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 firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. (24) For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? (25) But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (26) 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 groanings 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 towering letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. He wants us to understand two certainties and a practical conclusion; the present time is marked by suffering because of man’s fall into sin. And the future will be glory for believers as God fulfills all His promises to us. If we keep our eyes on the future promised glory, then we can endure present sufferings with perseverance and hope. Paul’s “suffering of the present time” refers to the entire present age. The whole history of creation since the fall is marked by suffering. Paul personifies creation as groaning as it awaits the culmination of salvation for God’s people – that will trigger the release from corruption to which all creation has been subject since Adam and Eve fell into sin. This judgment on Adam included a judgment on creation including the botanical world but also the animal world came under this curse.

Paul’s intent in these verses is clear – he wants to encourage us because the Holy Spirit is praying for us. A sense of our own weakness will drive us to pray – we do not pray as frequently as we should. As we know not how to pray the Spirit teaches us – we don’t know what to pray for and cannot tell what is really best for us so the Spirit gives our desires a language heard and understood of God. It is encouraging in our verses that God does not confront or condemn us for being weak but He sends His Spirit to help us which extends to our prayer life. We do not know how to pray as we should – here Paul is not talking about the method of prayer, but the content. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness on an emotional level and helps us by interceding for us according to the will of God.

The groanings Paul writes of are groanings of the children of God – those who believe. Now is the day of salvation. Now is the accepted time you may embrace the cross of Christ who offered the atoning sacrifice by which we may have eternal life. May God help us to come to Christ. May you know Him now.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,(2) with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, (3) endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (4) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; (5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism; (6) one God and Father of all who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (7) But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ……..(11) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to be a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul, while he was in chains in Rome for preaching the gospel. In our verses today the apostle exhorts readers to walk worthy of their vocation, characterized by humility meekness, long suffering, and zeal to promote spiritual unity and peace. This unity is consistent with great diversity of gifts – various classes of ministers, evangelists and pastors who are teachers for the edification of the church and to bring all its members unity of faith and knowledge (doctrine). But often those churches that promote unity do so with scant concern with sound doctrine. There are forces urging us to set aside doctrinal differences. For Christian unity we must make sure we all are founded on the biblical basis – biblical unity built in the trust that there is one Spirit. The Spirit is the agent of regeneration or new birth

The church is one because it has one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father who is through and in all its members. There is no doctrine of Scripture more plainly revealed than the Spirit of God who dwells in all believers and that His presence is the ultimate ground of unity as the body of Christ. One body is not an exhortation but a declaration; all believers are in Christ. There is one Spirit which is the life of the body and dwells in all members. It is demanded of us that we love our brethren and live at peace with them.

The universal church is that body of individuals – all believers – bound together in unity. C.S. Lewis writes in ‘Mere Christianity’ that we can assert that it is required for “The Big Idea” to have a concise, ultimate list of the essentials of the Christian faith. This quote could lead us to say that the essential of essentials is “that there is one God and that Jesus Christ is His only Son.”

Beloved, let us love one other; for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (8) He who does not love does not know God for God is love. (9) In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (10) In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John was written by the apostle John – he was the last of the apostles to die. In our verses John emphasized the imperative of love. He wanted to make sure we understand love is not an optional virtue for the believer and may be the distinguishing mark of the Christian church in this world. Basically he says that if we do not love others we do not know God. It is the inevitable result of being born again of God, not the automatic result and there is always room for growth. We are to exercise wise discernment – some minor doctrinal differences are not essential to gospel and we need to love those who differ from us in these matters. But some doctrine is important to live a Christian life. Some issues fall in the gray zone where salvation may not be at stake but to embrace a particular view will have enormous consequences. But there is doctrine where believing or rejecting makes the difference of heaven or hell. In these matters there is no compromise. To deny the substitutionary atonement of Christ by grace through faith in Christ apart from our works would be to deny the gospel.

We should love one another because God is love. The supreme illustration of love in the world is the Father sending His Son to die for our sins. The biblical definition of love shows itself in seeking the highest good of the one loved. This love, the nature of God, is in those who are born again – God’s love is perfected in us. He/she that loves not knows not God. Love is the very essence of our new nature and must be manifested toward all who are the objects of the love of God

John exhorts us to love an authentic love which is the issue of Christian love and obligation. Love is of God. Everyone who loves God has the source of that love in God. Sometimes we confuse human love with divine love as we are not reliable interpreters of the spiritual experience of others. This May (today in fact) is the month of my natural birth and this May is also the month of my sobriety date; 37 years sober. Since we are speaking of love I’m quoting the first 3 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protection and care with complete abandon.
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand Him.

My little children, let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth. (19) And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. (20) For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (21) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. (22) And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (23) And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (24) Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

1 John was written by the apostle John, who also wrote one of the gospels. Our verses give us guidelines to watch for false teachers who adopt Christian terminology but they are not Christian. They begin subtly to veer from truth to justify their sin and deny Scripture. They may love the acclaim of being popular or may seek financial reward. There has never been a perfect church – even the early church had gone through the damage of false teachers. John warns his readers to beware of anyone who breaks from the true church to form a new group with new theology; those who abandon core Christian truth or deviate from orthodox Christian doctrine on major issues.

We need to think biblically on some issues. John was more concerned about purity of doctrine than he was about church growth or unity. We are not to measure a church’s success by the number who attend but rather by its faithfulness to the truth of the gospel. The faithful have been anointed with the indwelling Spirit. Sound doctrine and spiritual knowledge is not restricted to some elite inner circle but is inextricably linked with a personal relationship with God. A major theme throughout the New Testament is that God’s people need to develop discernment so they can avoid spiritual deception. We should beware of any that leave the church with new theology or offer new truth that others have missed. We should also be discerning of doctrine – to avoid spiritual deception by abiding in the Word (Bible) and by the guidance of the Spirit.

The point of our verses is the gospel is NOT the result of philosophic speculation or mystical revelation. It is the witness to Jesus Christ Himself written in the New Testament by men who had seen the risen Lord. The gospel introduces us to a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Learning to listen with discernment means you begin to recognize the voice of God so well that other voices sound unfamiliar..