Why Do Christians Believe Romans 8:28 is True?
Romans 8:26-28
November 27, 2023
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Romans 8:26-28)
A. Let’s Read Romans 8:26-28 together, out loud…
1. Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
2. Romans 8:27 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.
3. Romans 8:28 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.
4. There is so much to ponder in these three verses of Scripture
5. All of this book to the Romans is like that!
6. But this morning, we will just take a good long look at the greatest promises of the entire Bible for the Christian
B. The greatest promise for the Christian is found in Romans 8:28
1. Romans 8:28 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.
2. Everything is being worked together for good in the life of the believer
3. We have memorised Romans 8:28 as a church – just last month
4. But have we grasped it? Understood it? Believed it?
a. Does anyone in here believe it to be true?
b. If you ever do, it will fix your life dear Christian!
c. It will sweeten your soul – broaden your smile!
d. It will bring rest and joy to every troubled heart and life
5. What is the greatest promise promising?
a. That all things – everything going on in this world and in your life
b. work together - are being worked together, mixed together
c. for good - not for ruin, but for something good and wonderful
d. Listen to Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:10,11 I have seen the travail [STRUGGLE, SUFFERING], which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. [YET] He [GOD] hath made every thing beautiful in his time:…
e. THAT is some promise!
C. How can Paul say such a thing?
1. That every thing is being worked together for good
2. Is this really true? It's... Too great a promise to just be a nice thing to say and believe
3. How can it be true?
a. When there is so much pain, and heartache, and trouble in the world?
b. How can things like death and disease work together for our good?
c. What about divorce, miscarriage, war, earthquakes, tsunamis…the list is seemingly endless.
d. How could all that actually work together for good?
4. What does it mean?
5. Who does it apply to?
a. Not just to everybody
b. But only to Christians who passionately love God – I will explain more in a bit!
c. And only to Christians who suffer for deciding to live godly lives instead of fleshly, proud, arrogant, self-sufficient lives
D. We all suffer and struggle, we groan in pain even in the 21st century!
1. Eve with all our technology and medical science advances…
2. WE ALL still emotionally collapse under the problems, the heartaches, the stress, and failures of life
3. Everyone of us!
4. Romans 8:22,23 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
5. That is our life! If you have never groaned emotionally, desperately, then you are not breathing! All of creation groans under the weight of troubles and pain and disappointments and enemies, and wars, and death!
6. Everyone, including Christians, is struggling, groaning, suffering under the weight of sin and the curse of Genesis chapter 3.
7. I have never known of any exceptions:
a. Adam and Eve – lived by the sweat of their brow, and their firstborn son turned out to be a murderer! What a thing to carry for the rest of your life!
b. Job – lost everything he had – absolutely everything including his health
c. Joseph – sold into slavery, and was abused for 20 long years
d. Jesus – never owned more than a single robe and underclothes, and was falsely accused, beaten, abused, tortured and murdered
e. Peter (John 21:18,19) – hunted and crucified upside down
f. Paul – chased out of almost every town he entered preaching the Gospel
g. My own life, and yours as well! The Christian life is hard!
h. We ALL groan at times because of troubles, but especially when living Godly!
E. Yet we Christians Have a Hope – a sure hope!
1. Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. [NOT HOPE TO BE, BUT SHALL BE]
2. Romans 8:28 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.
3. We have a sure confident hope because GOD works everything out in the end for good!
a. Not our abilities, or our money, or our circumstances or feelings!
b. Not our religion. Not even our faithfulness.
c. Romans 8:28 is unconditional – it is true! And it just needs to be believed!
II. Message
A. The Presence of the Spirit of God – don’t skip this truth (John 14:16-18)
1. John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. [AS THE HOLY SPIRIT]
2. John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
3. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
4. One of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel, God is with us. He never abandoned us – we abandon HIM all the time, but he can’t abandon us
5. Most Christians I know do not realise how precious is the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives
a. Oh how wasted is life without the awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit of God in your life.
b. When religion is a list of things you must do, and has no presence of God in your life. It is a wasted effort. It is a wasted life.
c. People miss the presence of their family in their home and the presence of their husband or their wife right in front of them, their children and their grandchildren.
d. Modern day Christians have no idea how to let the Holy Spirit guide them and lead them every day.
1) People are on their phone, stuck in front of TV and tablets, children especially.
2) People work all day. Others do nothing at all, won’t work, and are sleeping, lazy.
3) They follow their emotions, their feelings and their culture and their workmates and their friends and they miss the presence of the Holy Spirit in their life.
e. How much worse it is to miss time with God, that we don't walk with Him and talk with Him!
6. By the way, God gave you the people in your life – don’t neglect them!
a. Even the messed up ones!
b. As flawed as people may be…
c. God gave you your brother, your sister, friends…(Pro 17:17) A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
d. Family is for times of adversity
e. God gave you your wife and your husband…
f. And when you're at odds with one another… You're the one that hurts and suffers more because you do not seek the help that they were given to you to provide.
7. But no matter if all of them fail you, The presence of the Holy Spirit of God in the life of the believer makes up for our infirmities.
a. Just knowing that He is with you will give you such encouragement
b. The world wants everyone alone
1) Separated, selfish, seeking our own pleasures
2) Divorced
3) Angry at each other
4) Unable to just enjoy each other’s presence
c. Jesus never meant for anyone to be alone!
d. The Spirit of God is in the believer to HELP – not from a distance, but from the inside!
B. The Praying of the Spirit of God (Romans 8:26)
1. Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
2. Infirmities are times when we are INFIRM, weak, unable to keep going
a. Paul knew weakness – he was NOT Conor McGregor, or Arnold Schwarzenegger
1) 2Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2) 2Corinthians 11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
3) 2Corinthians 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
4) 2Corinthians 11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
5) 2Corinthians 11:27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
6) 2Corinthians 11:28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
7) 2Corinthians 11:29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
8) 2Corinthians 11:30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
b. If you met Paul, you would see a man who was falling apart – weak, had trouble seeing, probably bent over because of the beatings… tired, sometimes discouraged…
1) 2Corinthians 4:8-10 We [SPIRITUALLY MINDED CHRISTIANS] are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
c. But Paul learned that the LESS he depended on his flesh/his abilities/his strengths, the more of “the power of Christ" was given him (2 Cor. 12:7-10) by the Holy Spirit.
1) 2Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2) 2Corinthians 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
3) 2Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
4) 2Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
5) Because of the help of the Holy Spirit, Paul was able to “glory” (rejoice and praise) in the middle of all his infirmities and “take pleasure" in them.
d. Do you realise all that the Holy Spirit does for you?
1) Comes alongside you and me – just His presence is a gift!
2) Carries you – puts wind beneath your wings, lifts the weights
3) Convicts you – makes you feel guilty at times
4) Comforts us – if we let Him
5) Calls us constantly forward – NEVER backward
6) Does not usually Cure us – but that is okay, as long as He helps us through every day – one day the pain will be replaced!
3. So, PRAY all the time!
a. Pray about everything – about the weather, about your finances, your marriage, your health, your boss, your co-workers, your car, the lack of a car, your sleeplessness, your anxiousness, your addiction, your anger, your bitterness, your kids, your pastor, your attitude
b. None of us really know how to pray, nor what to pray for
1) We don’t know how to pray in general
2) But especially when we are suffering trying to do the right things!
3) We usually pray that our pain and suffering would end – not wrong to ask
4) We usually pray for life to stay good, or to get better
5) But prayer is a power that steers my life through my suffering
a) Yes, it can move the heart of God - unfathomable
b) My time talking to God, giving to Him all my burdens and sorrows and requests, changes ME most of all
c) Humbles me – breaks me – stops me from complaining and quitting
d) Blesses God to just have me drawing close to Him
e) Even when I am angry at Him, or at my weakest, God just wants us to draw near to Him
f) James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
c. But it doesn't matter if you don't know how to pray or what to pray for.
1) You should learn. You should study prayer. You should know how to pray!
2) There are 650 times that people in the Bible took time to pray. And most of those events record what they said. So don't only think of Matthew chapter 6 and Jesus’ example of prayer.
3) People prayed in the Bible as an example, many of them in the book of Psalms.
4) Do YOU think to pray when you are weak? Struggling?
5) Just pray! Song. Just Pray.
6) Even if all you can do is groan or sit in silence…
7) Make time to talk to God and spend time with God somewhere without your phone, or people, or distractions!
4. Just know this… According to verse 26, the Holy Spirit helps us as we go through trouble by praying for us.
a. It is called making intercession
b. Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
c. The Holy Spirit is NOT going to do all the praying FOR you, but will help you AS you pray!!!
1) When we pray about our troubles, our instinct is to get out of the trouble. For God to get rid of the problem, the pain, the weakness
2) But most of the time, GOD put us in the trouble for a reason
3) And we don’t know how to pray about it
4) By the way, our prayers don’t move mountains, GOD does – He is just waiting for us to spend some time with Him and talk to Him, and worship Him
5) Oh if only you knew what prayer is
a) It is making time for God like you know you need to make time for your husband, for your wife, for your kids/grandkids
b) It is like making time for breakfast, or for coffee, or for tea
c) It is like making time for sleep, and holidays
d) Prayer, is making time for God – talking to God, casting ALL the cares of your life into His mighty hands
d. You Have a Prayer Partner – the Holy Spirit
1) Intercessory Prayer by the Spirit
2) He prays AS you pray
3) He groans with you as you groan – WOW!
e. The Holy Spirit sees your trouble like you can't see it.
1) He sees God’s purpose for it – to strengthen you, and use you for his purpose…
2) He also sees Satan's purpose for it– to destroy you and discourage you (Job 1, 2)
f. He knows you will be able to minister to others BECAUSE of your infirmity
1) We always want to walk into a room projecting strength and power and ability to help others
2) But that gives no honour or glory to GOD!
g. It is always amazing to me so many Christians, even most of you sitting in this room this morning will NOT do what you know needs to be done for the kingdom of God
1) You won’t open your mouth and tell the Gospel to someone
2) You won’t help teach in Children’s church
3) You won’t humble yourself and sing, or serve anyone who walks into this auditorium
4) You won’t dare ask God what HIS will is for your life
5) Simply because it is a lot of hassle – it hurts – it is hard – and you believe are not well trained!
6) Well, Welcome to the cross, ladies and gentlemen!
7) The Holy Spirit helps our infirmities – our weaknesses!
h. The Holy Spirit also knows what kind of example you will be and how influential your example will be to future generations BECAUSE of your infirmities.
1) Those of us who have weak abilities, or NO abilities, show GOD to be the one who does great things – not US
2) Most of the hymns were written by people in times of weakness and suffering – what amazing brilliance of truth, proven by the infirmities of the authors – not their abilities!
3) When God helps us as we PRAY and trust Him and then do His will, it proves that God is real, and able to help anybody!
i. You don’t see all of that, and so you don’t pray right most of the time
1) But the Holy Spirit does.
2) And when He prays for us, He prays for us with all of that in mind.
3) And the miracle doesn’t stop there…
a) Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts [JESUS] knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he [JESUS] maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
b) The Spirit is like an amplifier that can be heard all the way up in heaven
c) Jesus Christ picks up my cry via the Holy Spirit. He hears not just my words, but He is touched with the feelings that I am expressing. He knows exactly what the Spirit in you knows.
d) He searches your heart to understand what it is you really want, even when you cannot utter it. By the way, that's why when the Charismatics use this verse to promote their speaking in tongues, they defeat themselves because this is referring to words that cannot be uttered.
e) But God's Son hears and knows the thinking of the Spirit and turns to the Father and translates my requests. He translates what I cannot put into words, into requests, into what I need God to do. And he asks according to God's will.
f) And that means that Jesus prayers are always answered.
j. So, from me (my groaning), the Spirit groans as well, all the way to the Son of God, and the Son understands what cannot be spoken, or made sense of, and translates into the perfect will of God, and presents my prayer to the Father, and He answers it!
g) Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
h) Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
a) Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
C. The Promise of the Spirit of God – To Make Everything Right (Romans 8:28)
1. Romans 8:28 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.
2. Here is THE promise for the Christian
3. That all things that a Christian goes through and experiences are working together for good
a. Not that everything you experience is good
1) Cancer is not good
2) Divorce is not good
3) Being hated is not good
b. But God promises that EVERYTHING is being worked together, woven together into something good
1) Even the loss of a child, a war, a famine, cancer, divorce, abandonment, loss of a job, loss of health
2) There is something bigger, better that God is working out
3) Taking everything YOU have done, and what the devil has done, and redeeming it – changing the end result into something marvellous!
4) Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
4. The Cake Mix Example
a. softened butter
b. sugar
c. eggs
d. flour, sifted
e. baking powder
f. vanilla extract
g. pinch of salt
5. So, You have got every reason to believe that it will be worth it all
6. The promise is that God is at work at even the tiniest of details, working things that we ruin, back to good
a. Nothing that happens is outside of God’s hand
b. Nothing is out of His ability to turn around for good
c. Nothing!
d. 2Corinthians 4:16-18 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
7. Fact: God knows the end from the beginning. He is outside of time.
8. And we have to trust that God WILL finish what He starts in us, maybe a few generations later than we think!
D. Who Does All This Apply To?
1. Romans 8:28 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.
2. To people who love God
3. To people who are the called of God – people who are part of God’s plan
4. So, it is for people who REALLY love Him
a. Not lip service
b. Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
c. 1Corinthians 8:3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
d. You cannot fake it
5. And it is for people who are DOING what God has called them to do
a. When Jesus CALLED Peter to follow Him, things worked out for good only WHEN Peter up and followed Him!
b. So many Christians never are willing to passionately love God, nor BE the called
c. They want to just live on the side-lines
d. And they will miss out on all the good God is working towards!
III. Conclusion
A. The greatest promise for the Christian is found in Romans 8:28
1. It is promised NOT to people who work the hardest
2. Or are the strongest
3. But to people who just passionately, intimately, consistently, love God
4. To people who are the called of God – people who are willingly part of God’s plan, that includes suffering and problems, and loss, and pain
B. This is not just the promise of heaven, but the promise to make everything end up good
C. Not everyone will enjoy this promise – won’t see it come true
1. No wonder Jesus said you have got to be born again
2. No wonder Jesus said Follow ME
3. If you want to take your chances, and just see what happens, go right ahead
4. But I am betting my life and my troubles and my weaknesses on a promise that God can and will make every painful thing I have ever gone through, beautiful
5. I invite you to make the same choice – by faith in Jesus Christ, today