Right after Hurricane Henry, this week we see Hurricane Irma, which is an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane with 180 mph winds that hit Cuba, the Caribbean and continued to Florida. Once in a generation storms are happening with more and more regularity. People speculate that this change in weather is due to climate change, pollution, manufacturing, urban planning and various other factors. Regardless of the immediate reason, it is obvious that things are not functioning the way they should.
Humanity and Creation was originally created good. The sinful choice of Adam in rebellion to God, as representative for humanity, resulted in the fall (Gen. 3:17–19). Humanity now has to contend with pain, sickness, disease, famine, murder and war. All as a result of sin. But these effects are not restricted to humanity. Nature itself, suffered the effects of sin. All these effects for humanity also extended to the general physical realm as well. As a result, both nature and humanity await physical redemption, a Restored Identity, to what they were before the fall. The Holy Spirit is the firstfruits of this Restored Identity. He resides in us as a promise that restoration will come. What a thrilling salvation we have: free from the penalty of sin because Christ died for us (Romans 5); free from the power of sin because we died with Christ to the flesh Romans 6) and to the Law (Romans 7); and someday we shall be free from the very presence of sin when nature is delivered from bondage (Romans 8) ( Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (p. 389). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.).
But, what do we do when the world around us is in chaos? Although proper physical stewardship of ourselves and the planet is helpful, this is not where our actions should end. As we wait in patient hope for our Restored Identity, we need to call out for the Spirit to help us in our present weakness. Even when we don’t know exactly what to pray for, our faith trusts Him to intercede for us. Waiting does not me inactivity. Waiting is the active, patient faith of one who longs for our Restored Identity in God.
While we await our Restored Identity in God we experience:
1) The Groaning of Creation (Romans 8:19–22), 2) The Groaning of Believers (Romans 8:23–25), 3) The Groaning of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26–27)
1) The Groaning of Creation (Romans 8:19–22)
Romans 8:19–22 19 For the creation waits with eager longing 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 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (ESV)
The first groan is the personified lament coming from the created universe as it now exists in the corrupted condition caused by the Fall. The “eager/ anxious longing” (Apokaradokia) is an especially vivid word that literally refers to watching with outstretched head, and suggests standing on tiptoes with the eyes looking ahead with intent expectancy. The prefix apo adds the idea of fixed absorption and concentration on that which is anticipated. “The creation” is standing on tiptoes, as it were, as it “waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God”. Jews were familiar with God’s promise of a redeemed world, a renewed creation. In behalf of the Lord, Isaiah predicted, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isa. 65:17). Jews anticipated a glorious time when all pain, oppression, slavery, anxiety, sorrow, and persecution would end and the Lord would establish His own perfect kingdom of peace and righteousness. Creation does not here include the heavenly angels, who, although created beings, are not subject to corruption. The term obviously does not include Satan and his host of fallen angels, the demons. They have no desire for a godly, sinless state and know they are divinely sentenced to eternal torment. Believers are not included in that term either, because they are mentioned separately in verses 23–25. Nor is Paul referring to unbelievers. The only remaining part of creation is the nonrational part, including animals and plants and all inanimate things such as the mountains, rivers, plains, seas, and heavenly bodies. Jews were familiar with such a personification of nature. Isaiah had used it when he wrote that “The wilderness and the desert will be glad, and the Arabah will rejoice and blossom” (Isa. 35:1), and later that “the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands” (Isa. 55:12).
That creation: “waits with eager longing” translates a form of the verb apekdechomai, which refers to waiting in great anticipation but with patience. The form of the Greek verb gives the added connotations of readiness, preparedness, and continuance until the expected event occurs. God intended that the animals rejoice in the presence of those who have been given dominion over them, but now the animals suffer because of us, and they are no longer comfortable when we intrude into their domain (Sproul, R. C. (2009). Romans (p. 271). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.).
Creation waits with eager longing for the “revealing” This “revealing translates apokalupsis, which refers to an uncovering, unveiling, or revelation. It is this word from which the English name of the book of Revelation is derived (see Rev. 1:1). The world does not comprehend who Christians really are. In his first epistle, John explained to fellow believers: “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1). In the present age, the world is unable to distinguish absolutely between Christians and nonbelievers. People who call themselves Christians walk, dress, and talk much like everyone else. Many unbelievers have high standards of behavior. On the other hand, unfortunately, many professing Christians give little evidence of salvation. But at the appointed time God will reveal those who are truly His. Therefore, the “revealing” of which Paul speaks is not only a disclosure of what we have always been but also a dynamic process by which the status we now have in preliminary form and in hiddenness will be brought to its final stage and made publicly evident (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 515). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
This will be a “revealing of the sons of God” when Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then [believers] also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4). At that time, all believers will be eternally separated from sin and their unredeemed humanness, to be glorified with Christ’s own holiness and splendor.
Before the Fall, no weeds or poisonous plants, no thorns or thistles or anything else existed that could cause humanity misery or harm. But after the Fall, as verse 20 specifies, “the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly/of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it. Mataiotes (futility) carries the idea of being without success, of being unable to achieve a goal or purpose. Because of Adam’s sin, no part of nature now exists as God intended it to be and as it originally was. The verb was subjected indicates by its form that nature did not curse itself but was cursed by something or someone else. Paul goes on to reveal that the curse on nature was executed by its Creator. God Himself subjected it to futility. Although various environmental organizations and government agencies today make noble attempts to protect and restore natural resources and regions, they are helpless to turn the tide of corruption that has continually devastated both people and their environment since the Fall. Such is the destructiveness of sin that one person’s disobedience brought corruption to the entire universe. Since then, the world has suffered decay and pollution, largely because people have forgotten or ignored their responsibilities as stewards of the earth. (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (p. 159). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Decay, disease, pain, death, natural disaster, pollution, and all other forms of evil will never cease until the One who sent the curse removes it and creates a new heaven and a new earth (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1). Nature’s destiny is inseparably linked to humanity’s. Because Adam sinned, the rest of creation was corrupted with him. Likewise, when humanity’s glory is divinely restored, the natural world will be restored as well. Therefore, Paul says, there is hope even for the natural creation itself, which, as verse 21 specifies, will be set free from its bondage/slavery to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. In other words, just as Adam’s sin brought corruption to the universe, so humanity’s restoration to righteousness will be accompanied by the restoration of the earth and its universe to their divinely-intended perfection and glory (Rev. 21:1, 4–5). It is for that promised time of redemption and restoration that all nature groans in hope and expectation. As with “was subjected” in the previous verse, the verb will be set free is passive, indicating that nature will not restore itself but will be restored by God, who Himself long ago subjected it to corruption and futility. We might also note that the idea of creation being “set free” strongly suggests that the ultimate destiny of creation is not annihilation but transformation (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 517). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Please turn to 1 Corinthians 15 (p.962)
As exciting as the restoration of the natural world is, it is the restoration of humanity that has a more personal bearing for the redeemed. “The freedom of the glory of the children of God refers to the time when all believers will be liberated from sin, liberated from the flesh, and liberated from their humanness. At that time we will begin to share eternally in God’s own glory, with which God will clothe all His precious children. In describing that glorious day, Paul wrote:
1 Corinthians 15:51–54 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (ESV) (cf. 1 John 3:2)
• It is impossible for our finite minds to comprehend such divine mysteries. But by God’s own Holy Spirit within us we can believe all of His revealed truth and rejoice with absolute and confident hope that our eternal life with our Father in heaven is secure (Phil. 3:20-21).
We also acknowledge with the apostle that nature also awaits with hope for our redemption, a redemption it will share with us in its own way. But until that wonderful day and in anticipation of it, the whole creation, as verse 22 explains, has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. “Groaning” (Stenazo) refers to the utterances of a person who is caught in a dreadful situation and has no immediate prospect of deliverance. The groaning and suffering of the creation will one day cease, because God will deliver it from its corruption and futility. In the meanwhile, it endures the pains of childbirth. Like Eve, whose sin brought the curse of painful human childbirth (Gen. 3:16), nature endures its own kind of labor pains. But also like Eve and her descendants, nature’s pains of childbirth signal new life. Just as the pains of childbirth end at the birth of the child, so the groaning and pain of the creation will end at the birth of the new earth.( Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (p. 161). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Quote: D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote with deep insight: “I wonder whether the phenomenon of the Spring supplies us with a part answer. Nature every year, as it were, makes an effort to renew itself, to produce something permanent; it has come out of the death and the darkness of all that is so true of the Winter. In the Spring it seems to be trying to produce a perfect creation, to be going through some kind of birth-pangs year by year. But unfortunately it does not succeed, for Spring leads only to Summer, whereas Summer leads to Autumn, and Autumn to Winter. Poor old nature tries every year to defeat the “vanity,” the principle of death and decay and disintegration that is in it. But it cannot do so. It fails every time. It still goes on trying, as if it feels things should be different and better; but it never succeeds. So it goes on “groaning and travailing in pain together until now.” It has been doing so for a very long time … but nature still repeats the effort annually”. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Romans [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1980], 6:59–60).
While we await our Restored Identity in God we experience:
2) The Groaning of Believers (Romans 8:23–25)
Romans 8:23–25 23 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. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (ESV)
Not only does the natural creation groan for deliverance from the destructive consequences of sin into the promised new universe, but we ourselves, that is, believers. It is the redemption of believers that is central to God’s ultimate cosmic regeneration, because believers-as His own children, redeemed and adopted into His heavenly family through faith in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ-are the heirs of His glorious, eternal, and righteous kingdom.
Every true believer agonizes at times over the appalling manifestations and consequences of sin-in their own life, in the lives of others, and even in the natural world. Because we have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we are spiritually sensitized to the corruption of sin in and around us. Because the Holy Spirit now indwells us (Rom. 8:9), His work in us and through us is a type of spiritual first fruits. They are a foretaste of the glory that awaits us in heaven, when our corrupted and mortal bodies are exchanged for ones that are incorruptible and immortal. Although we will not be totally free of sin’s power as long as we are in our present bodies, the Lord has given us complete victory over the dominion and bondage of sin. When we experience the Holy Spirit’s empowering us to turn from iniquity and to truly worship, serve, obey and love God, we have a taste of the future completed and perfected renewal He will work in us at the resurrection.
Because of our divinely-bestowed sensitivity to sin, we ourselves “groan inwardly/within ourselves” over the dreadful curse of sin that is still manifested by our remaining humanness. (Ps. 38:4-10; Rom. 7:24;2 Cor. 5:4). It is because we possess the Spirit as the first installment and pledge of our complete salvation that we groan, yearning for the fulfillment of that salvation to take place. The Spirit, then, functions to join inseparably together the two sides of the “already-not yet” eschatological tension in which we are caught. “Already,” through the indwelling presence of God’s Spirit, we have been transferred into the new age of blessing and salvation; but the very fact that the Spirit is only the “first fruits” makes us sadly conscious that we have “not yet” severed all ties to the old age of sin and death. A healthy balance is necessary in the Christian life, in which our joy at the many blessings we already possess should be set beside our frustration at our failures and our intense yearning for that day when we will fail no more—when “we shall be like him.”( Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 520). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Therefore as believers, “we wait eagerly” in anticipation of “adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. The New Testament speaks of believers as those who are already the adopted children of God, but whose adoption awaits ultimate perfection. Just as there is never salvation that is not completed, neither is there divine adoption that is never completed. A child of God need never fear that they might be cast out of their spiritual family or never enter our heavenly home. (2 Cor. 1:21–22; 1 Pet. 1:3–5. cf. 2 Tim. 2:19). Believers should be concerned about sin in their lives, but not because they might sin themselves out of God’s grace. Because of God’s promise and power, that is impossible. Until we are glorified and fully liberated from sin through the redemption of our bodies, we still have unredeemed bodies that make it very much possible for sin to harm us and to grieve our Lord. As the term is often used in the New Testament, body is not limited to a person’s physical being but relates to the whole of our unredeemed humanness, in particular to the remaining susceptibility to sin. It is only the body, the mortal humanness of a believer, that is yet to be redeemed . (1 Cor. 15:35–41). The inner person is already a completely new creation, a partaker of God’s nature and indwelt by God’s Spirit. (2 Cor. 5:17; 2 Pet. 1:3-4). The notion that we are children of God, his own sons and daughters … is the (driving force) of Christian living … Our sonship to God is the apex of creation and the goal of redemption. (Sinclair Ferguson, Children of the Living God. Banner of Truth. pages 5–6)
Please turn to Hebrews 6 (p.1004)
Paul continues to explain in verse 24, that in this hope we were saved. Hope is inseparable from salvation. Our salvation was planned by God in ages past, bestowed in the present, and is now characterized by hope for its future completion. The believer’s hope is not based on wishful thinking or probability, but on the integrity of the clear promises of the Lord. Our hope is not that we might not lose our salvation but that, by our Lord’s own guarantee, we cannot and will not lose it.
In order to point up the absolute and incontrovertible security of those who trust in Jesus Christ, the writer of Hebrews declared:
Hebrews 6:17-20 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (ESV)
• God the Son also secures the believer’s salvation. “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me,” Jesus declared, “and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). (1 Cor. 1:6–8; cf. Col. 1:22; 1 Thess. 3:13, 5:24). Paul refers to our hope of salvation as a helmet, symbolizing our divine protection from the blows of doubt that Satan sends to crush our hope (1 Thess. 5:8).
It is true, on the other hand, that the completion of our salvation is presently a hope and not yet a reality. Explaining the obvious, Paul states the axiomatic truth that hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he sees? In other words, in this life we cannot expect to experience the reality of our glorification but only the hope of it. But since the believer’s hope is based on God’s promise, the completion of our salvation is more certain by far than anything he sees with his eyes.
Therefore, Paul continues in verse 25, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience/perseverance. It is for their faithfully holding to that hope that Paul commends the Thessalonians, assuring them that he, Silvanus, and Timothy were “constantly bearing in mind [their] work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you” (1 Thess. 1:3–4). In other words, our certainty of salvation does not rest in our choosing God but in His choosing us, even “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).
Poem:
Since we “hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” As 2 Cor. 4:18 says: “We fix our eyes not on the things that are seen, but on the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal” In the meantime, as William Cowper said: “Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread. Are big with mercy and shall break, In blessings on your head. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour, The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower”. (William Cowper, 1772, as cited in Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Vol. 12–13, p. 273). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
Finally, while we await our Restored Identity in God we experience:
2) The Groaning of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26–27)
Romans 8:26–27 26 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. 27 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 (ESV)
“Likewise/In the same way” refers back to the groans of the creation and of believers for redemption from the corruption and defilement of sin. Here Paul reveals the immeasurably comforting truth that the Holy Spirit comes alongside us and all creation in groaning for God’s ultimate day of restoration and His eternal reign of righteousness.
Because of our remaining humanness and susceptibility to sin and doubt, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. In this context, weakness doubtless refers to our human condition in general, not to specific weaknesses. The point is that, even after salvation, we are characterized by spiritual weakness. Acting morally, speaking the truth, witnessing for the Lord, or doing any other good thing happens only by the power of the Spirit working in and through us despite our human limitations. Thus ‘the children of God have two divine intercessors’, writes John Murray. ‘Christ is their intercessor in the court of heaven …,’ while ‘the Holy Spirit is their intercessor in the theatre of their own hearts.’(Stott, J. R. W. (2001). The message of Romans: God’s good news for the world (p. 244). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
Please turn to Philippians 2 (p.980)
Several times in his letter to the Philippians Paul beautifully pictures that divine-human relationship. Speaking of his own needs, he said, “I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:19). The Spirit supplies us with all we need to be faithful, effective, and protected children of God. In Philippians 2, Paul admonishes:
Philippians 2:12-13 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (ESV)
• While v. 12 may seem to suggest salvation by works, it is clear that Paul rejects any such teaching (cf. 3:2–11). In 2:12 Paul means “salvation” in terms of progressively coming to experience all of the aspects and blessings of salvation. The Philippians’ continued obedience is an inherent part of “working out” their salvation in this sense. But as v. 13 demonstrates, these works are the result of God’s work within his people. The Spirit of God works unrelentingly in us to do what we could never do alone-bring about the perfect will of God. Without our be content with past glories, we need to demonstrate our faith day by day as we nurture our relationship with God (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2284). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
To make clear how the Spirit works, Paul turns to the subject of prayer. Although we are redeemed and absolutely secure in our adoption as God’s children, nevertheless we do not know how to pray for as we ought/should. Paul does not elaborate on our inability to pray for as we ought, but his statement is all-encompassing. Because of our imperfect perspectives, finite minds, human frailties, and spiritual limitations, we are not able to pray in absolute consistency with God’s will. Many times we are not even aware that spiritual needs exist, much less know how best they should be met. Even the Christian who prays sincerely, faithfully, and regularly cannot possibly know God’s purposes concerning all of his own needs or the needs of others for whom he prays. Even the apostle Paul, who lived so near to God and so faithfully and sacrificially proclaimed His gospel, did not always know how best to pray. He knew, for example, that God had allowed Satan to inflict him with an unspecified “thorn in the flesh.” That affliction guarded Paul against pride over being “caught up into Paradise.” But after a while Paul became weary of the infirmity, which doubtless was severe, and he prayed earnestly that it might be removed. After three entreaties, the Lord told Paul that he should be satisfied with the abundance of divine grace by which he was already sustained in the trial (2 Cor. 12:3–9). Paul’s request did not correspond to the Lord’s will for him at that time. Even when we do not know what God wants, the indwelling Spirit Himself intercedes for us, bringing our needs before God even when we do not know what they are or when we pray about them unwisely.
Paul emphasizes that our help is from “the Spirit Himself”. His “help” (sunantilambanetai) refers to a person coming alongside another to take part of a heavy load and help him bear it.( Boice, J. M. (1991–). Romans: The Reign of Grace (Vol. 2, p. 888). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.) His divine help not only is personal but direct. The Spirit does not simply provide our security but is Himself our security. The Spirit intercedes on our behalf in a way, Paul says, that is totally beyond human comprehension, with groanings too deep for words. The Holy Spirit unites with us in our desire to be freed from our corrupted earthly bodies and to be with God forever in our glorified heavenly bodies. To understand, the groanings of the Spirit are not utterances in unknown tongues, much less ecstatic gibberish that has no rational content. As Paul says explicitly, the groans are not even audible and are inexpressible in words. Yet those groans carry profound content, namely divine appeals for the spiritual welfare of each believer. In a way infinitely beyond our understanding, these groanings represent what might be called intertrinitarian communication, divine articulations by the Holy Spirit to the Father. No passage of Scripture provides greater encouragement for prayer. The Spirit comes to the aid of believers baffled by the perplexity of prayer and takes their concerns to God with an intensity far greater than we could ever imagine. Our groans (v. 23) become his (v. 26) as he intercedes on our behalf (Mounce, R. H. (1995). Romans (Vol. 27, p. 187). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Finally in verse 27, we can know: And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit is. He refers to God the Father, who searches hearts of people . In the process of selecting a successor to King Saul, the Lord told Samuel, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon prayed, “then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind),” (1 Kings 8:39; cf. 1 Chron. 28:9; Ps. 139:1–2; Prov.15:11). When they were choosing between Joseph Barsabbas and Matthiasas a successor for Judas, the eleven apostles prayed, “And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen” (Acts 1:24; cf. 1 Cor. 4:5; Heb. 4:13).
Since the Father knows the hearts of all, how much more does He know the mind of the Spirit. The Father understands exactly what the Spirit is thinking because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Because the Spirit’s will and the Father’s will are identical, and because God is one, Paul’s statement seems unnecessary. But he is pointing to the truth in order to give encouragement to believers. Because the three persons of the God-head have always been one in essence and will, the very idea of communication among them seems superfluous to us. It is a great mystery to our finite minds, but it is a divine reality that God expects His children to acknowledge by faith. Yet, the joy for the believer is that God always answers the requests of the Spirit in the affirmative, since the Spirit always prays “according to the will of God” (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2171). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Every day reminds us that things are not as they should be. Storms, disease, famine, conflict and war continue to show the destructive power of sin. Thanks be to God, this is not the end of the story. The resurrection of Christ and the residence of the Holy Spirit within us, reminds us and should assure us that God will transform all that is wrong to what is right. As we patiently wait for this and pray, even in this, we can be assured that God hears our prayers and will accomplish His good and gracious will.
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans (pp. 452–471). Chicago: Moody Press.)
