The Spirit helps in different ways
Scripture reading: Romans 8:9-17. Text: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 As we continue the sermon series on our spiritual life we do not expect more than to have a better understanding of just one of segments of our relationship with God.
Can you define the distinction between being conscious and conscientious?
It is obvious that these two words; conscious and conscientious have several things in common; the first and last three letters are the same as we spell them and both of them denote a certain state of mind, yet their meanings are not close at all.
To be conscious means that a person is aware of himself/herself, and he/she knows what goes on around him/her. The unconscious person’s brain lacks any cognitive function.
To be conscientious, however, requires much more than just being alert; it means that a person is governed by pure principles and acts according to high moral standards. To be conscious is a must, but to be conscientious is a choice.
Without the eighth chapter of Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans not only the Bible would be poorer but also we would not be able to speak so clearly about our spiritual life.
This is the chapter in which the word spirit occurs the most frequently (21 times in several versions).
This is also one of the biblical passages that lends itself to various (and often controversial) interpretations. Please check, do you understand clearly and easily what our text says?
If you agree that we should be not only conscious but also conscientious, then we should take very seriously what is said in this chapter.
This short meditation is not the only and exhaustive interpretation of our text, it is just one’s understanding – through prayer, meditation, and study – how the Spirit works.
The clarification that comes from the original Greek text.
What is our idea of perfect help? When in need the help received is fast, complete, free and preferably simple.
Who can offer such an ideal help? What actions are close to the concept of helping?
Assisting, inspiring, encouraging, influencing, advising, explaining, suggesting, motivating, recommending, counseling, guiding, supporting, aiding, protecting and rescuing may all fall into this category.
We find these distinctions in the New Testament Greek: “To help together, to join in serving under, to serve or work with anyone as an underworker” like in 2 Corinthians 1:11; “To help with, to join or help in work, to co-operate with, to be a co-worker” like in 1 Corinthians 16:16; and jointly help, “to lay hold of a thing together with a person and so to assist that person.”
Ethelbert W. Bullinger: A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament. Zondervan Publish. Pages 370-371. In our text, the third case occurs, that is “jointly help” and this verb appears only in one more place in the New Testament: “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'” Luke 10:40.
From our text three issues should become clear: We are weak, God knows better and the Spirit “helps.” But the modern and educated person may ask; in what respect am I weak, how can God know more about me than I do, and how does the Spirit help? (Please see the previous paragraph). Let the answer be simple and practical. The trouble is: myself (also known as I and me).
Slowly I have managed to form a favorable opinion about myself, excuse myself from any wrongdoing and elevate myself above my peers. This eventually will lead to a defensive attitude, because if anything goes wrong obviously others have to be blamed for it, and I am just an unfortunate victim.
To avoid this, the Spirit helps us (jointly with our conscience) to clarify:
– the charges we bring up (in our mind) against our neighbors and brethren,
– the excuses we like to find to prove our innocence,
– the arguments we use to justify our actions (when we were forced to do it),
– the will of God, which is revealed for our sake and not for his interest,
– the goal we are striving for and wish to achieve (egoistic or altruistic?),
– the meaning of life – how we interpret important issues, such as joy & sorrow, success & failure, friendship & hostility, pleasure & suffering, gift & sacrifice, love & hatred, birth & death, spiritual & physical, being accepted & being rejected.
Please meditate over the thoughts presented here and read again our text with new insight: ” . . . the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.”
The Rev. Alexander Jalso is a retired United Presbyterian minister living in Brownsville.