Lesson 108

Romans Chapter Eight         

Freedom in Christ through the Holy Spirit

The Dynamic for living the Christian Life

 

Observations on Hope:

 

1.  Definition:  Hope is certitude with regard to the future, no doubt in it.

 

2.  Content of Hope:  All the things secured by the cross but are yet still future in bestowal.  Rom 8:18,23;  Eph 1:14

 

3.  Imperative of Hope:   Is related to your minds, your thinking.

 

 

4.  Hope does not disappoint"  hope placed in the right object will never disappoint;  Rom. 5:5a   

 

 

 

5.  Our hope is certain because it rests on objective grounds!

"the love of God"  Rom 5:5

 

 

6. Why is our hope so strong and confident? 

#1  our hope is in God  1 Pet 1:21 

 

#2 our hope is in Christ  1 Tim 1:1

 

#3 our hope is also related to the word!  Psa. 119:81

 

 

Ø      In the rest of vs:24   Paul gives us the nature of hope

Hope wouldn't be what it is, if we could see it!  Its importance to us as a motivator in our life would be nullified.

 

 

 

Ø      8:25    Paul presents the mental attitude we should have right now.

 

But if we hope [1cc and we do] for what we do not see, [coming glory, res. body,  being conformed to the image of Christ at last] with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

 

 

"perseverance" expresses the mental attitude, the frame of mind that we should have as we eagerly wait for what is ours in Christ!

 

-  u`pomonh, - patient endurance when dealing with the circumstances of life or the CHP's

 

 

 

-  So the B.L. is that u`pomonh,  speaks of the strength of character to believe the Lord, to believe the Word; and then act on it.

 

- The one who does not have patient endurance and therefore is unstable is constantly running from one situation to another, always reacting, never dealing with anything, always passing the buck.

 

 

Ø      The Believer's Provision  8:26-30  What God does for us/or has done for us!

 

- One thing that this section points out for us is that the believer is not left to our own resources in the midst of their sufferings [v.18] and groanings [v.23]. anticipation of His return

 

 

8:26-27   The intercessory ministry of the Holy Spirit

This is the last of 16 references in ch-8 to the H/S and various aspects of His relationship with and ministry in the life of the saint;

 

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness;

 

- Just as we are sustained by the hope in our future glory so the Spirit sustains us in the midst of weakness.

 

The idea then of sunantilamba,nomai is 2 working together to carry a heavy load, to carry out some task.

 

 

The help is with what?

- "our weakness";   avsqe,neia  means to be weak;  is used of physical  weakness/sickness primarily in the Gospels;

but also it is used of emotional and spiritual weakness that is, to be weak in faith, to have a weak conscience; Rom 14:1; 1 Cor 8:9-10;  

 

-  One evidence of this weakness is noted next and is the focus of H/S's help;  how to pray!

 

 for we do not know how to pray as we should,  

 

 

In the final analysis it is your understanding of the will of God that determines how are prayers will be answered.   1 Jn 5:14-15

 

 

-  His help/prayer on our behalf is indicated in the last phrase;

"but the Spirit Himself intercedes [pres. keeps on interceding; makes an appeal] for us with groanings too deep for words;"

 

The groaning, the praying is by the Holy Spirit, not by the believer.

 

 

Whether the weakness is physical, mental or in the faith.

Point is the Holy Spirit is consistently there to help [pres. tense] 

 

 

8:27  Continues the ministry of the Holy Spirit

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is,

 

 

 

The H/S through his aiding us in our prayer, is the intercessor within us, right now in our life.

 

 

  B.L.:  We often, not just when under pressure, fail to know what we  ought to be praying for and how to adequately voice our requests, the Spirit is there and communicates them for us.  Grace resource!  [must be in fellowship]