Saturday, March 15, 2008

What about Romans 8:27?

Romans 8:28 is so familiar that it's easy to miss the mindboggling implications of it's message. It's also easy to take it out of it's context as one link in Paul's chain of thought that begins with, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." There's that phrase again: "in Christ." If you're not in Christ then you're in Adam, and Adam's race is doomed.

Yes, 8:28 is a glorious verse, but so is 8:27! Notice the trinitarian implications i.e. "he who searches hearts", "the Spirit" and "God". This is made even more explicit later on in 8:34, when Paul writes that it's no less than the risen and reigning Christ who is interceding for us. Does God's will seem mysterious? Having trouble knowing how or what to pray? Be encouraged that the triune God is doing it for you according to His perfect will. As The Reformation Study Bible notes:

Perplexity as to how to pray for oneself is a universal Christian experience. Our inarticulate longings to pray properly are an indication to us that the indwelling Spirit is already helping up by interceding for us in our hearts, making requests that the Father will certainly answer.

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