Victories We Can Count On-Rom. 8:26-30

Tis the season for many things: time with family, decorations, music, food, shopping, gifts, and FOOTBALL. Whether you follow the NCAA or the NFL or both, sports in general and football in particular has been a holiday tradition in America for decades. After all, many rivalry games are precariously scheduled during the week of Thanksgiving, bowl games are played around New Years, and other special matchups even show up on Christmas day. Why? Because it is during this season when people are gathered together and have the free time available to cheer on their team to victory. Depending on your team, you might hoping against hope for even just one victory,…just one. While I don’t have a particular team myself, Brianna and I have entered a fantasy league for the first time this year and have been following along superficially, hoping for a victory every weekend. Unfortunately, more often than not, we are defeated.

Maybe you are living with that same anticipation of victory today. Perhaps you are just looking to win SOMETHING. It is very possible this holiday season that you are experiencing defeat and discouragement. Maybe the world appears to be winning and you are just hoping for something to give you needed encouragement.

Thankfully, Romans 8:26-30 reveals two victory’s that believers can always count on no matter what they are going through. Simple though they are, these victories are presented by Paul to a church that, like many of us, was under pressure and heading into tribulation, in an effort to provide perseverance and hope. My prayer is that His presentation can encourage you in this season and every subsequent season thereafter.

a. Victory in Prayer-8:26-27

In the last passage (8:18-25), Paul articulated how hope allows those in the Spirit to persevere under extreme duress. As hope brings strength to the believer in times of suffering, so too does the Spirit come to the believer’s aid when he/she finds themselves unable to pray as he/she ought—“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness” (8:26a). This weakness to which Paul refers, according to the context is a lack of understanding regarding prayer.

 “For,” as Paul admits, “we do not know how to pray as we should” (8:26b).

Recently in my own life’s experience I’ve had numerous people approach me following my family’s recent tragedy and say things like “I do not know what to say” or “there are no words.” Truly, there aren’t words in situations such as our own that can bring order, enlighten confusion, or instill peace. Perhaps you’ve been in a situation like this or have come into contact with someone who has been through something for which there is nothing to utter by way of help or solace. Unfortunately in my line of work (ministry and psychological therapy), I run across people with stories that involve all kinds of tangled messes that, at least to me, leave me speechless and, once again, with very little to say. Sometimes, this overwhelming feeling invades my own prayer life. It may surprise you (then again, it may not) to learn that I have entered a time of prayer for either myself or someone else (even some in my congregation) and not been able to utter a single word in an effort to articulate my supplication, voice my requests, or convey my feelings. Often even preachers/pastors/Bible teachers do not know how to pray as they should.

Reasons for this reticence abound. Perhaps it is ignorance that keeps people silent; maybe one simply doesn’t know what is best or where God is leading in a particular situation. Perhaps it is fatigue that keeps us tongue-tied; we’ve been praying for something so long without a clear answer that we grow weary and doubtful concerning our request. Perhaps it is being brought face-to-face with our own limitations; the request is so grand that we stand in reverent awe of the complicated nuances involved and the endless complexities therein and realize that we are totally inept to even see an answer to any single or collection of issues. Whatever the reason is, Paul admits that many are brought to a point in their personal prayers lives in which they do not know how to pray.

Thankfully, the Spirit of God is never at a loss for words—“but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (8:26c). The verb “intercede” means to “plead” and this the Spirit of God does for those who are in the Spirit, even when, especially when, they are left speechless by what they face. So intense is the Spirit’s prayer for those who are in Christ that Paul describes it here as “groans that cannot be understood” (Mounce, 186). This makes sense inasmuch as many of the issues to which we have referred are far beyond our comprehension and given that it is possible human language is unable to even form the words/sentences necessary to ask for the right kind of help.

While creation groans to be relieved from the curse, and we groan in our sinful flesh, when the Spirit groans, help and truth provide freedom and relief.

The Spirit is immanently qualified to pray on a believer’s behalf because he transcends two very different spheres—the heart of man and the mind of God. Paul continues and says “and He who searches the heart knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (8:27). In other words, God, the one who knows the believer’s complex and difficult request already, is able to also understand these deep groanings of the Spirit (“knows what the mind of the Spirit is”) offered on the believer’s behalf. Not only that but whatever the Spirit prays “for the saints” is “according to the will of God” and therefore will be answered.

Ultimately, this passages teaches that one of the victories that believers enjoy in the Spirit is made possible by the best prayer partner around. The Spirit of God is able to give the believer victory in his/her prayer life because no matter how crazy a problem is, how confusing a scenario may be, how overwhelming an issue becomes, He is never at a loss for words and, those words that He offers in prayer for believers are not only understood by God, they are in keeping with the Lord’s perfect plan! What a blessing!

b. Victory in Salvation-8:28-30

 The second victory that is assured those who are in the Spirit is victory in salvation. This kind of victory spans both the present and the future, the mundane and the unique, the difficult and the arbitrary. The promise of this victory is stated in verse 28—“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good.”

Many people love to quote this verse, especially in the midst of a tragedy or trial. I had many people recently quote this verse to me in the midst of our own recent tragedy.

However, what does this verse really mean? To what good does it refer? First, it is clear that nothing falls outside the scope of God’s sovereignty. In other words God is not only able to work some things out for good—He is able to work in and through it ALL! Second, the “good” to which this refers is God’s good. After all it is His will that the Spirit is praying for and it is He that is at work in everything to this end. This means that it may not be the good that a believer may want or expect. It may not even be the good that a believer may know about this side of eternity. In fact, the “’good’ in this passage is primarily the glory God will one day enable us to share with Christ, our Lord…the blessings of the age to come” (Moo, ZIBBC, 51).

That said, “God directs the affairs of life in such a way that,… the outcome is always beneficial” (Mounce, Romans, 187). What a blessing! To know that God is at work in ALL things to bring about HIS good glory!

However, this is a blessing only for those “who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (those in the Spirit). This descriptive phrase identifies those who have an ongoing and dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. The verbs “love” and “are called” are present progressives—“who are loving God” and those who “are being called.” This highlights the dynamic quality of a relationship with Christ. A relationship with Jesus is not a single static event that takes place at a point in time; it is an ongoing reality that matures over time (much like any other interpersonal relationship). Those in such a relationship with God can know divine purpose guides all that goes on around them.

However, this also means that the lost without Christ cannot claim the promise of this verse. For them, suffering, tragedy, trials, and tribulations carry no added benefit, no promise of any redemptive quality, and not greater purpose.  

The single greatest thing that only God could cause in the life of anyone is salvation—it is the best good that God is working out through any and all of life’s circumstances. This is articulated in the rest of this passage by means of five aorist tense verbs (indicating that at least in his view, these things are either completed or as good as finished). It is also worth noting that God is causing all of this according to and for His purposes. No one/nothing else can or would do what is described here even if they had the chance or power to do so!

The first element of salvation that God has completely satisfied and brought to pass involves foreknowledge and predestination. Just as God is working ever single present event and season out for good, so too did He instigate and cause salvation to be made available to the redeemed in the first place—“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined” (8:29a). This indicates that God is sovereign over the pre-step of salvation—predestination.  

Though there are variety of opinions concerning exactly what this verse refers to and how it is understood, ultimately, there are two general positions. Either, God chose people long before they were born unto salvation and then based on His choice, He predestined them to be saved, or God knew (foreknew) long before people were born who will freely choose Him when given the opportunity and then predestined them as a result. In both programs, God is sovereign over the very beginning, even the overture, of the salvation process. Either He sovereignly chooses people according to His will or he sovereignly allows freedom to provide a choice and predestined people according to His foreknowledge.

In both cases, God is sovereignly choosing people—“to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren” (8:29). This identifies the purpose of salvation, the Christian life, and all of the good that God is working out. Everything that God is working for one’s good is done so that people might be more conformed into the image of His Son—the very image that was lost due to sin.

To this end, God has also assured that the next step in salvation has been satisfied—“and these whom He predestined, he also called” (8:30a). No one would be saved if they did not receive the call of God first. Abraham was plucked from obscurity, David was chosen even while absent, warriors were commissioned while in hiding (Gideon) or woefully unqualified (Samson), Prophets were interrupted and called to action (Jeremiah, Isaiah, John), the disciples were commanded while minding their own business, Paul was thrown off his horse while on his way to kill Christians, and converts were made aware of their need by faithful Christians and church leaders throughout the first century world. In every case, every individual was brought into relationship with God in response to a call. If it were up to any of these individuals (if it were up to ANYONE else) no one would have made the advance in God’s direction or sought to open the lines of communication to begin with.

In addition to the call, God is also the active agent in the next phase of the salvation process—“and these whom He called, He also justified,…” (8:30b). Not only is God the “foreknower,” the “predestiner,” and the “caller,” he is also the “justifier.” Put another way, it is by the power of God’s creative word that he is able to declare sinners righteous following their repentance and faith. That justification is by and through God in Christ is confirmed by Titus 3:7.

Titus 3:7-“So that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

This is important because without justification, no one would be saved. All are unrighteous and therefore in need of God’s righteousness so that they might have a relationship with God. Justification grants that righteousness, thereby establishing a saving relationship with the Lord through Christ. This is something that man cannot earn, bargain for, or manufacture in his own power. Like foreknowledge, predestination, and the call, justification is from God and can be counted on as a result.

So far Paul has indicated that God is the active sovereign agent behind salvation’s beginning (in fact, in each stage of its beginning). However, appreciating the victory comes from understanding that this same God is also the sovereign agent over salvation’s end—“and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (8:30c). The same assurance that the believer enjoys at present (given what God has already wrought in the beginning of salvation), can be enjoyed as salvation continues to its glorious end! So sure is this glorious end that Paul doesn’t deter from the aorist tense—“He also glorified.” Salvation-future is as good as done. Like foreknowledge, predestination, the call, and justification, it can be counted know with hesitation because God has brought it to bear.

Philippians 1:6-“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Those in the Spirit have victory in their salvation—both in promise (trusting that God is working all things for HIS good to THOSE WHO LOVE HIM) and in process (inasmuch as God oversees the entire salvation program from start to glorious finish).

So What?

Although I might be aware of what some of you are going through today, I cannot possibly understand all that is currently working against you, frustrating you, or bringing you down. There are plenty of reasons to be discouraged, but this passage has presented two reasons to be encouraged. First, God promises victory in a believer’s prayer life by means of the best prayer partner around—the Holy Spirit. Even when we may be at a loss for words and the situation has brought us to the end of ourselves, the Spirit remains vigilant to plead our case before the Lord in a language that only He understands. What a comfort! Second, God promises the victory of salvation—that is salvation in every single situation (as He promises all things work together for His glorious good) and the believer’s own salvation (from start to finish). Don’t be fooled by what you see. The world may appear to be winning, but these victories that a believer possesses tell a different story. Be encouraged and choose this day to revel in the victory that God has made available by diligent prayer and earnestly pursuing Christ-likeness, for, as this passage has revealed, we simply cannot lose when we are given to these activities.