Message Notes Romans 8:26-28

A mingled, mutual life together with the Lord

Romans chapter 8 shows us that our life with the Lord is a life that is mingled together with Him as the Spirit. We are in the spirit because His Spirit dwells in us (verse 9). Our spirit is life because Christ = is in us (verse 10). When we mind t= he things of the Spirit and our mind is according to the spirit, our mind is l= ife and peace (verse 6). Through = His Spirit who indwells us, we receive life to our mortal bodies (verse 11).

This is a mutual life together with the Lord that is so intertwined. We put to death the practices of o= ur body, yet it is by the Spirit (verse 13).&= nbsp; We are led by the Spirit, but He is doing the leading (verse 14). We cry Abba Father, yet it is in t= he spirit of sonship we have received (verse 15).<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> The Spirit witnesses with our spir= it that we are the children of God (verse 16). We groan for = sonship (verse 23) and the Spirit groans (verse 26). We pray and the Spirit prays (verse 26).

In like manner, the Spirit joins in to help us

The Lord as the Spirit joins in to help us in our manner, in whatever way we are. As the Spirit, He is so = one with us. As we are, so He is.= If we are weak, He joins in to hel= p us in our weak manner. If we are strong, again He joins in to help us in our strong manner. If we are in a low place and need = mercy, He is there with us in that manner. He is not distant and different from us. He comes in along side us in our m= anner.

God’s answer to the Spirit’s/our prayer

God searches our hearts and knows what the Spirit’s/our mind is. The Spirit within us intercedes in= our prayer according to God and knows God’s purpose for us – to be conformed to the image of His Son. This prayer is answered in verse 28:

“An= d we know that to the [ones] loving God - God works together all things for good= , to the [ones] being called according to purpose.” (Greek)

And we know” – Because we are organically one with the Lord, we can ha= ve an inward knowing that our life is not random, coincidental, subject to cha= nce, luck, or any superstition. We= have an inward knowing by the Lord’s life in us that our life is ordered by our Father’s hand with a purpose.&nb= sp; Our Father’s care for us is so specific that even the hairs of= our head are all numbered = (Matt. 10:30).

“All things” here means each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything.

“Good” here refers to that which is beneficial in its effect – effective to = move forward to get results. God&#= 8217;s good for us is to work together all things so that we may be conformed to t= he image of His Son. God always answers this groaning, interceding prayer by the Spirit and us by arranging everything in our life, and working together all things to conform us to the image of His Son. God is the heavenly conductor orchestrating all things as a symphony working together = for our good.

“To the ones loving God” – Our loving the Lord causes us to be open to His working = in our lives. Loving the Lord is crucial in this process of conformation.&n= bsp; As we love the Lord in a sweet, intimate relationship, we are willin= g to cooperate with His arrangement in our lives knowing that He is working all things for our good. Our lovi= ng the Lord will strengthen our trust and faith in Him (Gal. 5:6) and in His worki= ng in our lives. This will safeg= uard us from the doubts of the evil one.

Conformed to the image of His Son

Our destiny is to be conformed to t= he image of His Son. This confor= ming does not begin with an outward change in our behavior. It is an inward sha= ping by the Lord’s life as a result of many transactions with the Lord as = the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17, 18). Thi= s is an inward, metabolic change in our constitution to have the Lord wrought in= our being. This process needs bot= h the inward nourishment and the outward arrangement.

The life of Joseph

“Even though you inten= ded evil against me, God intended it for good…” (Gen. 50:20) What a marvelous realization Josep= h had regarding the things that happened to him in his life. Joseph was a person who loved God a= nd trusted and depended on God. Because of this, Joseph knew that God worked together all things for= his good, which was to cause him to grow, mature, and be perfected to rule.