According to His Purpose

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

This is a very special verse. I hesitate to say this because so many people, me included, don't comprehend how it could be true but it is true. God's word is truth.

Are we called according to His purpose?

Do you love God?

What's it mean to love God?

Do you give your allegiance to God? 

Do you trust God?

These are all very valid questions. 

If we LOVE God, we trust God.  If we trust God, we believe God.  We KNOW beyond doubt that even when the worst of the worst is going on in our lives, that some how beyond our comprehension it will be for good as God accounts good in the realm of eternity, not in this temporary time we have here and now.  This is TRUTH!

God's purpose is love, and for us to believe in that love, for us to trust in that love.

We are called according to His purpose, we love God. We know that in this temporary life we will  have extreme hardships- possibly physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or all of these.  All of what we are called to endure no matter what it is, all of it will somehow far beyond our ability to comprehend, work together for good.

Please, Father God, we would love You and be Yours in all things!

Please.  Let us be Yours now and forever.

Amen.

The Spirit- Believe

Infirmities.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Our infirmities….

From G772; feebleness (of body or mind); by implication malady; moral frailty: - disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.

Moral frailty.

Who among us isn't afflicted greatly with moral frailties?

Continuing from yesterday….

We are infirmed. We are diseased. We are sick. We are weak. We are so incredibly infirmed- spiritually, morally infirmed.

The SPIRIT alone can help us with our infirmities.

The SPIRIT makes intercession for us.

Truly in our sin sickness we don't really know what we need to pray for. We have to trust in the Spirit to intercede for us and pray for us.

I love when Jesus prayed for me.

Yes, for ME.

JESUS, our Savior prayed for me!

Joh 17:1  These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee

Joh 17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word

That's ME! I'm believing on Jesus through the word!  Jesus prayed for me!

And He did this too--

Joh_15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me

He sent the SPIRIT of Truth to me!

The Spirit that was sent to us is to be all that we cannot be through our infirmed weakness, not able to even know what we need to pray for.

We KNOW our need. We recognize our infirmed state. We believe in our Savior, we believe in the Father, we believe in the Spirit.  

We are Christ's.

We must believe!

By the grace of God we must believe!

Joh 6:28  Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

BELIEVE.

The SPIRIT will pray for us.

We believe, help our unbelief.

By the mercy, love, the grace of our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!

Now and always!

Amen!

Our Infirmities

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Our infirmities….

From G772; feebleness (of body or mind); by implication malady; moral frailty: - disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.

Moral frailty.

Who among us isn't afflicted greatly with moral frailties?

Tonight I'm afflicted with a sinus headache so hopefully, prayerfully, tomorrow we'll study this much more in-depth.

In the name of our Savior, by His grace and mercy always!

Amen.

Saved By Hope

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Saved by hope.

Hope.

FAITH- the SUBSTANCE of things HOPED for, the EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN.

Things HOPED for.

Rom 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Who AGAINST hope BELIEVED in hope.

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Hope of the GLORY of GOD.

TRIBULATION works PATIENCE.

PATIENCE works EXPERIENCE.

EXPERIENCE works HOPE.

HOPE makes us not ASHAMED.

Rom_12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

REJOICING in hope.

Rom_15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

We through PATIENCE and COMFORT of the SCRIPTURES might have hope.

Rom_15:13  Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

GOD of hope.

1Co 9:10  Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

PLOW in hope.

THRESHETH in hope.

1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Gal_5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Through the SPIRIT wait for the HOPE ---- of RIGHTEOUSNESS by FAITH.

Col_1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Hope of GLORY-  CHRIST in US.

HOPE- more tomorrow on HOPE by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

AMEN.

Waiting to be adopted

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Waiting for the adoption.

Some people know as children what it means to wait to be adopted.  It is common knowledge that people prefer newborns and very young children to adopt. It's less common to adopt older children. In fact, the older children get the least likely they are to be adopted.  Older children realize this and yet they still hope.  Most of those children grow up in foster homes, or orphanages and when they are of age they are set out into the world to continue their lives parentless.

Those children who wait to be adopted have a hope, an expectation, a desire to have parents.

We who wait for the adoption by our Father God can be assured this adoption WILL take place.

The waiting isn't easy, no one said it would be easy. We are told it would be hard. We are told this--

Joh 15:1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Joh 15:2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Every branch that beareth fruit- he purgeth.

Rev_3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Rebuked, chastened.

Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

So why do we think the waiting for our adoption- the redemption of our bodies that will occur when our Savior returns- should be easy for us?

Subject to vanity

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

The creature- WE- were made subject to vanity.

Vanity.

This is so true-

Ecc_1:2  Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

We are subject to vanity at every turn of our existence. That we would not be vain can in itself be a vanity.  We are subject to vanity not willingly.  We are given life and allowed to live this life of vanity but it is a life that is also given hope.  We are offered deliverance from the slavery of sin, which is the bondage of sure corruption. We all have NO hope if we choose to remain slaves to sin rather than cling to the hope of sinlessness in the righteousness of our Savior, Jesus Christ. There is HOPE for the glorious liberty for us who are God's children.

GLORIOUS LIBERTY.  Truly glorious liberty such as we can scarcely imagine.

The WHOLE creation groans and travails in PAIN … until now. 

The WHOLE CREATION was hopeless- and to lose all hope means nothing but groaning and travailing.  Hope came.

HOPE in Christ!

HOPE in Salvation!

HOPE in Love!

We must have patience, we must wait for the hope, for the manifestation of the sons of God. 

Realizing that we live in vanity for all is vanity, means realizing that we are wretched people, saved only by the HOPE of our Savior.  Our flesh is vanity. Our hope is CHRIST.

We must love God and love others, this is our hope love through Christ. May the Holy Spirit, the Comforter promised to us bless us with His love - teaching us all things. All through the love of the Gods who love us!

We Wait

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

We WAIT.

We wait for the glorious day when we as sons of God are MANIFESTED as such.

We WAIT.

In waiting there is a hope or a fear, perhaps a boredom, while waiting.  We all know what it means to wait for things. It's a good guess that right now you are waiting for something. It could be simply waiting for an upcoming event. Waiting for a phone call. Waiting for a package. Waiting for a party. Waiting for a special occasion. Waiting for a text. Waiting for an appointment. Waiting for the next hour. Waiting for a show. Waiting for well, any number of things.

We WAIT.

We are often taught not to like to wait because it keeps us from doing things we want to do.  We don't like waiting in doctor offices, at stop lights, in government offices - drivers licenses, permits, etc. We don't like waiting in grocery lines or lines of any sort especially slow ones.

Even when we are waiting for good things, things we are anticipating, we don't always like the wait.

So why should waiting for the manifestation of our sonship with God to be realized at the second coming of our Savior, be any different for us at all?

Heb_6:15  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

Rom_2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life

Jas_5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain

Jas_5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

Luk_21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

Rom_8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Rom_15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

2Co_6:4  But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses

1Th_1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father

Heb_6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Heb_10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Heb_12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

Jas_1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing

Rev_3:10  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Rev_14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Patience…

Waiting takes patience.

More on this tomorrow…. By the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ our LORD.

Amen.