What Is The Spirit of Romans 8:26, 27?
"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. 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."
In the remote context of this chapter, Paul has been writing about the persecutions that the church was undergoing and that there was a hope awaiting them that outweighed all the trials of this life. The physical universe (Romans 1:20; 8:18-25) and the children of God are looking forward to this great hope that awaits them when Jesus returns. The creation groans as a woman who is giving birth because it is undergoing great pain and agony, but when a child is born the mother is full of joy to see that child wrapped in her arms. So the creation (including us) will seek that everlasting joy as we undergo the trials of this life. Paul then states that the spirit groans as well. We must remember that it was translators of the Greek New Testament who capitalized the word "Spirit" to indicate that they thought it was referring to the Holy Spirit. There are some weaknesses if it is in reference to the Holy Spirit.
There is the inability on the part of the Holy Spirit to clearly express Himself - "but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" and the inability of the Father to understand His child's prayer that is transferred by the Holy Spirit to Him- "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."
God is perfect and is the perfect Source who has revealed to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He should have no problem expressing Himself in a clear manner. Furthermore, how can unutterable groans be attributed to God? Is not God omniscient and knows all things?
When children of God are bowed down with sorrow and heartache, they may drop down prostrating on the ground in deep agony, not knowing how to express their pain and heartache to God at the loss of a child or some other terrible event that has struck them. We need to know by faith that God can hear our cries of despair as much as if we had been able to put our prayers into words. We sometimes are not able to articulate the words that we want God to know. But God will hear our cries for help and knows just what we need even if during those hard times we do not know how to coherently express the words we want to unto our Father in heaven. The Father hears and understands our prayers. He does not need anyone to translate prayers to Him. Our Father knows us inside and out. He understands the deep recesses of our spirit - that is the spirit of sonship.
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