Lesson 35a

Okay, Lesson 35, and we're working our way through Chapter 8. Does it seem to you like we're going slow? Or going fast? And we're doing it about the right time? So, to put it in context, what we're going to talk about today I'm going to read 24, 25, and 26, because it kind of goes together. I'll start in 23.

And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see with perseverance, we wait eagerly for it.

26. And in the same way, the spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should. But the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. So the first question was, What does verse 24 and 25 explain to us about adoption? I know you stayed up all night worrying about that question, right? So if you didn't realize it, you were in hope you were saved. What does that mean?

Yeah, it goes back to 23, and what are we doing in 23? What are we all doing right now in terms of our salvation? Waiting. We're waiting. Yeah. Because we are saved and we know it, and we know to a greater or lesser degree what's included in that, but we're not abiding in it yet. You understand what I mean? It's future for us. And we know what's coming. We look forward to it. We really do wait for it because not so much... I think initially with a believer there's this attitude that I can't wait to get out of this cesspool.

But that's not what really happens. I can't wait to get home with my Lord. That changes everything. It changes your whole viewpoint in a way and how you look at things that go on in the world and the circumstances surrounding your life. It isn't, I've got to get out of here. It's that I really do want to be home with my Lord because that, He's my life and that's my home.

I'm made and suited out for there. I'm not suited for here, but at the same time, why am I here? I'm here to serve Him. That's the only reason that we're here is to serve Him. Now granted, He serves us, but It's just because of his nature and his character of love that our job is to serve him in whatever sphere of influence he puts us in.

It can be real little, it can be something that's high profile, but that's what we're here to do. So, what I wrote down is the sentence explains why Paul can speak of Christians waiting for adoption while they are nevertheless in the enjoyment of sonship. comprehend that sonship is something to be enjoyed? Oh, yes. Yeah, I think so. The fact that you know that you're a son and what that entails makes a huge difference in how you perceive your environment. Don't you think so? So it is because salvation is essentially related to the future But God is so faithful in how much information he gives us, he's not withholding everything. You know with one of the big tags on Wednesday night, we're doing a Genesis, right? So Satan goes to Eve, and you know what in essence he tells her?

God's holding something back. He didn't give you the whole story, and he's holding some blessing back. If there's anything that he's not doing with us is holding something back. If anybody's in the dark about it, it's their fault. It isn't what God is doing. He's laid it out and he continues to lay it out, not holding anything back. Yet believers sometimes you'll hear, you know, they start whining a little bit about, well, God hasn't done. And the question is, hasn't done what? What hasn't he done? What blessing do you not have? If Ephesians says, I've got them all, which one would I miss? I get nine out of ten?

Is he holding something back? But see, that same, that same approach Satan uses on us today. God's holding something back. You know, your life is a little too tough. I find that when I think God is holding something back from me, it's just my ignorance. that I don't know what he's given me. It's not his fault, it's my fault. Yeah, that's right. Or I don't believe what he's given me. Or you want something for the old man. That's exactly right. Or we don't know what peace is. We have no idea. Especially the peace that is described in the word as it passes understanding.

You know, you hear Two guys, you guys know Rich Johnson, he was here for a couple of years and then he moved to Arizona. He zooms in on our Bible study usually on Wednesday night. At 68 years old he comes to Christ in his car driving down the road. You know what he said? He said, I've experienced a peace like I've never known. See how the Spirit confirmed to him that he did the right thing? You're not looking for the experience, but the right thing was done and he knew it. That's why Hebrews 11-2, by it, the Spirit gave him witness. The Spirit witnesses to us that we are, in this case, the sons of God. That peace, all them years of anxiety and stress, just promotes that peace.

Maybe it's because I got saved at 35, I think that you're not really ready to get saved until you get beat up a little bit. You don't appreciate it. Yet I want every one of those little kids to get saved as quick as they can. You know, Mike, when it says the sub-base is essentially related to the future, I think, I know that has to be true, but I think in a sense it's a sealed deal for every believer right now.

It's no question about it. And that's why he could have that peace, because he's going, I know I'm in Christ right now. Oh, sure. The whole deal unfolds in the future, were just like set and sealed and secure forever. That's knowing, hidden in the now. Yeah, see, you know, these believers that get close to going home that really understand where they're going, they get anxious to get out of here. Why? I want to go. What am I doing here? Okay, question two.

What does it mean that if we see It's not hope. And not seeing is hope. Ask a Jew. What's a quick definition of hope? Future faith. Well, no, not future faith. A confident expectation. Yeah, I'm expecting something better. I'm hoping for something better. And in our case as believers, we know what it is. We have a total confidence in what it is. Now, earthly hope is, if I hope hard enough for it, maybe I'll get it and maybe I won't. But biblical hope is an absolute confidence that something better is coming.

And it's not a possession in the sense that I am experiencing it, but I know it's mine. I know it's mine. It's not an uncertain wish, it's a confident expectation. Yeah. Just by the fact that we haven't realized it yet, creates within us the grace which is so precious to God. You know what that grace is? Patience.

You know, this is kind of a weird thought, but we, you and I, live in time-space, right? Today's Sunday, tomorrow's Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. God lives in eternity. To him, everything is now. So I'm thinking, well, why do I have to live in time? I don't know. Wait. Well, nothing can exist. Well, isn't it, nothing exists except for time? I mean... Eternity exists. Yeah, but we don't experience that now. Yeah, from our perspective. From our, yeah. This thing that God really values in us is this thing called patience. Romans 5, the first few verses talk about that. Tribulation produces patience. How does that happen?

Because it's a trial. Would you say living today in 2019, on Sunday, June 30th, there's a trial. Sure it is, compared to what's coming. There won't be any of these trials when we go home to be with the Lord. So the point is, it's not patience just as an abstract idea, it's a reality, that we can afford to let God work things out. We're waiting for the coming, the liberty to be free from sin, the very presence of sin. into this incredible statement, to be free into the glory of the sons of God. Wow. If we see it and own it as a present fact, it is by faith through revelation. That's what faith is. If we know it but have not the revelation of it as a present fact regards us, it's hope. Now that doesn't mean that God doesn't reveal to you what's coming. But it isn't as a possession yet, because it isn't ours.

Like, we all possess salvation, don't we? Well, let me put it this way. Do we all possess forgiveness of sins? Yeah. You're absolutely convinced that you're saved and your sins aren't going to show up someplace down the road, right? Right. Yeah, I am too.

That's a present, by faith, something we own. But the glory to come, I don't own it yet, but I know it's happening and hope is resident in that. So I'm not looking forward to salvation. Ron Merriman used to call it the salvation package. You get the first fruits of it, but you don't get the whole package until you leave. And he also would include spiritual growth as part of that package. So it's something in the future, but it's certain. And it's expected, and it's better.

Okay? Liberation. What's that? Liberation. Liberation. Liberated. When you think about liberty, you think, well, I got liberated from, which we like to spend a lot of time on. But we spend less time on, what did I get liberated to? Because I don't get liberated to the middle. You know? Well, I'm free from the power of sin, now I can do what I want. No. So, would liberation be redemption? Or a part of the package? It can be. Sure, because your body gets redeemed. Yeah. Question three.

How is hope an essential characteristic of our salvation? Well, before we were saved, we didn't have hope. That's true. You know, there was no hope. Hope is part of salvation. So there's the part of salvation, I think, that hope is that we know what's coming is true. And it shows us that God loves us. Look what he has prepared.

I love I love that quote from the Old Testament of second Corinthians. It has not entered into the mind of man. Nor has he ever thought about this, the things that God has prepared for those who love him. Most Christians put a period after that and never go to the next verse.

You know what the next verse says? For whom we know, God has revealed them unto us. And I read that verse and I think, really? Oh yeah, I guess he has. And you start thinking about, oh yeah, he's been showing me this stuff all along. And it never entered into my mind. But now I'm beginning to see and understand. The only reason I am is because he showed it to me.

And the part of salvation that is coming is this idea of adoption. Why is adoption such a big deal? It sure was in Roman times. Yeah, it certainly was. Maybe because it's the full package of salvation, adoption. And it can't be undone. It can't be undone. Or dropped by the way. Have we been adopted yet? Oh yeah. Totally? Totally. See, they're waiting for the adoption.

Isn't that what the verse says? And what is that tied to? the redemption of your body. So you and I, to be adopted, we've got to be the full package. In other words, we have to be not only positioned in Christ, but have all the elements of what it means to be a son of God, which includes a redeemed body. Then the adoption takes place.

Is it coming? Is it certain? Absolutely. Do we have it yet? As I look around the room, none of you guys have gotten it. Your bodies look good. You're looking a little older this week than you did last week. So would it be predestinated? Yeah. Yeah. That's part of it. There's an ongoing predestination that goes on all the time, a conformity to Christ image.

There's a predestinated that we are going to be conformed, because when we see him, we'll be just like him, face to face. And with a resurrected body, there won't be any struggle about that anymore. That's really cool, I think. I won't have to worry about the limping down the steps. That would all tie into eagerly waiting. Yeah. Plus the now. Yeah. What's the eagerness? Let me ask this right. Is the eagerness just because I get rid of this body and I get a new one that will function well and I won't have pain anymore and I'll be able to walk through walls and whatever? Is that the eagerness?

It's to be with them. That's exactly right. What's that? To be with him. And I agree with that. I think that's absolutely what it's really all about. The fact that I get to be with my Lord, you know, Ephesians 3 says that we were foreordained, predestinated to be before Him, holy and blameless in love. So He's decided, think about this, He's decided that everybody in this room is going to be before Him, holy and blameless in love, right here. and he's here, and there's nothing in any of us that would cause him to look away or be disappointed, we're totally accepted there. Oh, and by the way, we're the only ones that are. Imagine, we recognize a holy, righteous God, a creator, a lover, a redeemer, all of those things, but how often do you think about Well, he wants me to be with him in an environment that's totally suitable to him.

You know, Donna said this morning, she said, have you ever thought about the fact that the Jews are walking around and they've got the Shekinah glory, and they've got the fire during the day, or at night, and the smoke during the day, and God is with them, and they're going off and worshiping other idols. Duh. But you know, that's what the Sin Nature is all about. God knew that.

So what he did with us is he took care of the entire problem and placed us in Christ, and then he told us about it. He didn't say, you guys got to do, you know, follow the light. No. What I'm going to do is take care of the whole thing. And then all I'm going to ask you to do is believe that I did. And if you do, I'll give it all to you.

We're in the light. Yeah. Yeah, we really are. So So in verse 26, it says, in the same way, or what does your version say in verse 26? Mine says, likewise. Likewise is good. What does that mean? We just have read that we are the first fruits of the Spirit at first root of the spirit and we groan within ourselves. Let me ask you this, is groaning complaining? No. Not in this. Huh? Not in this. Not in this it isn't.

But I think groaning is one of those words you say, well we're complaining. No, we're just groaning. We're waiting for the day, the liberty of the glory of the sons of God. So in like manner, says it refers to the operation within us of the spirit who puts us in real sympathy with that. That's what it means, I think. One with groaning, the groaning creation about us. The creation is groaning, right? Sometimes, I think you can see it if you spend any time outside. You can see where it is groaning.

I was looking at the peonies the other day and the flowers are all falling off and dying. The plant is groaning. Its glory is over. It is going to get cold one of these months and when it does the plant is going to die or go back into whatever it does. The point is that we who live here on this planet are in sympathy with the groaning planet. We're groaning too, because we're waiting, just like the creation is waiting.

In life manner, then, it is truly a wonderful help that the Spirit helps our infirmity. So when we go on into the next lesson, we're going to talk about what the Spirit's involved in, in terms of how infirmed we are. You know, like Maloy used to say, you don't have one infirmity, we have nothing but infirmities. Newell says, note the word infirmity is singular in number, for we have nothing but infirmity.

Yeah, same thing. Yeah, that's really right. You know, and so this whole, this whole idea that I got this goes out the window with that. So it's a noun, infirmity. Yeah. Yeah, I think so. You know, I was talking to my friend whose husband has Alzheimer's, and somehow I got to share, I think, the whole gospel of everything, single thing. And she said, gosh, Rusty, you know, it must be horrible for you, because I'm your friend. You've got all kinds of friends.

And I'm not a believer. It must be horrible for you to think that I will definitely not go to heaven because I haven't trusted in Jesus yet. I said, it is tough. I groan about it with my friends who don't know Him. Because it's this free gift. Jesus said, will there be faith on the earth when the Son of Man returns? Man, that's a hard word.

When you're talking like that, I'm thinking this week, as I was told about Rachel's roommate, and as I told other people about it, their reactions were all the same. They were shocked. Yeah. You know, I mean, I don't know if it's our generation or what, we're not as, we're not used to suicide. I'm thinking those younger people might be. I don't know one family that have had children in a public high school in Denver in the last 10 or 15 years, that their kids don't know at least one kid that committed suicide. Right. They all know somebody. There's so much pressure.

They were friends with somebody. So here we're talking about hope and a groaning creation. And, you know, as the guy said, it's tough out there. And if you don't have any kind of faith, or put it a different way, if you don't have any kind of hope, there's another thought that's kind of off the wall. Every human being is born from Adam, right? They're born condemned in trespass and sin. They're dead. Now, if I'm Satan, what am I going to try to do? I'm going to try to get you. before you hear the gospel. Right? And if I can get you dead before you hear the gospel, you belong to me. Isn't that something?

So that's why the whole world is designed to do one thing. Kill us as fast as it can. Yeah, but it works against him because death produces resurrection life. If you're a believer. That's where the gospel comes in. So the miracle of salvation for any of us is in fact a miracle, and for us to be ambassadors of the reconciliation is really an important thing at any time, in any circumstance, because I think the world, especially today, with this increased suicide rate that you're seeing, military guys, what is it designed to do?

There's no hope. I got to get out of here. Well, where are you going? Where are you going? Now, on the backside of that quarter is the fact that God is always pursuing every one of us all the time. But it points out the fact that we live in a world that's dying and wants everybody around it to die with it, even though it groans.

And it's waiting. It's going to get released at some point. But the release is tied to us. Isn't that something that God would do it that way? It's not... And the great thing is that we already have that gravestone. We died. Yeah, well, that has been knocked over. There's a hole where that stone used to be.

And verse 26 describes what this help entails. What does it entail? I was thinking about my son, John, this week when I was putting this together. This word speaks of the action of a person coming to another's aid by grabbing hold of that person, you know, hugging them. of the load he is carrying. You know, Rachel and John came by the other night, and Donna must have hugged Rachel for two minutes. What was she trying to do? Carry the load. Because she, you could tell, I mean, she was, you know, burdened. And just hug her to carry that load.

That's what we do. The only people qualified to do that, I think, are believers. They're the only ones that aren't, because they understand. So what's a good definition of in the same way? In the same way that we've grown just like the creation grows. Even though we have the first fruits of the spirit, we've still grown within ourselves waiting for the blessed day of the liberty of the glory of the sons of God.

Now I want to make a point about this, this word of help or carrying a load. This does not mean you take the whole load. This means you help with the load. Yeah, you're in the same yoke. Yeah. You don't take the whole load off of them. You just help them.

And it's a fine line sometimes because you recognize that a sovereign God brings trials into a person's life for their growth and their approval. Well, if you jump in the way and try to take the full load, then the principle that God is trying to affect in this person's life might be subverted because you were in the way. So you learn that you can help them carry the load, but it's their load. You see that?

The tense here is that He continually helps us because of our present state of weakness. And he intercedes always, of course, in accordance with God's will. Yes. But is he continual? All the time. But you'll notice the Spirit of God, He helps us with our load, doesn't He? But He doesn't take it off of us. He might, though. He might, though. No, he might not. Then it's self doing it.

That's right. The verses yesterday in Alhamdulillah, 2 Corinthians 1, 3 and 4, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted of God. When you think about who is the comforter, it's the Holy Spirit. Sure.

And it's so important for us to realize that, well, I have this circumstance right now, and I don't know what to do about it. And I'm not going to get loose of this. And I'm talking to the Lord and maybe groaning a little and complaining a little when I'm there. And somebody may be walking beside me, but I'm looking to the Lord initially to fix it. But then, as time goes on, they teach me what He's doing here.

Why? Because this isn't about only me. It's about somebody who's coming down my path, and they're going to have the same load put on them, and you're going to see it. And nobody around you will see it like you see it, because you've been there. That's how God works. I think He works that way. That there are people that I've noticed around our congregation, There are people that have a load, and somebody I totally didn't expect shows up to help them, either emotionally or however, and I think, oh, that was the right person. That ain't the pastor's job. It's your job, as God has worked circumstances in your life. And carrying the load isn't getting them this.

That's not it. putting your shoulder under there and helping. And recognizing what's going on. Because you, why do you know that? Because God put you through it. You know, and you know that there's an outcome for that person that is just glorious for them. Isn't that one reason why the world looks at Christianity as a crutch? Oh, sure. I was a believer maybe four or five months, some guy in my office said, so you became a Christian, huh? I said, yeah. He said, well, that's just a crutch. I said, yeah.

The world in their pride doesn't think they need a crutch. I don't think you can term it just a crutch. No, no. It's not just or only. But that's all the world can see. Oh, that's right. They think it's weakness. Right. Well, when I recognize they got nothing but weakness. Yeah. That's a good spot to be in. Absolutely. Perfect.

I'll give you a good example where this word is used with Martha and Mary. When Mary says to the Lord Jesus, tell her, therefore, that she needs to help me. What is she saying? Well, she needs to come in and help me with this load. It's the wrong crutch. My wife says, get in here and help me with those dishes. I say, go mow the grass.

So the same way the Spirit of God comes to the aid of the believer for spiritual problems and their difficulties. He doesn't take over the responsibility, which a lot of times I think that's what Christians are looking for. Well, I gave it to the Lord and now it's his problem.

No, you're still better. I've got problems with that. Why? Because it's easier. Oh, Lord, take it away. And that's just self-screaming. Oh, I agree. Well, that's what I mean. That's what I mean. He doesn't take it away. This word means that he's the one that helps with a helping hand. helps shoulder the load. Why? So to build your confidence in Him and to allow you to work out a problem and overcome the difficulties. You know it's Him.

But you're, I mean, how many of us get to sit in the stands and watch the game in front of us? None of us. We're in the game. We're in the game. So the idea that the Spirit of God is just going to handle everything. No. You're going to be involved in it. although it's him that helps carry the load. But we're able to see the whole game.

Sometimes. Yeah. Sometimes. Maybe not until the end. Hopefully. Yeah. I sure don't see the whole game. Here I am wallowing around in my pity and all that stuff and I'm just trying to look to God and it's just I see my little part of the game plan here. Sure. I don't see the whole game. And the AI may be way off. Well, you might be. You may well be, because you may not know why, you know. That's where we help direct others. Or can.

That's why study is so important. And that's why we don't really understand everything that God is doing. We understand the principle, which we're coming up that God works all things together. We understand that we're involved by the Spirit and He shares the load with us. We understand that, but we may not understand the precise circumstances. Why is it taking so long for Ethan to find a donor? I just don't know. I haven't got a clue.

But boy, when we see that glory. But I look at my father-in-law and, you know, every day he prays that God would take him home today. And the question is, well, and his question is, well, why am I here? Well, I have an answer for him that I can't share with you. I said, you know, we all have catfish, Jack, and you must be somebody's catfish. You must be causing somebody some pain that they need to grow with.

That's why we trust God, because He knows the whole game plan. Yeah, He sure does. So I can trust that He does know and that He cares for me. He wants to make me grow. And I don't have to see the whole game plan. No. And what he's doing today is preparing us for something he's got in mind for us in the future.

And that future could include the millennial kingdom. That we're being suited out for something now that won't come into fruition until then. so that we can comfort them Jews in the Millennial Kingdom. Right? Right. Well, we're going to be in their face without breaking the law. So we got, I think we got time for one more, right?

What kind of weakness do we have? Physical, spiritual. This word weakness means to want the strength. Don't have enough strength. And it's going to speak about, in the next verses, prayer specifically. The humility of this body? Yeah, but in the spiritual realm of things, it's a weakness to how to function in the spiritual life. I don't know if you guys go and work out, but I go a few days a week, and there are some days that what I could do two days ago, I can't do it a day. Like I got there Monday and my shoulder was hurting because I slept on it, and I fixed the weight up and got it in, and I went, oh, it's not going. It's not going.

So the weakness is different, is defined in context by And we're going to talk about prayer in the next lesson, because we don't know how to pray like we should. Well, how does God fix that? He just leave us in the dark? The infirmities here, therefore, are not physical. These are spiritual infirmities. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking of my son, John. He's got a spiritual infirmity right now. How does he walk beside Rachel? How does he do that? Is he equipped to do it? No. No. And even if he was, he would recognize that he's only got partial equipment. He's got to rely on the Spirit of God to help carry that load.

There's an inability that you... The only way to learn about the inability is to be put in a place where you are unable. I think Adam's greatest sin was, I got this. And we have to be brought off that idea that with God's help I got this, because we don't got this.

We're involved, we're moving, but the Spirit of God is there, especially in spiritual matters. So are you saying that this weakness applies specifically to spiritual things? Yes. Emotional, physical? You know, physical may be part of it, but let's say that you have a physical impairment. It's really a spiritual issue, isn't it, in how you deal with it? Yeah. Yeah, that's what it comes down to. So how, you know, God has incapacitated me into some degree physically.

Well, like Lucy. There are just amazing people, too. Sure. What is God teaching Ruthie? Or any of us. It turns into something spiritual if you're a Christian. Sure. You're trying to learn from it. Yeah. And you do learn. Or wanting to learn. Yeah. And primarily what you learn is how that is used to help somebody else. It isn't for you necessarily. It's for somebody else. Because that's the way the body of Christ functions. You know, the world functions and it's all about me. The body of Christ functions. It's all about you. It's all about you. It's not about me.

You know, I recognize as I learn about the vastness of the spiritual blessings that I have, that what do I need? And think about it. What did God, what does Satan do with Eve? He convinced her she didn't have it all. There's something missing here even. God is holding it back. Well, that's what he does to us. There's something here that you ought to have that God is holding you back. No, not for us. Something she should have never really wanted or needed.

You know, there's been good and evil. I mean, she had all of this stuff and he said, He's holding back your ability to know the good and the evil. What did Eve have? I mean, God spent six days creating an environment for Adam and Eve to live in that was perfect for them. What were they missing?

Oh, the knowledge of good and evil. Isn't God holding back the adoption of the sons of God? No. No, because it's God's best line of hope. Yeah, and it's a certainty. Absolute certainty. Father, I would thank you for your word. I would thank you how careful you are to cause us to grow in the knowledge and grace of your dear son, the Lord Jesus. And we pray in his name. Amen.