Romans 8: v15
Part three of a mini series by Nigel Beynon on prayer, looking especially at the phrase “by him [the Holy Spirit] we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ “
This week: ‘by him’. That is, by the Spirit. What does it mean to pray ‘by the Spirit’? Or elsewhere Paul talks about praying ‘in the Spirit’? What’s that? Can you have normal prayer – and then upgrade to ‘prayer in the Spirit’?
Please note: this is a recording from our Sunday service currently meeting on Zoom.
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Transcript
This is the third and last sermon on prayer – next week is a question time. Thanks for questions so far – do send in yours if you’d like to.
We’ve been thinking about the phrase “And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’.”
We’ve thought about Abba Father – being children of God. Last week we talked about ‘crying’ – groaning in suffering.
This week we’re focusing on ‘by him’. That is, by the Spirit. And so our question is - what does it mean to pray ‘by the Spirit’? Or elsewhere Paul talks about praying ‘in the Spirit’? What’s that? Can you have normal prayer – and then upgrade to ‘prayer in the Spirit’?
It’s easy for questions like that – and talking about the Holy Spirit more generally - to make us feel insecure. We hear people talk about experiences of the Spirit – particular emotions or feelings – and we think - I don’t have those. And so we feel insecure – we have a sense of missing out or not being truly spiritual. We’ll come back to that.
I want to make one big and general point about the Spirit’s work. And then we’re going to what that looks like in prayer.
So – big point is this,
The Spirit makes it real
I realise that sounds sloppy – what is ‘it’? What does the Spirit make real?
Well here in v15 - ‘the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children’. So he is making being God’s children real to us.
But can broaden that - the Spirit makes Jesus real, God real, being saved real. The work of the Spirit is to make these things true for us personally. Make them real.
Let me use an old illustration about cold baths. Only to get this – you have to realise there was a time people used to think that having a cold bath was good for you. I don’t know why they thought that – I imagine you’re unconvinced – but they did. Imagine I said – I believe in cold baths.
I could simply mean I believe that cold baths exist. I think they are factually true.
I could mean I believe not only that cold baths exist but if you have one – they are good for you. But I don’t ever have one myself. The cold baths thing is just theoretically true.
Or I could mean – they exist, they are good for you and I have one every day. Personally true.
Now imagine someone says I believe in Jesus.
They could mean – I believe there was a man called Jesus who lived, died 2000 years ago. Factually true. But that’s it.
They could mean – not only do I believe the facts about Jesus but I understand Bible says Jesus died for our sins so we can know God. I don’t trust in Jesus – but I understand the theory.
Or they could mean – I trust Jesus to save me.
The facts about Jesus are crucial. The theory – the understanding – is vital. But there is another level when you move beyond the facts, and beyond the theory, and Jesus becomes real for you.
The objective truth becomes subjectively true. The theoretical becomes personal. The truth out there – becomes true in here.
And that move, only happens because of the Spirit.
That is what I mean when I say the role of the Spirit is make it real. He takes the facts of Jesus, and the truth of Jesus, and brings inside. So we get it. Personally. It’s becomes real for us.
That is a general point about the Spirit’s work.
I want us to see what this looks like with prayer. But before we get to that let me give an example from earlier in Romans so we get the idea.
The Holy Spirit makes God’s love real
Back in Romans 5 Paul says ‘God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’
So Jesus’ death is an historical, objective demonstration of how much he loves me.
But Paul also says ‘God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.’ This is internal, personal grasp of his love in our hearts.
That’s not separate from God’s love in Jesus’ death.
It’s the same love of God. It’s demonstrated in Jesus’ death. But the Holy Spirit works in my heart so that I personally grasp God’s love for me. The Spirit makes God’s love – real.
Now, main example,
The Holy Spirit makes calling God father real
V15, 16 again. ‘by the Spirit we cry Abba Father. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.’
The Spirit bears witness to our spirit, he gives testimony to us, to tell us – we are children of God. So he’s saying being God’s children – is real for us.
We get more in v15 – you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption.
Paul is saying – you were fearful of God – he was your judge who condemned you – it was like you had a spirit – a sense – of being a slave. But now you understand Jesus died for you – to bring forgiveness and acceptance. So you’re not scared of God now – you have peace with him – you have the spirit – the sense – of being his child.
It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us that sense of peace and adoption.
Imagine I offended my brother. We’re having a zoom chat, I try and make a joke but it comes out badly and it’s rude and he’s right hurt. I say sorry, but I can feel he’s upset.
Later on – my brother thinks - Nigel, he is an idiot – but I forgive him. Writes me a card – says – don’t worry about it.
Two or three days later – the post arrives – I open the card – and think – oh good. That’s better.
Now – Graham forgave me days ago. But I was still worried about it. I’m feeling we’re estranged. I only got that sense of forgiveness – peace and acceptance – when his card arrives. That’s when it became real for me.
That’s what the Spirit does. Through Jesus we are forgiven, at peace with God, adopted as his children. But the Spirit brings that home to me - makes it real to me. He testifies to our spirit so we grasp – I’m at peace with God, I’m accepted like an adopted child.
So let me ask. Do you have any sense God forgives you? You have peace with him?
Do you have any sense you are God’s child? You can call him father?
I know it varies day to day. We go up and down. But if we have some grasp that is true – that is the Holy Spirit’s work. He has worked in us so it’s real to us.
Couple of reflections
Before we finish let me make a couple of comments on the Spirit which I think are relevant here.
The Spirit usually works through his word. The Bible is described as the sword of the Spirit – it’s his weapon – it’s how he teaches us and convinces us and make things real to us. I say usually – because the Spirit is God and he can do what he chooses. But the way he says he works and usually works – is through his word.
So for us to have this sense of being God’s child – and for us to grow in that – we should both ask his Spirit to make this more real to us. But we don’t just do that – we also look at his word, meditate on what he says, because the Spirit works through that.
Second comment: the Spirit doesn’t draw attention to himself, so you might not notice him. In John’s gospel Jesus says the Spirit’s work is bring glory to Jesus and the Father. His role is shine a spotlight on them. Not himself.
What this means in practice is we might have a very strong experience of the Spirit – but not call it that. Say we hear a sermon and we think wow – God loves me. He sent Jesus die for me, that’s amazing. Hits us afresh.
Or we are talking with a friend and something they say makes us think – I’m actually God’s child. How wonderful.
Well – those are happening because of the Spirit’s work - making it real. But – in my little descriptions – I didn’t mention the Spirit. And talking about it - you might just say – I had a real sense of being God’s child – you don’t mention the Spirit.
That’s fine – the Spirit likes that. His role is to focus on the father and the son. Bringing glory to them.
We must remember that because it means just because he isn’t mentioned – doesn’t mean he isn’t very involved.
So let’s say we have some sense we are God’s children. We can talk to him as our Father. And that leads us to pray – Father – I’m sorry for how I behaved yesterday please forgive me. It leads us to say – please help me today with what I find hard. It leads me to pray for others. It leads us to thank and praise.
It’s not brilliant – it goes up and down – but to some degree – it happens. I pray.
Why? Why is any of that happening? It’s because of the Spirit. He is making these things real to us and that leads us in prayer. We are praying by the Spirit, or in the Spirit.
Three applications to finish.
Be assured – if you trust in Jesus – you have the Spirit. You don’t need to feel insecure. Like you’re missing out. If you’re praying – if you have some sense of God as your father – you’re showing the signs of the Spirit in you. He doesn’t draw attention to himself – we don’t go on about him. But you can be confident – you’re praying in the Spirit – because he’s why you’re praying at all.
Secondly – let’s be thankful for the Spirit. I say we don’t go on about him – and in many ways that’s right – but we should be aware of what he does in us - and thankful for it. If I pray, call God father – it’s because of him. Left to myself I wouldn’t talk to God. None of this would be real to me.
We should say to God – not only thank for Jesus dying for me – but thank you for your Spirit – working in me so I get it and it’s real to me. Everything we do as Christians – believing, trusting, obeying, serving – praying – it’s only happening because of him in us. Let’s open our eyes to all the Spirit is doing for us – and appreciate it – thank him.
Lastly – let’s seek to grow in this. We can grow in knowing God as our Father. That will lead to growing in prayer – talking to God as our father. That happens by his Spirit. Let’s pray this week – Father, by your Spirit – make these things more real to me.
By your Spirit give me a greater sense you are my Father. Know your love and peace with you and security of being your child.
By your Spirit lead me to cry out to you and groan in my struggles.
By your Spirit – lead me in thanking you, praising you, requesting from you.
Would lead me forward in prayer – by your Spirit.