The spirit also helpeth our infirmities. (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] The words which I trust the Lord will enable me to make a few remarks will be found in Paul's epistle to the Romans chapter 8 and a few words at the commencement of verse 26 Paul's epistle to the Romans chapter 8 part of verse 26 The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities This 8th chapter of the Romans is so well known I suppose to all of us that it is so easy to lose sight of the precious jewels which it contains like so much of the scriptures and I suppose that this particular chapter is one that is read in our denomination perhaps more than any other and how there would be those who would say well then if there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus we are in Christ Jesus and it tells us in this chapter how we ought to live and also it says that now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ is none of his and yet what do we know of these very things personally one wouldn't perhaps think that in a chapter like this it would be necessary to mention the weakness of our infirmities because surely the people of God are not condemned nothing will separate them from the love of Christ whatever they pass through and yet it says here that the Spirit helpeth their infirmities so what can it really mean well it also speaks about groaning doesn't it how they groan in this body it's all very well to say that all things work together for good to them that love God but how there is this groaning for the redemption of our body now you know in the old days the hospitals one or two of them about now that were called infirmaries were to God more of our chapels were like infirmaries where souls were brought to realise the infirmities of the flesh the weakness of our fallen nature and how dependent we are upon God for his saving power and keeping those who are truly taught by the Lord will see in these few words we have by way of a text two things which are farther apart than the north and the south pole and that is the spirit and their infirmities

[4:02] I can't think of anything farther apart than these two and yet how the spirit helpeth our infirmities we mentioned in prayer how we feel the infirmities of the flesh when we come to read the word of God there's nothing attractive in the flesh as we read the word of God nothing to bolster up the flesh unless of course we have a fleshly religion but when the spirit helps our infirmities in reading the scriptures and when the spirit comes and reveals the things of Jesus Christ to our souls and also our need of these things how the two complete opposite things unite unite in this way that the flesh is humbled and there is that within our flesh which seeks after the things of God this is the spirit of Christ in you don't let us run away with the idea that it's our flesh that has got to do this and our flesh must do the other to be quite honest in reading this chapter

[5:35] I never realised before the extent to which the Holy Spirit is referred to in this chapter how it's repeatedly mentioned the spirit and what is our life without a natural spirit and there can be no spiritual life no knowledge of redemption without the Holy Spirit now then do we know anything of a Holy Spirit religion if so we should know something of the Holy Spirit in teaching in other words the Holy Spirit should be the life of our religion now there are those who have a religion which is of the flesh and how they are quite pleased with it they read the word and they feel that in a way that they are able to fulfil the law but how in the Romans we read of the condemning power of the law and how the soul that would seek to obtain salvation under the law must fulfil it in every detail and Paul goes to great length under the Holy

[7:06] Spirit to remind us that it is impossible for us to fulfil the law but in this chapter he points out a way whereby salvation can be obtained through the working of the Holy Spirit now to the natural man this cannot be believed because the natural man says do this do that do something else and you will obtain salvation fulfil the law but the scripture says the soul that sinneth it shall die and the Holy Spirit reveals the sin to the child of God so if you and I have been brought to know ourselves as sinners before God and that has caused us to groan a prayer unto the

[8:13] Lord well then we are saved whether we realise it or not we are already saved by that groaning because this indicates that there is the Spirit of Christ within us you see Christ before he died he said I will send you a comforter even the Spirit of Truth now the Spirit of Truth will reveal to us our infirmities and if you are a child of God you won't have a wonderful religion but you will have infirmities and you'll have plenty of them plenty of weaknesses and you see infirmities are afflictions weaknesses lack of power to believe they're so numerous you go to a hospital and you'll find that people there are suffering from perhaps the same infirmity but all different degrees of it some more than others and then others will be suffering from other infirmities but they've all got infirmities now has the

[9:38] Holy Spirit revealed to you your infirmities or are you one that can take up the scriptures read them and receive comfort every time is it really the best book to you not to me it has been and when the Holy Spirit helps my infirmities there's not another book in the world that I would want to read that's not very often but there are those times when the Holy Scriptures have been to me life power and when I've been able to say when the Holy Spirit has helped my infirmities what shall separate me from the love of Christ nothing would and Peter knew this when the

[10:38] Holy Spirit helped his infirmities but it wasn't very long was it before he realised what the infirmities of the flesh were and the weakness of it and again as we sang that hymn together surely we read of the infirmities there of the flesh and as we sang it I thought well this man has preached a better sermon in that hymn than ever I shall on this subject when innumerable foes attack the child of God he feels within the weight of sin a grievous galling load temptations now this dear man of God he goes all through it Joseph Hart you know he had a heart religion he was heart by name heart by the Holy

[11:39] Spirit because some of those precious hymns that he wrote they came from the very feelings of his heart and there's not a man that could write such wonderful hymns apart from the helping of the Spirit he had an infirmity but amidst that infirmity how the Lord blessed him in it now you see the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities one of the greatest infirmities that the child of God feels is unbelief you say never yes it is he cannot believe that he believes the gospel he believes in the Lord Jesus he believes in the way of salvation but he cannot believe that such a salvation could be for him this is my infirmity is it yours how it's impossible to believe at times that the

[12:55] Lord would look upon such as one before you with all his infirmities now the Holy Spirit can point these out far better than any man you don't need any man to come and tell you your weaknesses the Holy Spirit as the Holy Spirit works within the heart so all your infirmities will be revealed as the Holy Spirit sees fit and how even pride you see in Adam that sin of Adam there was practically every conceivable sin in that one sin and when we come to examine our own heart sins those within our hearts we shall find that there is every conceivable sin within us and these are our infirmities and how that pride does work within our hearts and I was glad that her heart didn't leave out the preacher either or how we have felt more than once this treacherous vile sin within the heart even as we come before the Lord's people especially when the

[14:21] Lord has helped us perhaps when we come before the people without a word and the Lord has helped us and how pride in a moment arises how we need to be kept down and how this applies to us all and then you see another infirmity when the Lord does reveal himself to us there is that within our heart which would like to be a little bit better than somebody else to have a little deeper experience to have a little more knowledge of this God than others this is again a treacherous infirmity but have you known what it is for that wise physician to come and as he goes through the infirmities there is one cordial again which heart never left out and it is the same you see the doctor in the hospitals and infirmaries they go round and they have such a variety don't they of cures but heart mentioned one cure and that will cure all our infirmities it doesn't matter what the infirmity is it doesn't matter how many you may have how complicated your case may be this one cure will act when applied in a certain way and that is the precious blood of the

[16:03] Lord Jesus one sip of Bethlehem's sacred will that is the remedy and the only remedy and the only way of salvation now you see it says here there likewise the spirit helping our infirmities how little do we realise the necessity of the blood naturally today blood transfusions are common place you see the those who are rightly trained are able to obtain all sorts of knowledge through a blood sample and then it's strange to say or is it strange is not this part of the eternal wisdom that there are these different types of blood and in the religious world are there not different types of blood different types which man looks to for salvation but there is only one blood one pure blood one precious blood that will save from every ill and that is the blood of the

[17:41] Lord Jesus now you see the spirit also healthy our infirmities around the cross there was a multitude some were sitting and watching and there were the soldiers there were those that nailed the Lord Jesus to the cross and as they held the nails and hammered them through his precious hands and feet they must without doubt have been sprinkled with the blood of the Lord Jesus that vital living blood but it was not applied by the Holy Spirit was it it was applied by their sin but how there were others there they too although they knew and believed the Lord

[18:48] Jesus yet they too were brought with an infirmity of doubt this was the one they felt and were sure that was going to redeem Israel but now look he's dead what an infirmity have you ever had this the one that you've looked to the little hope that you've had is now dead well they had it and it was the precious blood of the Lord Jesus it was a risen Christ that healed their infirmity well our heart burned within us as he talked with us by the way that's what they said has your heart ever burned within you as he's talked with you by the way you see their infirmities they communed they reasoned this is another sad terrible infirmity reason sometimes we see people as we've seen today young people in a terminal illness and to all outward appearances only a matter of months or perhaps a year or so to live now our infirmity we look at those now what has that child done how can the Lord be just look at that parent what that parent is suffering yes true this is our infirmity but we all deserve this we all deserve something far greater than anything like that we all deserve eternal hell whether we like it or not that is the truth and how we need the Holy

[20:53] Spirit to confirm this to our souls the infirmities today they don't believe in hell they don't believe that they deserve it do you now you see as one is brought and the Holy Spirit comes and conveys to you the infirmity of your flesh you'll see something very wonderful in the electing love of God why is it that when they are brought into these places they have no God to go to why is it that these are not the best times in their lives but the worst and how is it to the child of God that when he's brought into similar circumstances this although he has the same infirmities as the world the same weaknesses the same sorrows he mourns the same in bereavement his heart aches as he sees his children suffering or his loved ones suffering exactly the same but the spirit helpeth our infirmities and how you see

[22:19] David when the child was ill or how he mourned you see how he wouldn't eat how he fasted but the moment the child was dead he rejoiced and those around couldn't understand it why because they didn't know anything of the Holy Spirit strengthening and helping the infirmities of David rechised he was yet he was a dear child of God and how the Holy Spirit helps the infirmities of the Lord's people now it's been our solemn lot at times to go and to visit those in hospital who have made a profession over many years some of them deacons some ministers and as we go perhaps we're in a fairly dead state ourselves we may read with them we may pray we may not sometimes we don't feel in that spirit we feel perhaps to read and to pray to them would be nothing but sin you know there are those who can always go and read and pray but how we need even in this the spirit to help our infirmities but as we've gone those who we've looked to as pillars in the church we've heard them say don't know why I'm brought here don't know why this has come upon me and we could tell them we could tell them

[24:23] I can say this I believe before God as in the day of judgment I don't believe that I've been brought into any affliction or pain or suffering since the Lord showed me the way of salvation where I've had to say I don't know why I'm brought into this I've known it my infirmities it's my wretched heart it's my sin it's my fighting against God and all that's good never once have I been able to say why am I brought here of course not but it's a solemn thing and I'm not pointing a finger at any the Lord may even leave me yet to say such a thing but I'm saying here and now that so far whatever the Lord has laid upon me I've never yet had to question why I've kicked against it

[25:24] I've rebelled against it and I've had to say Lord why me every time but at the same time I've known the root cause of it my infirmities now what I'm trying to bring before you is this that with a child of God the difference between him and the one who is not quickened and knows not of the Holy Spirit is this the very thing which brings the ordinary man in the street against God those things which afflict those things where his business is turned upside down where his business fails and everything like that those very things to the child of God the Lord uses and there is best times they are the times when he says yes I know I was stripped of my children

[26:25] I know that all these things were against me but I can see the wagons I can see the hand of the Lord now I can see the purpose before this was my infirmities but now you see I see the Spirit and as the Spirit reveals the wagons to me so I can see the hand of God in it couldn't before why the poor old patriarch he was at home wondering he was at home as it were working out how this was going to last how that was going to last but what a mercy it is when we are able to see our infirmities and then when the Holy Spirit enables us helps us to take all our infirmities to the

[27:25] Lord have you ever done it not taken all the things to the Lord and said look Lord I've done this I've cast out devils in thy name but to go to the Lord and to have to bow before the Lord and tell the Lord about all your infirmities and then as you're coming to the Lord to tell the Lord all about it to tell the Lord about your infirmities so you find that you can't even pray you can't even tell the Lord how many times have there been when perhaps on your bed at night you're speaking to the Lord and you doze off to sleep the next thing you know it's morning your infirmities when you're praying to the

[28:25] Lord and trying to tell the Lord or think the Lord is helping something and your mind goes 50 100 miles away in a moment but the spirit helpeth our infirmities we know not how to pray as we should and therefore you see likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit itself the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings with groanings which cannot be uttered now then what are your groanings when we come to consider the groanings of the holy spirit there's something how we need the holy spirit to guide us into this but there's something here that

[29:29] I cannot fathom as I would and yet I know that there's something here very beautiful it doesn't say that the lord jesus christ groanings but it speaks about the holy spirit groaning now surely then if the holy spirit groans that wise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered now those groanings upon the cross were these father forgive them father forgive them for they know not what they do now you say that was the lord jesus yes but we're talking about the spirit of christ and therefore it was the groanings his prayers were groanings the same as yours you speak about the infirmities of your prayer you speak about the infirmities of your religion but as he prayed upon the cross father forgive them they know not what they do you say yes but you know what you do you know the sins that you commit do you

[31:09] I don't believe you do I don't believe I do at times if we knew the effect that sin had upon the Lord Jesus the way in which he suffered for our sins well then we would know what sin was but I don't think we rightly know what sin is the Holy Spirit reveals it to us at times a little but we cannot one said much we speak of Jesus blood but how little understood much we speak of sin but how little understood it's so easy to speak of sin but here is the spirit droning making intercessions and then you see even the Lord's dear people they are brought into this very experience and you see how for we know the whole creation groweth and traveleth in pain together the whole creation together that is in the 22nd verse there is the whole creation they groan the godly and the ungodly they all groan we know the whole creation groan it and not only they but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the spirit the first fruits of the spirit even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption to the redemption of our body what are the first fruits of the spirit the knowledge of sin and the final fruit of the spirit is come in thou blessed of the lord the redemption of the body now the first fruit of the spirit is where one under the influence of the infirmity having broken the law they seek salvation through the lord jesus now that is the first fruit of the spirit behold he prayed have you prayed for salvation the first fruit of the spirit is a groan groan into the lord even we ourselves groan within ourselves not put on an outward show not go down on our bended knees before others but groan within ourselves and we are seeking after redemption of our body now

[34:06] I see this then in two ways the redemption of this sinful body that may be fitted for eternity one wants to know the redemption this side of the grave is there someone here tonight that is groaning for the redemption of your body well I believe we all are if we are taught by the Holy Spirit and always will be while we are in the body we must be but how the Holy Spirit you see help it our infirmities in this because we cannot pray we know not how to pray as we ought even for the redemption of our body even for the forgiveness of our sins our sins are so numerous so deep and yet the Holy Spirit makes intercession for the saints and this again is a comforting thought when one cannot pray and to feel well

[35:13] I know something of the work of the Holy Spirit within my heart I believe I know something of the love of God shed abroad within my heart and I believe I know something of the almighty power of God the Father but how we need the Holy Spirit to come and convey these things to us now you see in this chapter he starts off there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus and Satan will say to you immediately well you're not in Christ Jesus look at you you're nothing like the Christ Jesus and what's more you never will be you've got this body and how Satan will point out all the weaknesses all the frailties all the infirmities of the flesh yes but he's speaking about the spirit he's not speaking about the flesh and this is where so many go wrong today their religion is based on the flesh and not the spirit now you see these are two totally different things and two totally opposite things the spirit and the flesh one says the flesh dislikes the way but faith approves it well that is the holy spirit when one is under the influence of the holy spirit as

[36:47] Peter said he'd go and die with the lord jesus and he feels it a privilege to do so but when he's in the flesh as soon as he gets the least little pain and he thinks of death well then he cries out he groans he doesn't want to die he wants to live and so you see there is this within at times which is the work of the holy spirit but it's not constant people don't keep walking around all day long saying I'm alive I'm alive I'm alive but there are times when life is more powerful to them than at other times and they have the very essence of it and they know they're alive but how many times have you thought today naturally whether well I'm alive you take it for granted don't you you don't give it any thought really you know you're alive because you have all the faculties of life well so it is spiritually but there are those times when the faculties of the spirit are felt to such an extent that life the spiritual life becomes more meaning there's more in it there's more life more feeling and one feels better than ever before now you see spiritually when there is a feeling of this life within and the spirit helps our infirmities it doesn't mean to say it helps to set before us our infirmities it helps us to overcome our infirmities he that overcometh you see now you can't overcome yourself you can't overcome your weaknesses and don't let us by any means point and say well look here

[38:37] I can't help this this is my flesh but what the spirit will do is this while it will point out the infirmities of the flesh it will cause you to go to the Lord and groan to the Lord and in this groaning and coming to the Lord so you will find comfort and as you come to the Lord and the nearer you come to the Lord the farther away all your infirmities go now this is an instance or a proof as to whether you're the life of grace within there are those times well I should have said one of the proofs because there are those things which are proofs which perhaps the child of God hasn't realised but this is a proof when one is brought before the Lord and they feel such a love toward him all their infirmities all their weakness disappear and the nearer they come to the

[39:47] Lord the farther away their infirmities go but the more they look to their infirmities and their weaknesses the farther away they go from the Lord and thus you see again Peter he was thrown over the ship wasn't he and down the side on the water before he knew what was happening when he saw the Lord he had no infirmities no weakness and he began to walk on the water toward the Lord but as soon as he that was his infirmity began to sink now to keep his eyes on Jesus fixed and there is hope to say the Lord would make his goodness pass before him in the way but the moment he took his eyes off the Lord he began to sink that was his infirmity now this is our infirmity we take our eyes off the Lord too much we look to self too much we Lord too little now we're living in a day of standards where man expects something material and we're looking for this we're looking for the other but instead of looking as it were for marks of grace it's all very well to say marks of grace

[41:09] I cannot see all polluted is my breast but have we ever looked to the Lord have we ever looked to his word have we ever looked to the Holy Spirit now you see this is our infirmity we're looking in the wrong direction if we look to the Lord we shall see healing power the woman with the issue of blood she looked to the Lord she saw healing power there she knew she didn't have it she knew he had it but how to get it she had to seek after it it was no being back in the multitude the same way there's a multitude of infirmities in front of me and there is the Lord I know that he can save me he can cure me no it was the Spirit helped her infirmity to push through all those multitudes you see the Holy Spirit revealed to that woman that that was the only way the only way that she could ever be saved from her infirmity was to push through all those multitudes all those obstacles and to keep her eyes on the

[42:23] Lord Jesus that's where she was making for and she got through at last she got through and she touched him and the moment she touched the Lord Jesus all her infirmities went immediately in a moment and the Lord knew it why the Holy Spirit that woman didn't go in her own strength you try and pray in your own strength and see how far you get but when the Holy Spirit helps your infirmities it flows out try and preach in your own strength I wonder how many of you have tried to preach from your favourite portion of scripture for five minutes see whether you can do it but how the Lord sometimes comes as he did to us this morning as we were looking for texts we didn't deserve it we felt the Lord wouldn't give us one we had no right to ask him one but as we looked at this it seemed to suit our case just where we were

[43:35] I know what my infirmity was but how how the Lord how the Holy Spirit helps our infirmities he could have shut my mouth he could have made his word dead and lifeless but it is the spirit the quickness the flesh profiteth nothing and this one thing I never shall be able to do and that is to boast of my knowledge of the scriptures to boast of this and boast of that but this I do know there's one thing I can boast on and that is the way in which the Holy Spirit has helped my infirmities we may not be able to preach as others we may not be able to sit before the people one two three four as others do but does it matter you know a poor dying sinner he doesn't want it laid out one two three four he wants the precious blood set before him he wants to be told when I see the blood

[44:48] I will pass over he wants faith he wants the Holy Spirit to come and to heal him of his infirmities to believe it he wants the Holy Spirit to come and whereby he can lay hold of that whereby he can take it to himself the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities and so in a sense our infirmities are a help have a look at it in that way what sort of religion would you have if you had no infirmities I know I wouldn't have much of a religion but this I do know it is my infirmities and the weakness of my infirmities that draw me to the Lord because there is one there one there who we see who has no infirmities no weaknesses and whatever you need he has it and he has it to perfection and with all our infirmities the Holy

[46:02] Spirit Father Son and Holy Spirit all equal one with each other help us with our infirmities it was God the Father's will it was the Lord Jesus that carried out the work it is the Holy Spirit to convey these things to our souls well may then the Holy Spirit help our infirmities Lord I believe help thou my unbelief the great infirmity well may the Lord then look upon each one with all our infirmities all our weaknesses reveal to us more and more our infirmities that we might be more dependent upon him that we might know more of the work of the Holy Spirit within our hearts we must leave it may the Lord have his blessing

[47:03] Amen