The Spirit Himself Intercedes for Us

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” (Romans 8:18-21 ESV)

We read in verse 17 of Romans that we are children of God, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, PROVIDED (IF) we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. And we read in verses 1-16 much of what that suffering entails. For, it necessitates that we die with Christ to sin daily, that we deny self, and that we walk in obedience to our Lord, by the Spirit. It requires that we now walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh doing what our sinful hearts desire.

But the suffering also includes being persecuted for righteousness’ sake. For, if truly we live by what is taught here in Romans 8 and in Romans 6, and in other such passages of Scripture in the Bible, we will be hated, and we will be persecuted for our walks of faith and for our obedience to our Lord. And that is also because we are living and we are speaking the truths of the Scriptures (not perfectly) and not the lies which are so popularized today. And we are refuting the lies of the enemy, and we are exposing them.

But what suffering we must endure in this life pales by comparison with what life will be like when our Lord comes to take us home to be with him forever and our suffering will be no more. Our tears will be wiped from our eyes. Sin will no longer be a present reality. Wickedness will be no more. We will have no more pain and sorrow, and we will be with our Lord face to face. Amen! Oh, I so look forward to that day. Life on this earth keeps getting harder and harder to bear the more wicked that it becomes. It is so heartbreaking!

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:22-25 ESV)

Groaning doesn’t mean complaining. It doesn’t mean being disgruntled and argumentative. It means that we long for the day when all this will be over, when we won’t have to suffer any longer, and when evil will be no more. We long for the day when we can be with our Lord for eternity. I can’t even begin to comprehend what that will look like, but I know it will be glorious! A life with our Lord without evil. So awesome! But sadly so many people who resist the Lord will not be ready and they will not see Jesus face to face.

“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. 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.” (Romans 8:26-27 ESV)

The ”weakness” being spoken of here is not to be translated as deliberate and habitual (addictive) sin. The Lord does not help those who refuse his counsel day after day and who chart their own course and who go their own way and who willfully and premeditatedly sin against God and against their spouses and children and other people repeatedly, fully intent on doing what they know is evil and is against God and is cruel, mean, and hurtful to those they sin against. So if we will not cooperate with God, we have not his help. 

But while we still live on this earth, we are going to have pain, sorrow, heartache and sickness. Sickness is a normal part of life. Every year people get viruses, and every year people die from complications resulting from those viruses or resulting from a combination of health conditions. So, it is not out of the ordinary to have such situations as these we are presently facing. But things are progressively getting much worse, and the Bible warns us of all the sorrows of these last days before the return of our Lord.

And we are going to face temptation to sin against God and to be afraid and to doubt God and his sovereignty. Even though Jesus Christ set us free from our slavery to sin (if we died with him to sin and if we are now living for him and not for self), still we will be tempted. The devil will still be after us trying all different kinds of ways to get us to fail, to get us to sin, to get us to be afraid and to doubt God and his sovereignty over our lives, and to get us to put our trust in other humans to “save us” rather than to trust in God alone.

And the devil is working hard within the government, within the media, and within the gatherings of the church (or the false church) to get us to turn away from the truth of God’s word and to now follow after the lies being spoken by humans in their cunning, craftiness, and deceitful scheming. Deceit is all around us and being thrown at us day after day. And so many people are believing the lies and are following the lies and not the truth, and that is a very sad reality. So we pray regularly for revival for our nations.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

My Sheep  

An Original Work / June 24, 2012  

Based off John 10:1-30 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full… 

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263