Romans 8:26 says: “Likewise 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.”
This text is speaking of how the Holy Spirit assists, or helps, us when our hearts are heavy and we know not what to pray for as we ought.
Sometimes we are so burdened and distressed that we cannot even speak a word. All we can do is sigh or groan. The Spiritis able to relate to that feeling and God understands.
“The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us.”
How could the Scriptures refer to the Spirit as “it,” if the Spirit is God?
We are made in the image of God– body and spirit. We could refer to our body or our spirit and it would be okay to refer to either of these by using the term “it,” but when there is a union of body and spirit, we are now dealing with a person and it would be inappropriate to refer to a person as it.
The Scripture tells us that we have only one that mediates on our behalf, “For there is one God, and one mediator (or intercessor) between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).”
According to 1 Corinthians 8:6 and Ephesians 4:5, there is one Lord, who is Jesus Christ. Now let us look at another eye-opening verse. It is 2 Corinthians 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
We see that Jesus is that Spirit that maketh intercession for us, but because he is in a non-bodily form, he can be referred to as “it,” and this is not inappropriate. Ellen White also noted:
We have only one channel of approach to God. Our prayers can come to him through one name only,—that of the Lord Jesus our advocate. His Spirit must inspire our petitions. No strange fire was to be used in the censers that were waved before God in the sanctuary. So the Lord himself must kindle in our hearts the burning desire, if our prayers are acceptable to him. The Holy Spirit within must make intercessions for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered (The Review and Herald, February 9, 1897)
See also… The Intercessor
Comment and/or Like our Facebook Page
