Prairie Bible Church

Romans 8:28 is universally esteemed by Christians. Yet, it is one of the grittiest verses in the Bible. It reminds us that God works all things together for good, even the circumstances that leave us saying "How can any good come from this?” 

Romans 8:28 is easy to love until something difficult happens to us. But if we will believe its truth taken to its greatest extremes, we will have an unshakeable endurance in our faith. May we have the perspective of Joseph when he spoke to the brothers who’d sold him into slavery: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. (Gen. 50:20) 

Take-Home Message: All things work together for good.

• And we know

• That for those who love God

• How do I know that I love God?
• I obey God.
• I love God with my whole being.
• I love others.

• All things work together for good

• Applying “All Things Work Together for Good”
  • Don’t put God in a box.
  • Give God time to work it out.
  • Have a biblical perspective of “good.”

• For those who are called according to his purpose

These verses combine two of the most misunderstood subjects in Christianity: The Holy Spirit and the will of God. The Holy Spirit is perhaps the most elusive member of the Trinity. And, if you ask Christians, “What is the will of God?” you will get many different answers. Romans 8:26-27 reminds us that God has not left us alone in our weakness and ignorance; rather, He sent His Holy Spirit to us who intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

Take-Home Message: The Holy Spirit helps me according to the will of God.

• The Spirit helps us in our weakness. (26)

• The Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. (27)

• What is the will of God?
• My salvation 
• My sanctification
• My sobriety and Spirit-filledness 
• My discernment
• My suffering
• My submission to authority
• My thankfulness

Sadly, many walk away from God when they begin to suffer. This betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of Jesus and what it means to follow Him. The Bible teaches us that we will suffer, but that our sufferings are labor pains leading to incomparable, eternal glory. Romans 8:18-25 reminds us to hope in God through suffering rather than walk away. For followers of Jesus, there is hope beyond suffering, the hope of the resurrection: “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24-25)

Take-Home Message: I have hope beyond suffering.

Making Sense of Suffering:

• Suffering is incomparable with future glory. (18-19)

• Suffering is decreed by God, in hope. (20-21)

• Suffering is comprehensive. (22-23)

• Suffering is not the end. (24-25)

• My Hope Beyond Suffering:
• The hope of glory (17-19)
• The hope of creation set free from corruption (20-22)
• The hope of the resurrection (23)

We have a tendency to forget the reality that we are in a grave spiritual war. This war is against the passions of the flesh, which wage war against our soul (1 Peter 2:11). Jesus Himself used wartime language: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” (Matthew 5:29-30) Are you living with a peacetime mindset in the midst of this great war? If we have relaxed, sin has not. As John Owen famously said, “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.”

Take-Home Message: I wage war against the flesh by the Holy Spirit.

• The Harsh Reality of War (12-13)

• The Holy Spirit’s Reinforcement in War (14-15)

• The Holy Spirit’s Reassurance in War (16-17)

Hope is a core Christian Principal. Sometimes we use the word hope to indicate a desire or want like “I hope you feel better”. Christian hope is different; it is a confident expectation for the future. We have hope because God holds our future in His all-capable hands, what a great hope we have in Jesus Christ!

Take-Home Message: Put your hope in the God of all hope.

It’s easy to lose hope.
Hope is a core principle of Christianity.
Abraham is an example of hope.
Christians are people of hope.
God is the God of hope.

God is a God that raises dead people. The Bible is filled with accounts of resurrection stories, and the entire Christian message is built upon Christ’s resurrection. The possibility of resurrection is a message that the world desperately needs, because many people are dead: despite all the world’s pleasures and technology, there is an emptiness that reigns in hearts. Sadly, even many Christians live as if they are powerless to defeat sin and despair. 

Romans 8:9-11 assures Christians that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in them. This not only means that we will rise to eternal life, but that we have the Holy Spirit, who empower our lives now: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom. 8:11)

Take-Home Message: The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me.

The Spirit’s Proof: The Spirit of Christ in me proves that I belong to Christ (9).

• Evidence that the Holy Spirit dwells in me:
  • I confess that Jesus is Lord.
  • I am obedient to the Spirit.
  • I bear the fruit of the Spirit.
  • I experience godly grief over sin.
• I experience the Spirit’s inner witness of adoption and assurance.

The Spirit’s Power: The Spirit of God in me provides life to my mortal body (10-11).

The Bible presents two primary ways of life: in the flesh or in the Spirit. To be in the flesh means to live according to our sinful nature, following our appetites and desires and participating in the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19–21). All who do not know Jesus are “in the flesh.” When Christ indwells us through faith, we receive His promised Holy Spirit. Living “in the Spirit” means following Jesus by submitting to the Spirit’s working in us, bearing the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–26). While the flesh results in death and corruption, the Spirit produces life and peace. Be honest: Which better describes your current way of life: the flesh or the Spirit?

Take-Home Question: Am I living in the flesh or in the Spirit?

Life in the Flesh vs. Life in the Spirit:

• Life in the Spirit means setting my mind on the things of the Spirit (5).
• Life in the Spirit leads to life and peace (6).
• Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (7-8).
• The Truth About Life in the Flesh:
  • The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God.
  • The mind that is set on the flesh does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
  • Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

As Christians, we worship the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the unity of the Godhead, these three Persons execute distinct but harmonious offices in our redemption. Romans 8:1–4 is one of the rare places in the Bible where we see all three Persons of the Trinity executing these roles together. In this message, we will focus on the role of the Father in the great work of redemption. 

Take-Home Message: The great work of redemption is the great work of the Triune God.

The Father’s Role in my Redemption:

• The Father’s Plan: The Father planned my redemption.

• The Father’s Sending: The Father sent His Son to condemn sin in the flesh. 

• The Father and the Son’s Sending: The Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to fulfill the law.

• The Father and the Son’s Seeking: The Father and the Son seek the lost.

• The Father’s Listening: The Father hears my prayers.

• The Father’s Freedom: The Father has mercy and compassion on whomever He chooses.

• The Father’s Securing: The Father will secure the redemption of all things.

As Christians, we worship the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the unity of the Godhead, these three Persons execute distinct but harmonious offices in our redemption. Romans 8:1–4 is one of the rare places in all the Bible where we see all three Persons of the Trinity executing these roles together. In this message, we will focus on the role of the Son, Jesus Christ, in the great work of redemption. 

Take-Home Message: The great work of redemption is the great work of the Triune God.

The Son’s Role in my Redemption:

• Christ’s Pardon: The Son took on my death sentence.
• Christ’s Power: The Son sets me free from sin and death.
• Christ’s Control: The Son holds all things together, allowing for my continued redemption.  
• Christ’s Example: The Son suffered the most as an example for me to follow.
• Christ’s Intercession: The Son advocates for His people.
• Christ’s Gifts: The Son gives leaders for the building up of His church.
• Christ’s Return: The Son will return to fully redeem His people.

As Christians, we worship the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the unity of the Godhead, these three Persons execute distinct but harmonious offices in our redemption. Romans 8:2–4 is one of the rare places in all the Bible where we see all three Persons of the Trinity executing these roles together. In this message, we will focus on the role of the Holy Spirit in the great work of redemption. The Holy Spirit is not a force; He is a Person that wills, feels and thinks. He is also God, worthy of the same honor and equal in divinity with the Father and the Son. We will examine the ways in which the Holy Spirit has set us free from the law of sin and death, and how the Holy Spirit continues to set us free from sin and death.

Take-Home Message: The great work of redemption is the great work of the Triune God.

The Holy Spirit’s Role in my Redemption:

• The Spirit of Life: The Holy Spirit, in Christ Jesus, sets me free from sin and death.
• The Spirit as Convictor: The Holy Spirit convinces me of my need for Jesus.
• The Spirit as Regenerator: The Holy Spirit regenerates me.
• The Spirit of Adoption: The Holy Spirit bears witness to my adoption into God’s family.
• The Spirit as Renewer: The Holy Spirit renews my life.
• The Spirit of Truth: The Holy Spirit teaches me the truth.
• The Spirit of Grace: The Holy Spirit distributes unmerited favor to me.
• The Spirit as Intercessor: The Holy Spirit intercedes for me in my prayers.
• The Spirit as Helper: The Holy Spirit helps me live out my walk with Christ.
• The Spirit as Equipper: The Holy Spirit equips me for the building up of the church.
• The Spirit as Seal and Guarantee: The Holy Spirit seals and guarantees me for eternal life in Christ.