dog's neck and 160 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:19.350 offering swine's blood and abomination unto the Lord. These are the images that God 161 00:16:19.669 --> 00:16:30.789 uses to describe the prayers of Pagans. They are Powling, they are disgusting, 162 00:16:32.070 --> 00:16:37.460 they are an abomination, but the prayers of the saints are a Pleasant 163 00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:41.860 Aroma, like incense in the temple, going up before the Lord. It 164 00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:49.529 brings him pleasure. Why is that? How can sinful, corrupt, perverted 165 00:16:49.850 --> 00:16:57.850 hearts do that? Because of the spirit of God living in us, working 166 00:16:57.929 --> 00:17:07.559 in us, dwelling in US, helping us, interceding for us. Christ 167 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:12.160 is always advocating on our behalf in heaven. When anyone comes before the father, 168 00:17:12.599 --> 00:17:18.150 whether it's the law or our consciences or Satan himself, to accuse us 169 00:17:18.750 --> 00:17:23.589 like he accused job. Jesus stands there and says there is therefore now no 170 00:17:25.029 --> 00:17:30.099 condemnation in this one, because he is in me. This is what Paul 171 00:17:30.259 --> 00:17:34.859 is going to say, I'm later on. There is therefore now no condemnation 172 00:17:36.339 --> 00:17:38.700 for those who are in Christ, Jesus, and this is the father's ruling. 173 00:17:38.740 --> 00:17:44.220 Each and every time we are accused. My blood is good enough, 174 00:17:44.289 --> 00:17:49.210 Jesus says. There he is interceding for us. But this objective ruling in 175 00:17:49.490 --> 00:17:55.650 heaven, Paul says, is accompanied by a subjective working in our hearts. 176 00:17:56.730 --> 00:18:03.640 The Holy Spirit also intercedes for us, also advocates for us, helping us 177 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:10.400 here on Earth, even as Christ does in heaven. He speaks this comfort 178 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:18.190 internally and produces a holy fruit externally. So what does the spirit do? 179 00:18:18.390 --> 00:18:22.910 How does he help us in our weaknesses? Well, there's many different ways. 180 00:18:23.789 --> 00:18:27.180 Let me give you a list that Isaac wots offers in his book on 181 00:18:27.299 --> 00:18:33.180 prayer. He says that the spirit adds to our natural capacities, and this 182 00:18:33.339 --> 00:18:40.180 is true. He fills our memories, he strengthens our our fluency with language, 183 00:18:40.180 --> 00:18:45.569 he gives us strength and just the basic requisites of prayer. He also 184 00:18:45.690 --> 00:18:51.970 blesses our labors and our study of prayer. He causes what is sown in 185 00:18:52.130 --> 00:18:57.440 study to be reaped and harvested. The spirit also inclines our hearts to pray. 186 00:18:59.240 --> 00:19:03.039 Have you ever not wanted to pray and then wanted to pray? Well, 187 00:19:03.160 --> 00:19:08.640 ask yourself how did that happen? Where do holy things come from? 188 00:19:10.589 --> 00:19:15.470 Well, from the Holy Spirit. That's where holy things come from. That's 189 00:19:15.509 --> 00:19:19.630 how we change. And when you see that happening, when you see your 190 00:19:19.750 --> 00:19:25.660 heart do a one hundred and eighty, give praise to God, because it's 191 00:19:25.660 --> 00:19:30.180 the Holy Spirit working in you. He inclines our hearts to pray. He 192 00:19:30.299 --> 00:19:36.380 brings to mind content for our prayer. Have you ever prayed and wondered, 193 00:19:36.819 --> 00:19:41.329 where did I think of that? Let's because the spirit of God has spoken 194 00:19:41.369 --> 00:19:45.450 in his word, he's put it into your hearts and he brings it to 195 00:19:45.609 --> 00:19:51.609 your minds. He gives you content for prayer that is holy, in a 196 00:19:51.730 --> 00:19:56.119 coreding to his word. He helps you not only in the content but in 197 00:19:56.519 --> 00:20:00.839 the manner or method of your praying to he helps you not to come proudly, 198 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:11.150 arrogantly, disrespectfully to God, but humbly before him. This is most 199 00:20:11.269 --> 00:20:19.269 evident, perhaps in these groanings that Paul describes. He says the spirit himself 200 00:20:19.390 --> 00:20:27.220 intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. There are these these groanings 201 00:20:27.339 --> 00:20:33.460 in us that we recognize that can't really be expressed, and I think they 202 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:38.849 can be of different kinds. Maybe it's joy in the Lord, maybe it's 203 00:20:40.170 --> 00:20:47.250 praise for his name, maybe it's deep confict conviction of sin. Have you 204 00:20:47.289 --> 00:20:52.400 ever been, ever felt deep within you a joy and you want to share 205 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:57.480 that with someone and you try to and it just never quite expresses what you 206 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:03.960 really feel? You feel like even if you had thousands of words available at 207 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:07.190 hand, even if you are the most excellent and fluent in your language, 208 00:21:07.190 --> 00:21:12.789 you still wouldn't be able to express that holy joy that's inside of you. 209 00:21:15.829 --> 00:21:21.779 Or maybe it's praise of God. Or maybe it's conviction of sin, weight 210 00:21:22.019 --> 00:21:25.740 of sin, of feeling the pangs of it and the heard of it, 211 00:21:26.339 --> 00:21:34.130 the shame of it, feeling heartbroken and lost, but also full of faith 212 00:21:36.130 --> 00:21:41.250 and praise for God. These are things that we can express and do express. 213 00:21:41.809 --> 00:21:47.089 The fact that some prayers are inexpressible doesn't mean we shouldn't try to pray 214 00:21:47.160 --> 00:21:51.640 out loud. Doesn't mean we shouldn't try to express these things or sing these 215 00:21:51.720 --> 00:21:56.880 things or speak to one another of these things, but it does mean that 216 00:21:56.000 --> 00:22:03.789 there are movements of the Holy Spirit within us that are not entirely managed by 217 00:22:03.950 --> 00:22:11.710 us, that we can't control everything and master everything. And that isn't itself, 218 00:22:11.750 --> 00:22:17.900 I believe, is our reminder of the spirits work in us. The 219 00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:25.380 spirit himself intercedes with us with groanings too deep for words. There is in 220 00:22:25.500 --> 00:22:27.740 US another words, in these groaning something that's produced. And what do we 221 00:22:29.059 --> 00:22:33.970 in which we see something that is beyond us, in a sense, beyond 222 00:22:33.130 --> 00:22:41.769 our ability to express, and yet is there nevertheless, is holy and good. 223 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:48.680 And then verse Twenty Eight adds this. And we know that those who 224 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:52.960 love God, I'm sorry, and and and I'm sorry. That's verse Twenty 225 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:55.480 Eight, will get there next week. Verse Twenty Eight, Twenty Seven. 226 00:22:55.480 --> 00:23:00.029 And he who searches hearts, that is God, the father in particular, 227 00:23:00.069 --> 00:23:06.269 according to his work, and he who searches hearts knows what is the mind 228 00:23:06.430 --> 00:23:11.269 of the spirit, because the spinner intercedes for the saints according to the will 229 00:23:11.390 --> 00:23:18.380 of God. How wonderful is it that the spirit of God is interceding for 230 00:23:18.619 --> 00:23:26.059 you, helping you praying, in a sense, according to the will of 231 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:30.450 God. This is such an amazing thing, considering the fact that we don't 232 00:23:30.609 --> 00:23:36.049 pray according to the will of God, that we're full of weakness and and 233 00:23:36.289 --> 00:23:44.720 difficulties. Here is God speaking within the Trinity and according to his perfect will. 234 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:52.440 The spirit never gets it wrong, because the spirit is God. What 235 00:23:52.599 --> 00:23:59.069 is so comforting in this is this communion and union that we have with the 236 00:23:59.230 --> 00:24:03.109 Lord. God is working. If you are one who is loved by God, 237 00:24:03.710 --> 00:24:07.190 if you are one of the saints, one of the holy ones, 238 00:24:07.470 --> 00:24:11.779 this one who has put your faith in Christ, then God himself is working 239 00:24:11.819 --> 00:24:19.660 immediately directly with you, through Christ and faith in him, in your hearts. 240 00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:23.730 He is uplifting you, encouraging you, strengthening you in your weakness, 241 00:24:23.809 --> 00:24:29.450 and this is something that we believe by faith, but it's also something we 242 00:24:29.650 --> 00:24:37.450 know by experience, and this should be a good consolation to us, because 243 00:24:37.490 --> 00:24:45.119 we do face many weaknesses in this life, the tenaciousness of sin, relationships 244 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:52.519 gone sour fears that are overwhelming, doubts that are disabling, all these things 245 00:24:52.950 --> 00:25:02.069 and more, and we say where is God, and I say he is 246 00:25:02.190 --> 00:25:12.980 in you, helping you. This is God's gift to you. Isn't an 247 00:25:12.980 --> 00:25:18.140 amazing these gifts that he gives us, the ways that he encourage us, 248 00:25:18.619 --> 00:25:23.650 encourages us, the ways that he uplifts us. God is indeed good. 249 00:25:23.690 --> 00:25:27.009 Let us go to him in prayer.