And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed in the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today Paul is writing a pastoral letter to bring comfort to the faithful in Rome, telling them to endure suffering with hope that is certain, of future glory.

Verse 28 is explained by verses 29 and 30.  Our salvation is part of God’s eternal purpose to glorify His Son. God’s plan is not about us but is about Christ and we are being conformed to Christ’s image through trials and this is done so that Christ would be the firstborn and supreme over all creation. Our happiness isn’t the final goal but instead it is the purpose of exalting God’s Son – the preeminence of Christ Is Gods eternal purpose. And it cannot fail because God cannot fail. Because it is of the the Lord He will complete our salvation  – Because Christ will be glorified by our sharing in His glory.

This plan is entirely initiated by God and the faithful are called according to God’s purpose. Grace is unmerited favor from God and is not based on some good in us – that would give men reason to boast. God’s foreknowledge before time began means God wills that some are elected to salvation made available by Christ. This was determined by God beforehand – what He will do and He will do it.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.  For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. (27) Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul and our verses today are all about prayer. Paul is encouraging us to pray and is not talking about technique but rather the content of our prayers.  We do not know the will of God and therefore we do not have a meaningful prayer life so God sent us the Holy Spirit who does know the will of God and intercedes for us.

At the moment of faith we are saved and we are sealed with the presence of the Spirit. We are weak and do not pray enough because we don’t even recognize how fragile we are – Paul includes himself in this weakness. But God has given us the Spirit -who is God – to help us pray and the very fact that the Spirit prays for us show the Spirit is distinct from God the Father to whom He prays. The Spirit and the Father are aligned so prayer is in accordance with the will of the Father.

The Spirit dwells in all the faithful and and translates our deepest emotions – articulates our prayers which come from the heart. The Spirit’s prayers are always according to God’s will and thus are always answered.  We should know that in prayer as in everything we are nothing without God and that God’s power is perfected in our weakness.

I hear a very wise preacher say that when he is struggling to find the right words  he turns to the prayers of Jesus as written in the New Testament.  What better way to learn how to pray.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  (19) For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. (20) For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; (21) because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  (22) For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  (23) Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today Paul is writing to encourage the faithful who are suffering because of the gospel – reminding them that the troubles of this world are fleeting especially when compared to the future certain hope of the glory promised by God. What is surprising in these verses is the thought that everything in the created world has been touched with corruption/degradation by the fall of man. In these verses we are presented with two certainties and a conclusion:  All people suffer – all of history suffer- because of man’s fall and all of creation suffers because of man’s fall. The conclusion Is the future glory of the faithful is certain and God will create a new perfect world together with saved mankind at the end of this present time.

In Genesis God judges that “Cursed is the ground for your sake”.  The curse extended to all the botanical world and all the animal world.  Creation was subjected to futility;  the condemnation of man was also on all creation – but all creation according to their nature shall participate in better future condition.  God shall restore the world together with saved mankind.

Even though all creation had fallen through man the Bible tells us that even through this present corruption of nature we can still clearly see the glory of God, the creator.  What a thought that if fallen creation is as beautiful as this present world is, imagine the glory of the new heavens and the new earth.

So, in the face of present suffering we have been saved in Christ and we will have future glory in Christ.   We need to cling to this promise in order to persevere in suffering – the weight of suffering is nothing compared to the glory of eternity.

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.  (11) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  (12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  (13) For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul.  In our verses today Paul warns his readers to examine themselves to see if they really belong in faith to Christ. If indeed, is the qualifying phrase in verse 9 and Paul tells us the mark of the Spirit is the best way to tell if we are saved. At the moment we have faith in Christ we are transformed – justified and made right with God and indwelt by the Spirit. The believer as a new man/woman in holiness is distinguished from the world by his/her actions –  The faithful are marked by the fruits of the Holy Spirit and want to live to please God. They are separate from being in Adam. .

In faith we are no longer subject to spiritual death.  Unbelievers are hostile to God and their depraved nature in Adam is not changed. They are in the state of spiritual death and are separated from God. They are incapable of pleasing God. If they live in the flesh they will die in the flesh and will suffer eternal death and separation from God.

If we are right with God by free grace through Jesus Christ, our sins are covered. We are new men and women; the Spirit lives in us and we shall enter eternal life in Christ. Verse 1 of Chapter 8, Romans tells us there is no condemnation for those who live in Christ – that they are free from the law of sin and death. The believer still has the sinful nature despite being a new man. But we are justified in Christ and now are in the process of sanctification –  which ends with our physical deaths.  We are free in Christ to follow our now heart’s desire to please God and live holy, (separate from this world), lives.

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (8) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more.  Death no longer has dominion over Him.  (10) For the death that he died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  (11) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead, indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul.  In chapter 6 of Romans, Paul addresses grace apart from the new life we have in the risen Christ – justification by faith is accompanied by grace to empower us to live a holy life.  Christ died on account of sin as a perfect ransom/sacrifice acceptable to God and God justifies sinners by grace alone through faith alone with no merit on our part at all.

At the moment of faith we receive salvation and our sins are covered by Christ as the old depraved nature is transformed – we begin the lifelong process of sanctification and are baptized as a public affirmation of this reality.  In ancient days baptism followed/accompanied conversion and was a physical act symbolic of our union with Christ.   Baptism is the spiritual reality of our new nature (which happened at the moment of faith) and water baptism symbolizes this today.  If we died to sin in Christ we cannot still live in sin. This does not mean we are immune to temptation or acts of sin.

If we partake of the union with Christ in death through faith, it follows that we shall partake in eternal life in union with the risen Christ.  In faith there is a decisive break with sin and a new life in God.  Christ paid the penalty for sin and provides the power to overcome sin on a daily basis and we must live in this thought as free men and women.