The Trinity at work for our good
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26 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 through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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More than Conquerors
Setting the Scene
Paul is writing to the Christians in Rome (who he had never met). Paul would have known that his letter would have been read in many house churches in Rome in the early days of following Christ (just 25 yrs after his death and resurrection). The first Christians read, digested, taught, copied and handed down these letters from one fellowship to another and from one generation to the next. Today there are 5800 Greek manuscripts of New Testament; these are historical documents.
Here we are in 2026 thro this letter to the Romans Paul is assuring us today: [1] that God works all things for our good v28, [2] that we are secure in the love of Jesus and are ‘More than conquerors’ through Christ v37 and [3] that the HS v26 helps us in our weakness – the Trinity: God the Father, Son and HS at work for our good.
I would like to focus on the Trinity at work for our good as we dig into these scriptures today.
1-Father Works for our Good v28-30
2- Son Secures us in his Love v31-39
3- Spirit Helps us in our Weakness v26-27
Father Works for our Good v28-30
Rom 8:28 ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…’
When I was in Hospital, many well-meaning friends gave me this verse in a get-well-soon card. ‘All things work together for good to those who love God’ NKJV. I wanted to punch them! It’s a great verse, but when you are in the middle of trauma or illness or even dying, it is hard to see how it will all turn out well. But Paul is not saying it will all work out OK in the end, nor is he saying all things work out for the best. What he is saying is that our heavenly Father ‘works for our good.’ But what does Paul mean by ‘our good?’
He does not mean a successful, trouble-free life ending at a good old age, dying in our sleep. ‘God works for our good,’ means in all happenings, we become more like Jesus.
Sovereign God uses all things; highs and lows, including suffering, disappointments and difficulties, to mould, mature and conform us to reflect the character of Christ. Paul says that God uses “All things”, so we are taught, humbled, and refined into the likeness of Christ.
Romans 8:29 follows v28, ‘For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he [Jesus] might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.’ That’s us, predestined to be like Jesus and destined for eternity. Called and justified: We really are the family of God, heirs and joint heirs with the Son.
That is the best possible good we could ever hope for, even if some of the process of moulding and shaping is difficult. These words in Rom 8:28 are words of assurance for every believer, ‘those who love God.’ We may think we know what is best for us, butPaul says the Father knows best for our good because his perspective is time and eternity.
2- Son Secures us in his Love v31-39
For the next few verses Paul takes us to a courtroom drama.
[It’s a place I have been. I received a Parking Ticket for praking in a loading bay and I decided to challenge it. The Magistrate on my side that day and I received an ‘Absolute discharge.’]
This is a courtroom scene that Paul is taking us to. We are in the dock and we are weak, we have done wrong but our hope is in Jesus. Like a barrister in a courtroom drama, Paul asks 5 [unanswerable] questions to the jury. ON consecutive verses, 31-35….
31>If God for us who can be against us?
32>The Trinity gave up Jesus; will God not graciously give us all things?
33>Who can bring a charge against those whom God has chosen?
Imagine y/self in the dock and the lawyer says ‘it is God who justifies’(makes us innocent).
34>Who is the one that condemns – ‘No One’ when Jesus is at Right hand of father saying you are not guilty? [That Parking Ticket Judge was on my side].
The Barrister closes his file, walks over to the jury and looks at them and asks his final question 35> Who can separate us from the love of Christ?
There you are in the dock, you are weak, with your sin & struggles & hurts, and Paul says, who can separate us from the love of Christ? Then he goes thro’ a list (v35 CEV): can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? The climax of our courtroom drama, and Paul shouts NO in all these threats and struggles we are more than conquerors thro Christ [him] who loved us.
[More Than Conquerors v37] In these troubles & suffering in v35 God is on our case (v31 ‘who can be against us’) and as Jesus is our advocate we are more than conquerors. Christ Jesus who died, more than that, was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us, v34.
The purpose of the questions and the acclaim that we are ‘more than conquerors’ is to shake us out of our unbelief, saying we are saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus and therefore safe in the love of Christ. More than Conquerors means God takes our frailty and transforms it into victory - not because we are strong in ourselves but because we are in Jesus, who died and then defeated death; he is more than mighty; he is Almighty, and through him we are more than conquerors.
Spirit Helps us in our Weakness v26-27
Rom 8:26, Paul says the HS helps us in our weakness; 2 Cor 12:9 ‘his strength is made perfect in our weakness’. In John 14:16 Jesus says ‘I will send another helper,’ ‘allos paracletos, ’ meaning exactly the same as Jesus [not hetros]. This Holy Spirit, who helps us, is the Spirit of Jesus. What exactly does helper do?
The Greek word para/kletos. Para-clete can be broken into two: Para = beside and Klete to be called. Someone to ‘call alongside’ you to be with you in battle. Not someone to soothe but someone who will come alongside you and say we can do this together, the paraclete the Holy Spirit ‘helps us in our weakness’ gives strength and courage when the going gets tough. We are not expected to do all this on our own we have the helper parakletos. Allos parakletos. I wonder have you been following the travels of the Bayeux Tapestry - it has arrived in the UK and we can see it in the British Museum until July 2027. It is an Embroidery of the Battle of Hastings. One section has ‘Bishop Odo comforts his troops.’ When you look what he is doing, the Bishop is alongside the frontline with them in the battle. It’s an old meaning of the word comforter. We are not expected to do all this on our own we have the helper parakletos.
Often the need or the crisis seems so huge ‘we don’t know what to pray for’ and Rom 8:26 says ‘the Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with the will of God.’ That’s comforting; the place of weakness is a place of encounter with God. Maybe you need healing for s/th or a life limiting illness & you don’t know what to pray & the best you can do is to groan or cry out ‘where are you God.’ That is a prayer and you are engaging with God. If you allow yourself to weep or be angry- in that place you are in the presence of a holy God and you don’t know what to pray - what a privilege to be weak before the almighty God and v26 & 27 say’s the HS is on our case - thro Christ, the HS knows our weakness & struggles & intercedes for us.
Sometimes I wish we could stop being stoic and strong and cast our cares on the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the three in one who helps us in our weakness. God is at work guiding us, giving us peace, working all things for our good, conforming us to the likeness of Christ in whom we are more than conquerors.
No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
and clothed in righteousness divine Charles Wesley
