Austin Bible Church
In what ways can a believer be helpless? A believer can be helpless with mental illness with their volition stuck in neutral. You are helpless when in a coma or when you are unconscious. You are helpless when one is in shock but conscious. You are helpless when an imbalance of hormones occurs. You are helpless when one is paralyzed as in electrocution. You are helpless when one is delirious and in a state of hysteria or panic. You are helpless when an unexpected tragedy which leaves one completely speechless, unable to think.
A coma, a seizure, being unconscious are all part of the undeserved suffering package. Instead of healing the situation, God gives an extra measure of grace and is thereby glorified. This is beyond your prayer, the Holy Spirit is praying.
Just as the mentally ill person has a provision for no responsibility when they are in neutral volition, to flush the soul, so the physical defect of body is provided for by the prayers of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us and protects us as He indwells our bodies.
The plan of God is greater than then worst suffering life can bring. God's grace is always in view in suffering. For the believer who confesses sin to God the Father and is again filled with the Holy Spirit and applying Bible doctrine to the situation, cursing of divine discipline is turned to blessing.
In Romans 8:26, “In the same way” is ὡσαύτως (hōsautōs) in the Greek and means in like manner, likewise. This indicates that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is distinct from and greater than the groaning of creation and believers. It is far superior! “Helps” is a triple compound verb συναντιλαμβάνομαι (sunantilambanomai) where sun is a preposition of assistance, anti is in turn, or in place of, and the root lambanomai means to seize, to assist. It means to support someone who is in a hopeless and helpless situation, to come to the aid of someone, to pray on their behalf.
“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;” (Romans 8:26, NASB)
In Romans 8:26, “our weakness” is ἀσθένεια (astheneia) and means our hopelessness (in context), our helplessness, to be weak, to lack strength, to not know what to do, to be impotent, to have much inability. It takes thought to pray, to use faith, to apply. There are times when you cannot. The principle here is that the Holy Spirit protects you and prays for you so no one can tamper with your volition when it cannot operate. It is the same principle as children in innocence when they are not yet able to exercise their volition.
In Romans 8:26, “for we do not know” is the negative plus the perfect active indicative of οἶδα (oida) in the Greek and means to not have seen or perceived. This is a strong negative and is used as a dramatic present. The soul is not functioning (self-consciousness, mentality, etc.). “How to pray as we should” is the future middle indicative and means the Holy Spirit benefits us when we cannot benefit ourselves. Prayer from the believer would only be beneficial when the believer can think, but when that is knocked out, the Holy Spirit takes over.
“Pray” is προσεύχομαι (proseuchomai) and means the Holy Spirit is face to face with the Father in intercession for us! The believer cannot confess their sins and they just cannot function! In this situation, the Holy Spirit takes over. The principle here is that you come out of a period of suffering, not because you know doctrine, but because of the great unseen ministry of the Holy Spirit praying from inside the believer.
In Romans 8:26, “but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us” is the present active indicative of ὑπερεντυγχάνω (huperentugchanō) and means to plead continually on behalf of one who is helpless. This word is only used once in New Testament. “With groanings too deep for words” means unutterable groanings. The content of the prayer is not given, but the prayer is offered by the Holy Spirit from inside of the believer. You do not pray to the Holy Spirit or to Jesus Christ, only to God the Father.
In Romans 8:27, it is God the Father who answers the prayer. “He who searches” is the present active participle of ἐρευνάω (ereunaō) and means to search, to examine and the refers to God the Father who keeps on searching and examining. The Father examines the believer’s spiritual growth and coordinates the intercession furthering the will of God. The Father knows when you can think and when you cannot. The Father keeps track of our soul and knows when it is in shock, in neutral, or in the throes of mental or severe physical illness. “The hearts” is καρδία (kardia) and refers to the right lobe of the soul and “knows” is the perfect tense used as a present of οἶδα (oida) and means that God the Father understands the prayers of God the Holy Spirit.
“and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:27, NASB)
“The mind of the Spirit” refers to prayer as mental communication, but thoughts were behind those words. “Because He intercedes” is the present active indicative of ἐντυγχάνω (entugchanō) and means He keeps on making intercession. This is a continuous ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is faithful in all generations of believers. “According” is κατά (kata) and means it is according to the norm or standard of Bible doctrine, God’s thinking.
A defective physical body cannot deter the God's grace plan for you. The believer need not be hindered with undeserved suffering. Even the earth is cursed. Your body is defective. In Romans 8:28, “all things” are the complete picture. All things work together for good. Cursing is turned into blessing in God’s plan. Even the earth will be delivered from its curse, your body from its curse, but in the meantime, we are to live our lives as unto the Lord.
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28, NASB)