Christ in us the hope of glory!
In the troubling times that we are living in our lifeline is Holy Spirit. He will guide and sustain us. He is given the power to keep us in the will of the Father and protect us from evil. Spirit to spirit He intercedes for us. He works out the very things meant to destroy us and turns them for good. He takes the teachings of Jesus and transforms us, precept by precept, into the person God created us to be. Rely on the process of transformation. As believers in Jesus Christ, His Son, He will justify us to the glory of God the Father. Carla
Romans 8:26-30 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Though more may be involved in the concept of weaknesses, the primary reference here is to mental ignorance. The contrast offered by Paul in this verse is between our inability to know how to pray and the effective prayers of the Spirit Himself. The emphasis indicates that the Spirit Himself prays for us. He intercedes on our behalf before the throne of God (1 John 2:1). But His intercession cannot be uttered, which means it is “unexpressed, unspoken.” No language is in view here, only the inner groanings of the Spirit. As children of God, we do not always know what to pray for or how best to pray (verse 26), but we can know the purpose of God which the Holy Spirit desires to accomplish.
The primary reference of all things is the “sufferings of this present time” (verse 18). All circumstances will work together in cooperation for the believer’s good—that is, the believer will be conformed to Jesus Christ now and reign with Him later.
Those who love God are in fact those who are the called by God. Our love is our response to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We are called according to His purpose. God does everything, including redemption, in order to accomplish His overarching plan.
God foreknew, which means simply “to know beforehand.” This has been interpreted by some as God’s free and merciful choice of certain people who would receive His gift of salvation. Those who hold this view contend that His knowledge of future events and people did not determine His choice (1 Peter 1:2). Instead He chose those who would be saved out of His own free will. Others believe that in His wisdom, God knew beforehand those who would respond to Him in faith. According to both views, only God saves; people never earn salvation through any work. The NKJV Study Bible
Our weaknesses refers to people’s limited capacity and susceptibility to sin and death. Paul encourages the Roman believers that the Spirit does not condemn them in their weakness. Even with the assurance of future hope, believers who patiently endure suffering may, at times, face troubles that exhaust their strength and try their faith. Paul urges such believers to find encouragement in the intercession the Holy Spirit makes on their behalf in these circumstances. This is one aspect of how the Holy Spirit serves as an advocate (paraklētos) for followers of Christ.
The one who searches our hearts is an expression of God’s omniscience (Acts 1:24; 2:23; 15:8). Paul tells the believers that God continues to work on their behalf, especially when they do not know what to pray for. Saint refers to those who are set apart to God.
Paul has been discussing the perceived tension between human experience and divine promise. He assures believers that God is working for the ultimate good.
God calls people to receive salvation and, through the resurrection, to reflect His glory (1 Corinthians 15:42–44). The Greek word used here for foreknew, proginōskō, means “to know in advance” or “to choose beforehand.” However, the theological concept of divine foreknowledge is subject to various interpretations. One view understands “foreknew” as referring to God’s knowledge of the faith people would have in Christ. Following that interpretation, God predestined those whom He knew would believe. This interpretation, however, does not seem to be Paul’s meaning here. The context of the word here and elsewhere in the New Testament suggests the sense of “choose” or “determine to know intimately,” derived from the Old Testament concept of the election of Israel (Romans 11:2; 1 Peter 1:2, 20; Acts 2:23). The Greek verb used here for predestined, proorizō, refers to choosing or deciding beforehand. Salvation ultimately depends on God’s choice.
Election refers to sanctification, the process by which a believer grows to be more like Christ.
The term for the firstborn does not indicate that Christ was created; rather, it means that Christ resides in the place of utmost priority in God’s kingdom.
Called is God’s act of drawing someone to a relationship with Him through Christ.
Justified refers to being set right or declared righteous by God (3:20, 24). Justification is a central theme of Romans (2:13; 4:2; 6:7). Paul’s chain of verbs culminates in glorification, tying this section back to its starting point in verse 18 and emphasizing that the hoped for future glory is just as certain as the already evident work of calling and justification. Faithlife Study Bible
Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
Romans 9:23–24 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Ephesians 1:5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory
Embrace the sacred in the daily
Celebrate gooseflesh
Go human
Find God in the ordinary
Live playfully
Spill laughter
Invite serendipity
Radiate compassion
Spill light
Allow your Spiritual Renewal to be a journey
Savor this moment
Practice the Power of Pause
Delight in life, knee-deep in the sights, smells, sounds and textures of the day
And remember that Grace is a gift given to all. Without exception. Period.
Slowing down lets us see.
Seeing allows us to be amazed.
Amazement gives way to gratitude.
In Gratitude we relinquish control, and embrace life.
This life. This exquisite and extraordinary and often messy life.
Yes, there is work to do. The work of compassion, and creating sanctuaries, and advocating, and addressing inequalities, and healing. And the list goes on. But that work (yes, that light) spills instinctively from one who is grounded, and at home in their own skin. Not exhausted or unraveled by a compulsion to prove or earn or perform or control.
Gene Logsdon helps, and cuts to the chase. “The things that matter in a bad life, we know, are: gaining power over others, accumulating as much stuff as you can, getting revenge on your enemies (who are everywhere), and drugging yourself one way or another to forget the pain of not quite being human.”
So. To be human means being attentive to the life you have right now, and experiencing the sacredness and wonders within it—within the present moment.
“Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.”
Thank you, Rabbi Abraham Heschel.
“Sabbath Moments” Terry Hershey
Good boundaries are the only fighting chance we have for navigating relational challenges in a productive and healthy way. Good boundaries help us stay away from things that are "unprofitable and worthless" (Titus 3:9) so we can continue to pursue godliness.
So how can we really be gracious without excusing hurtful behavior we're experiencing? How can we have the honest conversations we need to have? We can bring truth while also creating an atmosphere of grace. We can express what needs to be expressed, set a boundary that needs to be set, say what needs to be said, and stay completely committed to the reality of the situation. But we can also foster it all in an environment of love that never dishonors the other person.
We can say a hard truth, but we don't have to say it in a harsh way. As we say honest things and set boundaries with kindness, this is one way we can show the world that we have "have believed in God" and "devote [our]selves to good works" (Titus 3:8).
Ultimately, don't we want our words to reflect that we know Jesus, love Jesus, and spend time with Jesus? I know I do.
John 15:9: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (NIV). When we remember we are loved by God, we can remain in His love. We can allow this truth to inform our thoughts and actions, and we can release any fears we may have about what someone else thinks of us.
I read The Enduring Word Bible Commentary on this verse, and it says, "Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone. We must never put the cart of works before the horse of grace!"
Friend, may we remember this as we cling to our own faith and also ask the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us so we can live a life devoted to good works. First5
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