Too often, Christians view the Holy Spirit, narrowly, as the source to set them on fire for God and make them satisfied. Such a view shortchanges the Holy Spirit’s role. The truth is, the Spirit of God is working quietly in the background in every part of the believer’s life. In Romans 8, Paul gives five powerful ways the Spirit ministers to Christians. First, the Spirit makes us free from sin and death. Second, the Spirit changes the things we want to think about. Third, the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body. Fourth, the Spirit bears witness to our adoption as sons. Fifth, the Spirit helps us in our suffering. And, sixth, the Spirit helps us in our weakness when we don’t know how to pray. What a blessing it is to have the Holy Spirit of God! 

 

Scripture Reference: Romans 8

 

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/670cb41fd443d6ac8378cf8b

Well, we've spent a lot of time in Romans 8, but what I'd like to do right now is take a step back and have us look over the entire landscape of this beautiful chapter of the Word of God. And it's really important to grasp what the Apostle Paul is saying. Here's what the Apostle Paul is not saying. He's not saying the Holy Spirit puts you on a spiritual high all the time. He's not saying that the Holy Spirit is that surge of passion.

He's not saying that the Holy Spirit is that surge of passion. He's not saying that the Holy Spirit is that thing that takes you to the next level. He's not saying just keep crying out for your breakthrough. He's not saying the Holy Spirit is going to take you to the next level so that you'll finally be satisfied. The Bible doesn't speak of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in that way.

Let me give some illustrations. First of all, the Spirit makes you free from sin and death. That's verses one through four in Romans chapter eight. Secondly, the Spirit shifts the way you think because the mind set on the flesh is death and the mind set on the spirit is life and peace. So The Spirit changes the things that you want to think about.

The Spirit makes you want to think about new things. And then next, the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body. This is a progressive activity of the Holy Spirit. You find this in verses 12 through 14. But there's something that we do.

We are obligated to put to death the deeds of the body. But the Spirit wants you to do that. The Spirit helps you to wage war against the world and the flesh and the devil, and that's why you make progress in the Christian life. And that's why John Owen said, do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work?

Be always at it while you live? Cease not a day from this work, be killing sin or it will be killing you. Well it's the Spirit that leads you to do that And then also in verses 15 through 17, the Spirit bears witness to our adoption as sons. The Spirit is crying out within us, Abba, Father, and it's the spirit of freedom, not of bondage. And then the spirit helps us in our suffering.

That's in verses 17 to 25. And in that section, you have two words, grown and hope. We grown in hope because of the ministry of the Spirit. And then in verses 26 to 28, we learn that the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses because we don't know how to pray. We don't know what to pray for.

But even though you don't know what to pray for, two omnipotent persons are interceding for you. The Holy Spirit is a person and He's interacting with another person, God the Father. So you have the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit all crying out for you. And as a result of this, God is working all things for good, in the background, and He is for us, not against us. So what does the Holy Spirit do?

The Holy Spirit in this passage is not that thing that increases your passion and takes you to the next level and puts you on fire for God. What you have here is the Spirit of God is working quietly in the background in every part of your life, in your thinking, in every part of your life. And in one way, I think we can say, look, relax. The Holy Spirit is working and the Holy Spirit is bearing witness. The Holy Spirit is helping you in suffering.

The Holy Spirit is helping you in your weakness. So what a blessing it is to have the Holy Spirit of God. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Scripture Applied is a production of Church and Family Life. Visit churchandfamilylife.com for more resources.