5.THE DOCTRINE OF GOD'S HEAVENLY FAMILY. Rom8v14-39.

1. Sonship is a prelude to inheritance. Rom.8v14-17.

Our Divine sonship is witnessed to, both by our own spirit, which believes the Word of God, and also by the Holy Spirit Himself. The inheritance, however, must be won in the same way that Christ won His position in the kingdom, by obedience which entails suffering. Phil.2v5-13. We have, "the spirit of adoption," "pneuma" 4151, "huiothesias" 5206, see Gal.4v5. "Crying, Abba, Father," note the double use of "Father" to emphasise our privilege of sonship," "Abba ho Pater." The very words that Jesus himself used" in the Garden of Gethsemane. Mk.14v36. "Abba," is the Aramaic child's word for "daddy," "Pater," the Greek word for "father." "Crying," is "krazon," which basically means "to croak or cry out, or cry aloud, like a raven." Robertson says, "any inarticulate cry like "the unuttered groanings" of Rom.8v26., which God understands." End of quote. This cry comes from the Holy Spirit within us. Rom.8v16. "The Spirit Himself bears witness, "summarturei," with our spirit, that we are children of God:" See 1Jn.5v10. If we suffer for Jesus then we shall be joint heirs with Jesus and be glorified with Him. Rom.8v17. Paul uses "sun," "with," in compounds three times in this verse, "bears witness with," "if we suffer with", we are "glorified with."

2. The inheritance of the Sons of God is the universe. Rom.8v18-27. cf. 1Cor.3v21-23. Mt.24v45-47.

The universe is a groaning wreck through the mismanagement of the those appointed to rule it. Only the transfer of the rule of the universe to God's own family will put an end to this negligence. Meanwhile all the times are out of joint, and all, including the Sons of God, groan with a sense of frustration, which is only compensated by patient hope, and the intercession of the Holy Spirit. We read in Rom.8v18. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward." The radiant glory and inheritance, which we will share with Jesus at His second coming will dispel all the shadows and sufferings of our earthly pilgrimage. Rom.8v18. "time" "kairos." 2540. "a Divine epoch." Lk.21v24. "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."

Eph1v10. That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him." In Acts.3v21., "the times of restitution of all things," "times" is "chronos," which here speaks of a divine epoch in the world's affairs. The word "restitution," "apokatastaseoos" 605, is derived from "apo" 575, "from," and "kathistanein," 2525, to establish or settle anything, in a good state. When the preposition "apo" is added to it, then it implies that the good state, which it is established, is preceded by a bad state, which is transformed to a good one. So in Acts.1v6., when the disciples asked Jesus, "Will you at this time restore again, ("apokathistaneis" 600) the kingdom to Israel? They meant, "Will you take our Jewish kingdom from the bad rule of the Romans, and start a new era of good Jewish rule?" However, God's Word declares, that it is only Christ's return to rule the world with His brethren, that can deliver the world from all the disorders, destruction, and ruin caused by the domination of evil angels and the rule of fallen evil men. Is.32v1,2,17.

3. The secret of Paul's prayer life.

a. The Holy Spirit always makes His unlimited aid available to us when we pray.

Paul states, in Rom.8v26., "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." (NKJ) "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought," "katho dei," "as it is necessary." Rom.8v26. After about 25 years of Christian experience, Paul states that it was only the Holy Spirit's aid, inspiration and intercession that prevented him from making many mistakes over what to pray for, and how to pray. Please note Jn.14v16,17,26. 15v26,27. Jn.16v6,16,17. In the light of this intercession by the Holy Spirit, we can well understand why Paul thanked God in 1Cor.14v18., that he spoke in tongues more than any of the verbose tongue speaking Corinthians. Praying in tongues releases the Holy Spirit's power gifts, and prayer for the saints according to the will and desires of God. We do not know how to pray "as we ought," "katho dei," "as it is necessary," but the Holy Spirit, "maketh intercession for us," "huperentungchanei," 5241, which only occurs here in the New Testament. It is derived from the verb "entungchano," 1793," which means "to light upon or fall in with; to go to meet," and signifies to intercede or negotiate for another. A. T. Robertson says "It is a picturesque word of rescue by one who "happens on," "entungchanei" 1793, one who is in trouble and "in his behalf," "huper," 5228, pleads "with unuttered groanings" (instrumental case) or with "sighs that baffle words" (Denney)." End of quote. Compare Acts.25v24. Rom.8v34. 11v2. Heb.7v25.

Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit is always available to us, to take hold with us against our infirmities, weakness, and limitations. "Helps," poorly expresses the thought here in "sunantilambanetai," 4878, the present indicative middle of "sunantilambanomai," "to lend a hand together with, at the same time with one." It is a compound of" sun," 4862," "with," or "together," and "anti," 473, "against," and "lambanomai," 2983. "to take and get hold of," and so, "to actively support and help." The Holy Spirit comes to enable us to pray and mightily supplements our weakness and limitations with His infinite abilities, grace and love. "Sunantilambanomai," only occurs here and in Lk.10v40., of Martha's request for help. However, "lambanetai," 2983, "taketh," is, "Precisely the same verb in precisely the same phrase, which is translated `took our infirmities," in Mt.8v17." (Bushnell). In his atoning death Jesus took hold of, and carried away, our infirmities and sicknesses. Jesus and the Holy Spirit come to help us bear the burdens on our heart, and we mutually bear the same load together. They also come to reveal the burdens on their hearts for the children of God, that they desire to share with us. They impart their strength and abilities to us and enable us to minister their almighty power and love to Christians in need as we pray for them.

Strong says that "infirmities" "astheneia," 769, (from 772 "asthenes," "strengthless,") is feebleness and frailty (of mind or body), and is translated in the King James Version as, disease, infirmity, sickness, and weakness. Paul writes, in 2Cor.12v9,10., that Jesus said to him about his thorn in the flesh, probably his determined and evil persecutors, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness, "astheneia." Paul's reaction to this was, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, "astheneiais," that the power of Christ may rest ("episkenoo," pitch itself like a tent) upon me. v10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities "astheneiais," in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak ("astheneo," to be weak, feeble, and powerless), then I am strong." God's strength and Christ's abiding presence is bestowed on, and revealed to, those who feel their need and weakness. Mt.11v25. Lk.10v21-24. 1Cor.1v26-31.

b. Effectual prayer comes out of a heart constrained by the "more excellent way" of "agape" love. 1Cor.12v31.

It is not fluency in prayer, but Holy Spirit guided earnest prayers, out of a heart constrained by "agape" love, that God listens to and answers. Though we may not even know what the groans, sighs, tears, and burden upon us is about, or may not understand what our intercession in other tongues is for, but the Father, Son and Spirit are one in will and desire and they know what these unutterable groans and sighs of our hearts are about and answer them. It is marvellous, wonderful, and humbling to think that God Himself intercedes through us in this way. The "more excellent way" of "agape" love is the true pathway and pattern of prayer, and the supreme example of this is the prayer life of Jesus our Lord. However, we see from Lk.19v41-44., that even His matchless mighty ministry, unparalleled praying, and heartbroken and loving groans, sighs and intercessions could not bring Israel to repentance, or save them from the results of their sin and folly, and we need to remember this when we pray for rebellious people, or we can be badly discouraged. Even Divine love and power cannot change some people.

c. The Holy Spirit's best and greatest prayers through us are often groans and sighs.

Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit's best and most effective prayers through us are "groanings which cannot be uttered," or "sighs too deep for words," the outflow of concerned love and anguished heart pain. "Which cannot be uttered", is "alaleetois," unutterable sighs or groans, the burdens of a loving heart for others. Some needs and desires are too great to be expressed in words, only the unutterable groans and sighs inspired by the Holy Spirit can express them. This wordless language of the Holy Spirit is vast and immeasurable in meaning and accomplishment. Such intercession is according to the will of God, "kata Theon," and ministers to the needs of God's saints. Rom.8v27. God searches our hearts, and will always answer such heartfelt prayers, for they are always pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit pleads God's cause with us, and through us, and our cause to God, and He, like Jesus, is our "Paraclete" and Advocate with the Father. Jn.14v16. 1Jn.2v1. The gift of tongues is given to us for prayer, as well as praise and worship. It is Jesus and God the Spirit praying through us to God the Father. God praying to God, sometimes in wordless groans and sighs. This divine life-long intervention and intercession in our prayer life by the Trinity is what makes "all things work together, "panta sunergei," for good, "eis agathon," to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose," "kata" 2596, "prothesin," 4286. Acts.27v13. Rom.3v11,24, 9v11. 2Tim.1v9. Nothing can separate us from the love and purposes of God in Jesus our Lord. Let us exceedingly rejoice and be greatly encouraged by this wonderful fact.

4. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." Rom.8v28.

Those who experience all things working for good to them, are those who love God, and, as a result obey Him. It does not say that all things shall work for good, but that they work now "sunergei," 4903, for good for those, who love God now, "agapoosin," both verbs are in the present tense. God's providence and the Holy Spirit are now working for us, in all the events of our lives, if we love and serve God. Paul has obviously in mind the great difficulties and things mentioned in Rom.8v31-39. God uses the persecutions, difficulties, trials, and afflictions of life to conform us into the image of Christ. God uses even the evil things of life that attack His children, and presses them into His service, and makes them work for the good of those who love and obey Him. God can even use our failures to humble and improve us, just as He did in the case of Peter. However, it is the worst kind of blasphemous heresy, to say that God tempts us to do evil, and that our sin glorifies God, and works to us for our good. We read in James.1v13-15., that God never tempts us to do evil, and in Rom.6v1-23., Paul strongly denounces the evil antinomian doctrine that states that we glorify God's grace if we practice sin. John tells us in the Greek of 1Jn.3v8., that those who have a present continuous life and habit of sin are of the Devil. See 1Jn.3v4-10. John twice tells us that born again Christians do not live a life of sin. In 1Jn.3.v9,10., "doth not commit sin," is "hamartian ou poiei," the linear present active indicative, "cannot habitually sin." In 1Jn.5v18., "does not sin," "ouch hamartanei," is again the linear present active indicative, "does not keep on sinning," and Satan "cannot lay hold of or grasp him," "haptetai" 680, the present tense of "hapto," it speaks of a grasp, not a superficial touch, as does Jn.20v17. See Jn.6v38. In Mt.7v23., Jesus tells us that on judgement day He will say to wicked people who profess to do miracles in His Name, "Depart from me you who have a life of continuous evil." God's children do not have a life and habit of sinning, they manifest a life of "agape" love. All things cannot help but work together for good to these loving hearts.

5. God uses His amazing foreknowledge to conform us to the image of Jesus.

a. God's astounding foreknowledge.

We read in Rom.8v29. "For whom he foreknew, he also predestinated (foreordained) to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." "Foreknew," is "proegno," 4267, the aorist active indicative of "proginosko," 4267, from "pro" 4253, which means "fore," and "ginosko" 1097, which means "to know," and so "proginosko" means "to know beforehand, to foresee." God had complete foreknowledge of all future events, things, angelic beings, or people, before the creation of the universe, or the creation of either angels or men. All of the past, present, and future are all at the same time seen, known, scrutinized, and present to God. See Eph.1v14. 2Thes.2v14. 2Tim.1v9.Titus.1v2.1Pet.1v2. Rev.13v8. God's purposes for us are based on His amazing perfect foreknowledge, He does not dominate and override our wills, He, astonishingly, knows all the events of our lives, and what we and everyone else will think and do. As David said in Psalm 139v6., (see also v1-18.) "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me to grasp," but, praise be to God, it is wonderfully true. Nothing can take our wonderful Father by surprise. Blessed be His Name. The Divine purpose and end of our salvation is the conformation of our lives and characters to the image of Jesus Christ our Lord, and God says that He will bring it to pass in us.

In Rom.8v27., "He predestinated," or "He foreordained," is "proorisen," the aorist active indicative of "proorizo," 4309, from "pro" 4253, "fore," and "horizo" 3724, to mark out a boundary ("horizon"), to limit in advance, and so it means to determine and appoint beforehand, to ordain and predestinate. See 1Cor.2v7. "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained ("proorizo") before the world ("aionon," "ages) unto our glory." How amazing, "our glory." God's purposes, and our redemption, was conceived before creation, it was no afterthought or modification of plan. We read in Acts.4v28. "For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel foreordained to be done." "Foreordained," is "proorisen," the aorist active indicative of "proorizo," 4309. God foreknew, foreordained, and used the wickedness of men to crucify Jesus and bring about our salvation. This divine insight and foreknowledge is not pre-election. It is not God pre-electing people to be saved or lost, but God using His foreknowledge to allow the acts of men and angels to fulfil His magnanimous, noble and praiseworthy divine purposes.

b. God's amazing purpose is to conform us to the image of Jesus. Rom.8v29.

In "conformed to the image," "conformed," is "summorphous," 4832, an adjective derived from "sun" 4862, and "morphe" 3444. "Morphe," only occurs in three places in the New Testament, and in the KJV it is translated as "form." Mk.16v12. Phil.2v6,7. In Phil.2v6, "morphe," here speaks of more than the external appearance, or the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision.

Robertson writes that, "in the form of God" in Phil.2v6., "means the essential attributes as shown in the form. In his preincarnate state Christ possessed the attributes of God and so appeared to those in heaven who saw him. Here is a clear statement by Paul of the deity of Christ." End of quote. Compare Rom.2v20., "the form of knowledge," and 2Tim.3v5., "a form of godliness;" where "form," is "morphosis," the pencilled outline of the "morphe," without the reality and substance of the "morphe."

"Bengel writes, "As "the form of a servant" (Phil.2v7.), which is in contrasted opposition to it, takes for granted the existence of His human nature. so "the form of God" takes for granted His divine nature."

Lightfoot writes, "though 'morphe' is not the same as 'phusis' (i.e. nature) or 'ousia' (i.e. substance), yet the possession of the 'morphe' involves participation in the 'ousia' also; for 'morphe' implies not the external accidents but the essential attributes."

Orthodox interpreters say that in Phil.2v6., "morphe," "form," speaks of the essential divine nature of the preincarnate Jesus, and not just His splendour, majesty and glory. Jesus has never been a shadowy image, vague resemblance, or outline sketch, "skia," Heb.10v1., of the Father. He is the exact image, "eikon," Col.1v15, and exact resemblance, "charakter," Heb.1v3., of the Father. N.B. Jn.14v9. In Phil.2v6., Paul emphatically states that in His pre-incarnate state Jesus was existing in the essential form of God in the fullest possible sense. Jn.17v5. The use of "morphe" in Rom.8v29., confirms that God will transform us to a real inward conformity to Christ's image, not merely an outward superficial conformity to His image. In 2Cor.4v4., and Col.1v15., "eikon," 1504, is used to describe Jesus as the very image of the Father. In Rom.8v29., both "morphe" and "eikon" are used to describe how God is going to transfigure us into Christ's image. N.B. Rom.12v1,2. 2Cor.3v18. "And whom he foreordained, them he also called "kaleo" 2564, and whom he called, them he also justified, "dikaio" 1344,: and whom he justified, them he also glorified, "doxazo."" 1392. Rom.8v30. Called, justified, glorified, God's purposeful steps to our conformity to Christ's image.

c. "That He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Rom.8v29.

"Firstborn," "prototokos 4416," except when referring to Jesus being Mary's firstborn son, (Mk.3v21. "His family." Mk.3v31-35. 6v3.) .is used of Jesus in the sense of Him being first in rank, authority, position, and honour, and not in the sense of first in time. The Eldest Brother in God's family of Sons. "Prototokos," occurs in the following Scriptures. Jesus was Mary's firstborn son. Lk.2v7. "The firstborn among many brethren. Rom.8v29. The firstborn of all creation." Col.1v15. "The firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." Col.1v18. "When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. "He kept the Passover,--- lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them." Heb.11v28. "To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, who are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect." Heb.12v23. "Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Rev.1v5.

d. God's Royal Family was conceived before creation. Eph.1v4,5,10,11. Titus.1v2.

God has a plan which He will not perfect and complete until Christ has many brethren like Himself to share the government of the universe. Rev.10v7.14v1-5.

6. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom.8v30.

Rom.8v32. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" Paul affirms the certainty of the final victory and sanctification, and glorification of the sons of God. The climax of his theology in Romans. Nobody can successfully challenge the purposes of God for His children.

7. Another Panegyric (a heartfelt and profound poem of praise) on the love of God. Rom.8v31-39.

God, who has begotten us, and justified us will never allow us to be snatch out of His hand, no matter how great the trials of our faith through which we have to go. John.10v27,28. It is an amazing fact that we are loved like Jesus. John.17v23. 15v9.

In Rom.8v37., "We are more than conquerors," is "hupernikomen" 5245, (it only occurs here in the New Testament.) It is a powerful emphatic expression. We gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us. God is faithful and He has promised to empower, uphold, protect, and defend us, and make us "more than conquerors," and give us complete victory over all our foes, and every experience of life. Our foes cannot subdue and overcome us, they cannot alienate us from the God we love, or destroy our faith in Him. We gain complete victory over their lies and opposition. Our faith and love are not diminished, they are rather increased by the opposition that we experience. Far from separating us from Christ's love, this opposition expands and develops our love for Christ. God draws near to us, and enlarges our vision of Him, and increases our faith and spiritual strength. We are victorious "through him," not by our own strength or power, but by the love and the power of our Father and Saviour. Phil.4v13. " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." N.B. 2Cor.4v8-18. Much of the Church has known, like their Saviour, what it is actually like to be slaughtered like sheep, but, like their Saviour, they have faced this vicious persecution with lion-like courage by the grace of God. Is.53v7. Acts.7v54-60. 8v32.1Cor.15v10. 2Cor.1v12. Heb.2v9.

"For I am persuaded," "pepeismai gar," the perfect passive participle of "peitho" 3982, "I remain completely convinced." Paul affirms, that no threat of life or death, no evil supernatural powers, nothing above or below, nor any creature, can separate us from God's love in Jesus. God's love in Jesus gives us complete victory over all impending foes. Paul has arrived at the mountain top of Christian theology. He has come to the climax and zenith of his arguments about God's purpose in creation and redemption. All that now remains is a discussion of the problem of God's earthly nation, Israel, and some practical problems.




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