Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

3; justification, Chapters 4 and 5; sanctification, Chapter 6; experience of justification, Chapter 7;
experience of sanctification, Chapter 8:1-16, gloriously attested by the witness of the Spirit;
glorification, Chapter 8:17-28, realized at the end of this life and here participated in the prelibations
of hope.
WONDERFUL AID OF THE SPIRIT.
26. “And thus indeed the Spirit helpeth our weakness.” While in these fallen, dilapidated bodies,
which we must occupy during our probation till relieved by glorification, we are so encumbered with
infirmities of thought, speech, and action that we would be in a deplorable condition were it not for
the timely aid of the Holy Spirit. “We know not what we should pray for, but the Spirit himself
maketh intercessions with unutterable groanings.
27. “He who searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession toward God in behalf of the saints.” Here is a most wonderful and infinitely consolatory
fact revealed. While the English language contains one hundred and fifty thousand words, the
common people only use three or four hundred; great scholars, only seven to ten thousand. Not only
are many saints straitened to common words and phases, but with most ample flow of language many
of our petitions are too deep for utterance. The most of earthly language is too materialistic and
symbolic to express the deep spiritual truths of this wonderful salvation, especially appertaining to
glorification, which is super-experimental. When Paul was in heaven (2 Corinthians 12) he heard
and saw things too glorious and spiritual for mortal utterance. This deficiency of language the Holy
Spirit supplies with groanings which can not be uttered. Hence our most important and efficient
prayers are given by the Holy Spirit, and are too deep and spiritual to be formulated in words. Elijah
prayed with prayer (James 5:17), not as E.V., “prayed earnestly,” but prayed with the prayer the Holy
Ghost gave him. Hence the miraculous effect of his prayers. “He that searcheth the heart,” i.e., Jesus,
who answers our prayers, “knoweth the mind of the Spirit.” Now you see this wonderful problem;
the Holy Spirit indicts our prayers, which are often too deep for utterance. But remember He is the
Spirit of Jesus (Chapter 8:9 and Acts 5), i.e., the spiritual Christ on the earth (Matthew 28:20); while
the glorified Jesus is interceding for us at God’s right hand, who actually understands perfectly all
the petitions indicted by the Holy Ghost and groaned out by us, and answers faithfully, though too
deeply for verbal utterance. Hence the most illiterate can shake heaven, earth and hell by their
prayers. I have known people converted and sanctified in our meetings while praying in their native
tongue, which was entirely unknown to the congregation. The Holy Spirit is the Author of a truly
efficient prayer. He knows all languages, whether in words or groans. Consequently all true hearts
under all circumstances can pray right up to God the petition indicted by the Holy Spirit, whether
in words or groans, understood by our glorious Intercessor and presented directly to the Father.
28. “But we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are the elect
according to his purpose.” You see the climax, beginning with conviction, and running through
justification, sanctification and glorification, finally culminates in election. This verse literally
inundates God’s true people with floods of unutterable consolation, promoting them beyond all
disappointment, and literally putting them out of reach of all evil, locating them in cloudless
sunshine, even amid a world of storms. The simple solution of the whole matter hinges on the
fundamental problem of this divine love, which is the nature of God, the only essential element in