The Spirit Helps Us

The pastor is giving a sermon titled "The Spirit Helps Us" based on Romans chapter 8. He discusses the sufferings of the present time compared to the future glory that will be revealed to believers. The sermon emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in helping believers in their weaknesses and the promise of redemption for their bodies. The pastor encourages patience and reminds listeners that the Holy Spirit is their helper. The following message is brought to you by the people of Redeemer Church of Piketon, Ohio. For more information, please visit RedeemerPiketon.org. And now, here's Pastor Jason Booth with the message. So, with your Bibles turned to Romans chapter 8, we will begin in verse 18, and we will read through verse 30. The title of the message is simply this, The Spirit Helps Us. The Spirit Helps Us. And now we pray that the Lord of Glory would add His blessings to the Word as we read together, beginning in verse 18 of Romans chapter 8, the Word of the Living God. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay, and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 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. For in this hope we were saved. Now, hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 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. 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. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. The Word of the living God, and may his name be forever praised. And we only ask now that the Lord would send the Holy Spirit of God to empower our hearing and to bless and to sustain the preaching of this Word today. For all our sakes we ask these things through Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen. Last Sunday we spoke about being perfected forever. And we talked at length about the glorious salvation that we have in Christ, the glorious sanctification we have in Christ. And yet it doesn't take much for us to look around this world and say, I don't feel perfect. And if we're even more honest, I don't act in a perfect way. Tempers flare. Emotions surge. Patience finds itself pushed back in a corner. Hurtful words are said. Devious motives are undertaken. And so we have all of this perfection in Christ. The Scripture is clear. We are saved. We are perfected forever. Why? Because we've been sanctified wholly by the blood of Jesus Christ. And yet here we see in Romans the promise of future glory. The promise is given us that yes, you have had a foretaste of glory divine in the experience of salvation as the imputed righteousness of Christ is granted to His people here and now. And we have certain benefits. We can go to the Lord. We can beseech the throne room of grace for any and all of our needs. The Bible says we can approach with boldness. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. We have salvation that has been imputed to us from the righteousness of another. We have true and lasting benefits. Even now we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. And yet the Scripture still says in verse 18 that there are sufferings in this present time. What are the sufferings? It's not just a head cold or the sniffles. It's not just the flu or cancer or various ailments and diseases. The sufferings that we go through are more numerous than just those who might hate us for the name of Christ. The sufferings spoken of here include those things. But beloved, there is a suffering that we go through as His children. Because the Scripture says we wait eagerly for adoption as sons. As we wait eagerly for the redemption of what? Of our bodies. Why are we praying each and every day just as creation groans to be recreated? Why do God's people seek to be glorified with Him? Why do we seek the redemption of our bodies? And here's why. We will no longer struggle with sin when we are glorified. As I was studying the text today, wondering how it is that I could flesh this out just a little bit, I realized that I didn't need a whole lot of examples. Because each of you are your own example. If by the Lord's grace He permits you just one honest glimpse into your own life, you'll see what manner of man or woman you are. You don't need the preacher to have some slick three-point or four-point message to deliver that to you. You know that the heart is desperately wicked. Who can know it? And yet through the Spirit, we can see us for what we really are. And luckily, fortuitously, providentially, we can look up from whence cometh our help and say, Oh God, save me a wretched sinner. I groan for the day when I won't study sin anymore. When I won't have to struggle against it. And I know that every single day will be a day of absolute perfection in the presence of Almighty God. Yes, it will be great that disease won't ravage our bodies. Yes, it will be great that our friendships won't be broken over the most trivial of things. Yes, it will be great that people won't hate us for no good reason. But beloved, the inner struggle with sin that we endure every single day, the consciousness of our inadequacies every day, our confession of our sin every day, because that's what God's people do. We confess and we praise Him because we know there's coming a day when sin will be no more. Why? Because our bodies will be redeemed. Verse 24 says, For in this hope we were saved. I was saved because I believed the Gospel as the Lord gave me ears to hear and a heart to believe it. The work was done by Christ. I'm not saved because of my faith. I'm saved because God granted me faith in Christ. Christ is the object of our faith. And yet I know that in this world, just because I've become a Christian, doesn't mean that everything just comes up roses. Why? Because even the creation groans. The Bible says the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. There's going to be a great revelation one day. The return of Christ. His glory. And all the things that He's going to make new, including beloved, His own people. We are saved. And yet the Lord has been pleased to leave us right here in these flesh and blood bodies in this fallen world. There's coming a day when He's going to make all things new. Did you think that didn't include you? It includes you and I. The Scripture says so. The Bible says, for in this hope we were saved. And the Scripture then goes on to say, hold on. Hold on. Be patient. The work that God is doing in the here and in the now is not yet complete. If it were, Christ would return. So what do we got? What do we have to stem the tide? Who did the Lord Jesus Christ promise He would send in order to keep us and guide us into all truth? The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit of God who would testify of Christ. Who would abide with us and comfort us forever. And in verse 26, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. Are you thankful for the convicting power of the Holy Spirit? I am. I don't serve a God who's going to bop me on the head and throw me into the ditch every time I fail Him. I serve a God who will pick me up in the midst of my failures and remind me that I'm His own. I serve a God who comes to me with healing in His wings. Who brings, as it were, that balm of Gilead. Who comes to comfort me in my weakness. The Spirit of God who testifies of Christ promises to never leave or forsake me. Because Jesus said the Spirit would abide with us forever. And He helps us, the Bible says in verse 26, in our weakness. And so we are saved. We are sanctified. We are filled with the Holy Spirit of Almighty God. And yet we live here, in these bodies, in this fallen world. And we will struggle. And we will fight sin. We will face temptation every single day. But I want to remind you that those days are numbered. We're going to see that as the Lord recreates all things. And right now we eagerly await the redemption of our bodies. And so who has God sent to comfort us during this time? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is here to help us. God the Holy Spirit dwells within His people. God the Holy Spirit is who empowers the Gospel when we preach. To see souls saved. To see lives touched. To see Christian people edified. When we sing those songs of Zion. We sing the hymns. We sing the spiritual songs. None of those songs will have any efficacy in and of themselves. But as that Gospel truth is being sung, the Scripture says we can comfort one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. But who is the comforter? God the Holy Ghost. You can share the Gospel with a friend or a neighbor. You can share the Scriptures. And those are all laudable things. But unless and until the Holy Spirit accompanies those words, they won't change anybody. But I'm thankful the Spirit is my helper. I'm thankful that the Bible calls Him the paraclete. The one who comes alongside to assist. Isn't it nice when you're out and about? Maybe toiling in the yard, and a neighbor comes over with a rake to help you rake weeds or to assist you in some form or fashion. And all of a sudden, your workload just got cut in half. Why? Because someone came alongside you. Maybe you're broken down on a back road, and some stranger pulls up. And you don't know what to expect, but here they come with a box of tools and some know-how. And next thing you know, it's not as tough to get by when you've got someone who comes alongside you. Jesus said, I will not leave you comfortless. I'll not leave you. That day on Calvary's Hill, I can just about guess that the enemy of our soul was Giddy. Here's the Lord of Glory, beaten and bloodied hoisted up on a cross for all to see in his shame, hanging there stark naked, mocked and derided of men, reviled by the religious leadership of the day. And Jesus may have been leaving in bodily form, but the world had no idea that Jesus would be sending another Comforter. Beloved, the Spirit is here in his fullness to help us. The Spirit testifies of Jesus. The Bible says the Spirit seals us until the day of redemption. Jesus died on that old cross for the victory, not in defeat. He took the keys of death, hell, and the grave. He split time in half. And he saved his people. Hallelujah forevermore. And he sent the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit who would live and abide in us in fullness. And out of our bellies would flow this river of living water. This, he says, of the Spirit. I thank the Lord for the Holy Spirit of God. I thank the Lord that He comes to comfort me, to assist me, to come alongside me, to empower me, not just in the preaching of the Gospel, but in my daily life. I need the encouragement that only God can give me. As I read this Word, the Spirit testifies of the truth of this Word to my old heart. And I know that the Lord has never left me and He'll never leave me nor forsake me. The Scripture declares this to be true. And how did the Lord seal this? By sending the Holy Spirit of God in power. Hallelujah. The Spirit helps us, beloved. And because the Spirit helps us, the Bible says the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Have you ever had someone go your way? Maybe in school you were bullied by an older classmate. And you had a friend that was older than them who showed up to help you. And all of a sudden, a fourth grader shows up to pick on you, that second grader. And you had a secret weapon because on the bus that morning, you talked to a seventh grader to come on down and show that kid who's boss, right? And all of a sudden, the tables are turned, right? You had an intercessor. Someone to go between you and the problem. Someone to go between you and the answer. Our intercessor. The Bible says is Christ the Lord. He's our one mediator. But who has He sent to intercede on our behalf in His stead in the here and now to comfort us and to abide with us? The Bible says the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We might not even know what to pray for as we ought. But the Bible declares the Spirit of God handles all of that for us. I love how some would say in verse 26 that these groanings that are too deep for words is some reference to a prayer language. No, the Bible says these groanings are too deep for words. So there are not even words here. We're talking about the Spirit of God going ahead and handling things. I'm glad I serve a God who goes ahead and handles some things. What do the kids call that? Standing on business. The Lord. He handles things. The Spirit of God helps us. The Spirit of God is there to assist us. And the Spirit of God is there to guarantee the redemption of the purchased possession. That's you and I, beloved. For those whom He foreknew. Why is it that we can say the Spirit of God is going to promise not just to promise us these things, but to fulfill these things? Verse 29, Paul tells us why we can trust the Spirit to be our great helper. Because God's got it all figured out. Verse 29. For those whom He foreknew. This means those whom He loved before time ever began. And not just the knowledge of somebody, but an intimate, loving knowledge. He also predestined. What does this mean? It means that you have a destiny that's been determined by God in love. What is this destiny? To be conformed to the image of His Son. Now here we talk about the already, not yet principle. We have been saved. We have the righteousness of Christ credited to us. Imputed to us. But we full well know that we can still be lying, thieving, mean old dogs in this world. And yet here we sit, saints of the Lord. What's going to change? Well, it's called glorification, beloved. There's coming a day when even these bodies will be redeemed. And in the meantime, the Spirit of God helps us to put up a standard against the enemy. To fight and to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. To fight against those wicked impulses. However imperfectly we do these things as an act of love and a reply of faith. We fight this good fight of faith, as it were. But we trust that one day all of these feeble efforts will just pale in comparison to the completed work that God Himself will do when He glorifies us and He recreates all things. We're going to be conformed to the image of His Son in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. Who's the firstborn among many brothers? The Lord Jesus Christ. Why are all these things happening? Because it pleases God. And God's will will prevail. Verse 30, And those who be predestined, He also called. He predestines you to glory. But you've got to be called in order to believe. So what does He do? He calls you. How does He call you? Through the preaching of the Gospel. Or how shall they hear except there be a preacher? I want you to understand that if you are predestined by the Lord, you will be called. In the preaching of the Gospel. In the Scripture. God will use His means to bring His elect home. And those whom He calls, He also justifies. Notice that it is the work of God to justify a sinner. It is not the work of the sinner. It is God's work. What is justification? Justification is being declared righteous in the court of Almighty God. Some have said it like this, I like this to a point. They say one way to remember justification is to say like this, Justified never sinned. And to a point I agree with that. Absolutely. It is being declared free of guilt. Pardoned. What a thought. And then the Scripture says this, Those whom He justified, He also glorified. Now beloved, does He call His people? Does He predestine His people? Yes. Did He foreknow His people? Yes. We'll start from the very beginning. We'll follow this chain. Did He foreknow His people? Yes. It's okay Baptist, you can say yes. I'm giving you permission. You can speak. He foreknew. Those whom He foreknew, did He predestine them? Yes. Those whom He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son? He sure did. What else did He do? And those that He predestined, He also called. Does He call His people? Yes. Amen. And those whom He also called, doesn't He justify them? Because isn't that the point of being called in the Gospel? Hallelujah forevermore. Yes. Well, that's four yeses beloved. Things we've seen. Things we've experienced. Things we know have happened. Because many of us by our own testimony can testify that these things have happened. But there's one thing coming that hasn't happened yet. And beloved, those whom He justifies, He also glorifies. And in the meantime, while we wait to put this struggle of sin and all the sins of this world, all the imperfections of this world, all the darkness of this life, while we wait for God to put an end to all these things, He has sent us the Great Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God, to help us, to guide us into all truth, to empower us with His Blessed Spirit, to do the work He calls us to do and to remind us that He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. He'll never let you go and He loves you more than you'll ever know. You are His and He's coming to redeem His purchased possession in full effect. That means these old bodies are going to be glorified. This attitude is going to be glorified. The propensities that we have toward sin and toward sloth and toward impatience and toward everything else, the things we have to fight with and pray about every day, those things are all going to be taken away and we are going to see Him as He is. And we do not yet know what we shall be, but we know this, we shall be like Him. Hallelujah, the Spirit helps us. I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit of God and I am waiting patiently for that redemption that's coming, not just for my mind, but for my body. Hallelujah forevermore. That's why the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared. Thank God for the Spirit. Thank God for our Helper. Thank God for His abiding grace and mercy. And thank God that He's already done the four. He will do the glorification. He will do it, beloved. We can trust Him because He is our all in all. He's proven it time and time again. Hallelujah, the Spirit helps us. Let us pray. Father, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit of God. Thank You for reminding us today, Lord, that while we live in these imperfect times, we live these imperfect lives, we trust, O God, that You are perfect and that You, Lord God, are making us into the image of Your Son. One day we will be perfectly glorified in Your presence. And we thank You for that. Thank You for the imputed righteousness of Christ in the here and in the now, that we might stand and be bold to enter that throne room during our prayer time, that we might approach Your throne with mercy, O God, through Jesus. We thank You for that lovely privilege. We thank You that You've opened our hearts toward this gospel message. We thank You, Lord, that You've sent the Spirit of God to comfort us and to guide us into all truth. And we are excited and thankful that one day You will glorify us and redeem these old bodies and this old world. We groan for the recreation of all things in Christ. And we thank You, Lord, for Your promises. In Jesus' name, amen, amen. You have just heard a message from Pastor Jason Booth of Redeemer Church of Piketon, Ohio. To learn more about the good news of Jesus, please visit RedeemerPiketon.org.