The Work of the Holy Spirit

You're listening to Clearview Today with Dr. Abadan Shah, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Ryan Hill. I'm John Galantis, and thank you for joining us once again today in the Clearview Today studio. We got a great show for you guys, great conversation.

Back in the Book of Romans with our host, Dr. Abadan Shah, who is a PhD in New Testament textual criticism, professor at Carolina University, author, full-time pastor, and the host of today's show. Dr. Shah, welcome to the studio, my friend. Thank you.

Great, great day. A better roll-in segment. Like a better roll-in segment. Here, I got one roll-in for you right there, my friend. That's probably what I meant.

What is that word? I just mean like instead of welcome to the studio, it's just like welcome to the studio, which, yes, which is true. Welcome to your church. You're our favorite Dr. Shaw.

Like that? Anyway, so our segment, Pick It Up and Preach, is coming up today. Pick it up and preach is the second show. Pick it up and preach. Where we have two random items and right into it, huh?

We're gonna. That's a hard song. No thoughts on the song. No thoughts on the song. All right, go for it.

Several thoughts, none that I'm willing to share right now. We're gonna jump into Pick It Up and Preach, where two random items. I'm gonna distribute them today. Sure, sure. Dr.

Shaw and John will be competing in Pick and Preach. Here we go. Item number one is an electric guitar, complete with Capo on the top.

Now, this guitar, this funny thing about this guitar, this guitar belongs to one of our worship team members. I asked him to take it home. Maybe eight years ago. And he has, and he's still here, still serves on the worship team. Has yet to take it home?

No, he's every single time I've told him, which is about 50 or 60 times, he's like, oh, yeah, I got to get it, man. I got to get it. This guitar is not a church guitar, it's a person's guitar, and they've left it at this church for about eight or nine years. It's just been here. Look at the dust.

I know. This item is going to go. To Dr. Shaw. All right.

Okay. All right.

Got it. Very cool. Come here. That's an abenis for anyone who's not watching on the video. Needs to be cleaned up.

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

So.

Next item.

Okay. Yeah.

It's a clear view. Clock, this is a branded clock. Branded clock, we do not sell this in the Clearview store, but maybe we should. Maybe we should. They're pretty cool, anyways.

There are two items: electric guitar. And an analog clock. Shall we roll for initiative, or do you want to just choose who goes first? Oh, let's see. I think that, Dr.

Shaw, you want to go first? Sure, I'll be glad to.

So, when you look at a guitar like this, um. That is just sitting here collecting dust, it reminds me of the lives of people. They're just sitting there collecting dust. Of course, yes. And when they are.

Put into God's hands, all of a sudden, they begin to make music.

Now, this is what kind of guitar is this? It's an Ibanez, an electric ibonez. Yeah, so I mean, imagine if this was plugged up and somebody who knew what they were doing with it could actually do that. Wow. It reminds me of a story that I heard.

My goodness, from my dad one time preaching, that goes back like 40 years ago. And there was at this yard sale. There was a yard sale, they had a violin. Oh, okay. Yeah, a violin that was going to be auctioned off.

And it was like an estate. Sale, mm-hmm. And there were people who were like, ah, that violin. Who wants that violin? And it's like they were joking with you.

I'll give you a dollar for that. And then somebody else over there, I'll give you $1.50 for that. And they just kept joking around about that violin. And then finally, a man came up and he took the violin.

Some of those strings had been sort of, you know. Very rusted, loose. And he tightened them up, put them under his chin, and he began to, you know, fix it up and got the bow out and slowly began to work on it. And then once the instrument was ready. He began to play.

Wow. And People hadn't heard. A sound like that in their life. Incredible. That was not just any violin.

That was like Estradivarius. And he began to play, and he began to play. And when he was done, people were in tears. Because violin, by the way, guitar can do that too. Sure, sure.

But violin has a way of moving your emotions like another instrument can. And so when he was done, people were bidding. The auctioneer began.

So.

How much do you want to give for this? Amen. And a man over there said, I'll give you $10,000. Oh, my goodness. I'll give you $20,000.

I mean, it went into the. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Wow. And so an instrument in the master's hand. Is very unbelievable.

Unbelievable. The story that was framed right ended on the moral man.

Well, I mean, it's hard to be. I thank my dad who's in heaven. And that, by the way, is a is a very old illustration. Yeah.

And um But isn't that the truth, though? Oh, amen. When we are in God's hands, I mean, that's a sweet instrument. And if we're not, we're in the enemy's hand, and even something beautiful is worthless. That's right.

That's exactly right. All right, John.

Okay, I'm ready.

So, if you can tell, if you're watching the video portion of this show, you can tell this is not a digital clock, this is an analog clock.

Now, all A lot of kids, most kids, I would say, in Generation Z, and even some millennials, including my wife, cannot read analog time. Believe it or not, I don't know. Ellie Mike can, but she has a hard time. Because you know why? We don't have to.

We don't actually feel the need. We've got a phone that tells us exactly what time it is to the point where it's become so easy, we barely even care what time it is anymore.

So, often, so also with the Bible, there's a lot of illiteracy going on with the Bible because it's so accessible on our phones. Here in the West, the Bible is so accessible that it has almost become too common. Um, but I would say, anywhere you go, if you know how to read analog time, like Dr. Shah, you could probably say this is the only way you could read time when you were growing up. Oh, yes, absolutely.

Um, that skill never leaves you, and so you always know how to do it.

So, also with the Bible, like if you learn how to read the Bible, not only just read it, but actually know it, understand the mechanisms of it, understand what makes the Bible what it is, you're gonna get a lot more out of it, and that can never be taken away from you. No matter how much technology. Progresses, that skill, and really, I would say that love will always be in you. There you go. I love it.

I give you double for that. Thank you. Thank you. I was trying. I was like, it started with the insult.

I was like, I need to insult Ellie. Because Ellie, if she looks at the analog clock, she's like, So they got born out of that. Poor Ellie. I know. I feel kind of bad.

Poor Ellie got insulted. She probably wouldn't want me to say that.

Well, that is Pick It Up and Preach. Kudos to both of you guys. Thank you. Those were both very good. I think.

I mean, they were both excellent. I would, I mean, it's a tie. You want to say, let's tie it? We can get re updates. I was going to dot points because of the insult to Ellie because she's had a baby.

But we can call it a tie. I would take the L on that. I like the story about the title. We can call it a tie. Thank you.

Well, Dr. Shaw, today's verse of the day is coming to us from the book of Romans, back in Romans again, 8:26. Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weakness, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. That's an important concept. The Spirit makes intercession for us.

You know, a lot of people don't understand the work of the Holy Spirit, they don't understand what or even who the Holy Spirit is. And, you know, we've talked for several episodes on the show about who the Holy Spirit is and what He does for us. But Dr. Shaw, what does this mean that the Spirit makes intercession for us?

So.

When we are going through a difficult time, God has called us to pray. He has commanded us to pray. Ask, seek, knock. And so you should be praying. Whatever you're carrying, the burden that is in your heart upon your shoulders, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Many of us who grew up in church were familiar with the old hymn: What a friend we have in Jesus Christ. In Jesus.

So I want to read for you that hymn. Written by Joseph Scriven. This is going back to the early part of the 19th century. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.

Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. And I encourage you, those who are listening, those who are watching, you may be driving down the road, you are facing a situation that is beyond your control. It may be your health. It's some news you got, and now you have to follow up with the doctor, and now you've seen it in somebody else's life, and that fear and that dread is coming over you, and you feel anxious.

You're trying to be positive, you're trying to be positive, but at the same time, deep within, you feel the fear. That's right. Take it to God in prayer. Ask for God's healing. Ask for God's grace and God's comfort.

Ask for God to work. work. All things together for good in your life, and he will. Amen. Amen.

He will. There's a reason that song is still around today. You know, we incorporate that from time to time in our worship. And I think one of the reasons is because, as great as today's worship is, there are no songs about prayer. There are songs about victory.

There are songs about God winning the victory and overcoming obstacles. And there's even songs that are just pure straight doctrine, like just they tell you the story of the gospel. But, but modern worship songs that even mention prayer, I can't think of one. What do you think that is, Dr. Zhang?

I mean, it's sad because it's reflecting our culture, our church, because we are big on programs. We want to do things. We want to study the Bible, which is great. I hope we do study the Bible. It's very important.

So, not for a single moment will I ever lower the value of studying God's Word. But don't. Think that prayer is not important. Prayer is very important. It's talking to God, it's hearing from God.

It's asking and receiving for the needs we have in our lives. But this song this hymn goes on, have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful? Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness Take it to the Lord in prayer. Then comes the third quatron Are we weak and heavy laden? Cumbered with a load of care Precious Saviour, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take you to the Lord in prayer. In his arms, he'll take and shield you. You'll find a solace there. And so I encourage those who are listening.

Uh or watching us right now. Take that. Situation. It may not be a sickness, it may be a financial need. I mean, it's a big financial need.

I just don't have any.

sources to meet that obligation. God is Is more than capable. Come to him with your need. It may be some relationship struggle. It may be, you may be going through a separation, you may be going through.

A family conflict. You may be going through some breakdown in friendship and relationship, and you just don't know how. That can be rectified. It seems like just when you are moving forward, it seems like here we go, you're being pushed back and it's not getting better. Don't fret.

Don't get frustrated Don't follow through on what the enemy may be suggesting. 'Cause he will s give you suggestions, by the way. He will tell you, take this road, do this, uh you know, attack that person this way, uh, or post this. None of those things are the right answer. The right answer is take it to the Lord in prayer.

Give that situation to God and don't pray for retribution. or vengeance or justice. Pray ultimately for God's will to be done. Pray ultimately for God's healing. God's purpose, God's grace and truth to prevail.

One of the things I've I've always marveled at about you specifically is that you live, at least to me, from the outside looking in, you live in two worlds where it would be very tempting for the scholar in you to say, okay, Romans 8:26, the spirit intercedes for us. I got to dissect that. I got to figure out what that means and I got to explain it. I need to write about it. And then there's this side, the pastoral side, where it's like, this is how we live our lives.

This is what's beneficial for our souls. And every day that we live it, we believe it and we're strengthened by it. Do you feel like you live in two worlds or do they, do they feel like they've blended? Like in your mind. Yeah.

That's a great question. No, I feel like I live in one world, but when I do go to academics or scholarly sources or go to my desk to begin to work on the Greek word behind that verse or that Greek statement or that Hebrew phraseology. I am simply trying to make sure that I'm not misunderstanding that passage. Do you feel like, in a context with other scholars, you would hear anything like what you just described? Like, Like before, this whole thing about we need to live like this.

Always remember to pray. It's good for you. It's how you communicate with your father. Does that conversation happen in those scholarly circles?

Sometimes, yes, it does. There are some great, great academic works, commentaries that also have the devotional element to them. Nice. That faith element, that closeness in your relationship with God, that leaning upon Christ, that allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart, that is there. And I really appreciate those kind of scholars.

But then there are many who are very. academically oriented almost to the point of becoming Um Pedantic about a certain word or a phraseology or um very caught up in some larger Purpose or issue that they want to push, some agenda they may have, or some theological system that they're trying to push, so they miss this very Obvious application, which is like take it to God in prayer. Right. And they're talking about this whole system of theology here, which may be beneficial. Right.

But I'm thinking it's like there's There's like you're hungry. Right, right. The bread is right in front of you. I mean, you're starving.

Okay, you're starving. The bread is sitting right there. And you're like, okay, so I'm in this kitchen and the gadgets are not on. I need to figure out how to turn on the fuse and how to crank up this oven. And this is a very-is the refrigerator set to specific?

Yes, yeah. I need to make sure that. And it's like you're hungry, right? You're really hungry. And the bread is sitting right here.

You can eat it. It's like, no, I'm going to figure out what is the most optimum way to use all these appliances in the kitchen. Then we'll start eating. Then we will make something. And isn't that going to be better?

Or you may die in the process.

So if I'm hearing you correctly, The academics for you service the preaching, service the teaching, and the like you're what I mean by that is the preaching of God's word is your priority. The academics serve to bolster it and make the preaching as good as it can possibly be. Yeah, and I think that's how it should be. I think that's how it should be. At the heart of it is the proclamation of the word of God.

At the heart of it is to build up the body of Christ. At the heart of it is to speak to the lost person and bring them to Christ to be saved. And academics should serve that. Scholarship should enable that, should make it better, richer, deeper, more impactful, closer to the truth. Of what God has intended through his Holy Spirit.

I like that you say that because I think you're one of the few who could say, not the few, but you're. You're one who can say, the academics have enriched my prayer life. Oh, absolutely. I know better how to allow the Spirit to intercede on my behalf. Yes.

So, in this situation, You know, we see that we are to pray. But It's not just I am praying in the midst of my crisis. But Jesus, the second person of the Godhead, is also interceding for me.

Now, Hebrews talks about that, and it's important to look at Hebrews, but not forget that it also is mentioned in this very chapter. But let's go to Hebrews first, and then I'm going to mention show you right here. In Hebrews 4, 15, it talks about we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. And the reason I chose Hebrews four instead of just mentioning Romans eight. Where it talks about Jesus praying for us is because of the word weaknesses.

In Hebrews 4, the weakness is my failings. The weakness Represents or the weaknesses represent my limitations, my powerlessness. My mistakes. Same word as in Romans? Same word.

Okay. The word in Hebrews and the word in Romans is the same Greek word.

Okay. Does this lend any credibility to establishing Paul as the author of Hebrews? Could be. The Greek word is asthenea. It is the negative of stenos.

Stenos is strength.

So asthenea is weakness, sickness, failing, powerlessness, limitations.

So maybe Paul is the one behind it. By negative, you mean the ah makes it negative. The a okay, okay. Yeah.

Got it. So without strength. Without strength. Gotcha, gotcha. But here it's like.

Has a negative connotation when you look at Hebrews 4. Got it. Because it's temptations.

So when you are going through your crisis, there are temptations that come. The temptation to compromise your integrity. Temptations to take the easy road. Temptations to to to to in a sense Justify your behavior, whatever that behavior may be. That insecurity that may be in your life to justify that and say, no, this is a strength, this is not a weakness.

This is a strength in my life. But God is saying that is not a strength, that's a weakness. And I want to get that weakness out of you. But going back here to Hebrews 5:4 for a quick second. Then it says, Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

So we have someone who understands us, so come in prayer. But then in Hebrews 7:25, therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

So Jesus also intercedes for us. In the midst of our crisis, because someone you got Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Praying for you. That's right. So there are two intercessors.

You've got two-thirds of the Godhead praying for you at all times. Right. That's incredible. Yes.

Yes.

And so now, if you go back to Hebrews, I'm sorry, to Romans chapter 8 and go to verse 34. Listen to what it says here. Romans 8:34. It says, Who is it who condemns? It is Christ who died.

And furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God. What is the next line? Who also makes intercession for us.

So, Christ is the one interceding for us. Holy Spirit as well, but Christ also. Christ is also interceding for us.

So, I want to so far at least mention that. Gotcha. We should pray. But Christ is also praying for us. What happens in those moments?

And this is where. I want to go back to that hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, because there's. People don't realize there is a fourth. Stanza. I didn't know that.

Yeah.

Wow. Lived a very painful life. Right before he was to marry his fiancé, this is in Ireland, she accidentally drowned. Yeah, so. Couldn't marry her.

Gosh. Comes to Canada, works with their Plymouth Brethren Church, and he doesn't have much money, and Plymouth Brethren don't pay.

So, and maybe they paid at this time. I don't know, but most brethren don't. And so he is surviving, and he would just. do things to help people like chop wood. He would read the Bible to railway workers.

Just a very good godly man. uh gets engaged again. And unfortunately, His fiancé, the the this new fiancé also gets sick and she dies before the wedding. No. Wow.

I feel bad for this man. This man went through depression. He went through some tough, tough time. And by the way, he wrote this song for his mother, who he could not go visit.

So I kind of identify with him because. At least I was able to go visit my mom before she died, but he could not go. This is in the uh early to this wouldn't but this would be in the mid eight nineteen hundreds. I'm sorry, mid-1800s, mid-19th century. And so he wrote this song for her.

Wow. But the fourth quarter of this song goes like this. Are we cold and unbelieving? Cumbered with a load of care, Here the Lord is still our refuge. Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Wow. I've never heard that verse. Are we cold and unbelieving? It definitely puts a different strain on it because all the others are like, I'm a victim. I'm under all this pressure.

But this one is like, am I wrong? Am I cold? Cold, unbelieving. And by the way, it's very sad how he died. He was sick.

And a couple a family was taking care of him, and he got thirsty, so he went out to the stream to get some water to drink, and he falls, and his body was found in a kind of a lake or something. Wow, wow. And people don't know for sure if he fell or if he committed suicide. That's sad. But that line there, are we called unbelieving?

Now, here's where I disagree with Joseph Scriven, if I can, if I may. In those moments, you cannot take it to the Lord in prayer because it's just too much. The circumstances of life are either too complex or overwhelming or too Frustrating for you to even know how to pray. What do you say? Yeah.

That's interesting because I think I've definitely felt that a lot, but I felt guilt over that. I felt guilt like I'm not the Christian I should be because the last thing I want to do right now is pray. Yeah, because I don't even know how to pray. What do I pray? Yeah.

And Satan does not sit back and say, Okay, I'll come back in when you're ready for me to attack and tempt you. No, in that moment, he is constantly throwing fiery darts against you, attacking your faith, attacking your integrity, attacking your hope for the future. He's just telling you, it's not going to work. Try this, try that. And he will even try to tell you somehow he will find ways to convince you that God is giving you some signals here.

Mm-hmm. His providential plan is working here and there. I mean, he's a liar. Right. So he will do that.

And then you will try to connect the dots and say, oh, yeah, this happened today. And then this happened.

So there must be a connection.

So I need to go ahead and do this. It has nothing to do With God. This is the voice of the enemy. the same enemy who came against Adam and Eve, The same enemy who came throughout the Bible, who even came against the Son of God, is the one who's speaking to you. And he may even tell you: hey, look, God's plan.

If it wasn't, do you think you'd be thinking these thoughts? Do you think what happened this morning would have happened? Come on. Come on. Yeah.

Come on. That's a good point.

So he may even take things out of your own devotional time to tell you that, you know, Because he uses God's word to twist, right? Yeah, he's a liar, but he's a good liar. Yeah, he did that with Jesus. Mm-hmm. Use the word of God.

Use the word of God against you.

So he may even take something out of your devotional and twist it and say, so. I mean, look right here. This is this. That's why you were reading that this morning. Yeah, good point.

We often think of the enemy coming against us when we're at our lowest, and that's what he does. And he orchestrated all that stuff, but he will even take the good things in our life like the word of God. And he's, he's, I think that's a good reminder, Doug Shah, that you said that he's constantly throwing those things. And the only way to deal with him is to submit to God. As Peter says that, right?

Submit to God, reject the devil, and he will flee from you. Which means at that moment when you find yourself in confusion and doubt. Uh that is God telling you. This is not a clear-cut answer. I am not in this.

That should be indication enough to go, oh, wait. God, I submit to you. Enemy, you're done.

So, in those moments, just know that you're not alone. You're not left up the creek without a paddle, and you're just kind of floating out there. No, there is someone who has taken the oars. And is guiding your boat or your canoe, he you're not alone. You're not going to drift and go over a waterfall.

There is something happening. And this is where the Holy Spirit comes. And what does he do? It says here in Romans 8:26, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us. with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Several important things to clarify here. Number one, this is not tongues. Right off the bat, we'll go ahead and knock that one off. Because, for one, I mean, it's not you, it's the Holy Spirit groaning. Right.

And it's not. Audible because he's groaning with words that cannot be uttered. Right. So if you start speaking in tongues, automatically you're uttering something. And you shouldn't be the one.

It's the Holy Spirit. But it's not the Holy Spirit, it's you. And I can hear sounds. Right. Yeah.

Okay. We'll cross that one off. Yes.

Right out. Don't use this verse for supporting your misguided beliefs.

So it is not that. It's the Holy Spirit who's making intercessions, and those groanings are like the sighs. He's taking our deep emotions, our frustration, our hurts, our pains, and taking them to the Trinity. And what does God do? Listen to verse 27.

Now he who searches uh The hearts know what the mind of the Spirit is. God the Father knows what the third person of the Godhead is thinking, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

So the Father knows what the Spirit is thinking. And what the Spirit is thinking is exactly what the Father wants for my life and your life. Amen. And then follows Romans 8. 28.

And this is a powerful verse. What does it say? And we know That all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. Really changes the context of Romanism. That's right.

Yeah, it does. I love it. So encouraging. And I believe that was transformative for somebody listening, somebody watching today.

Somebody needed to hear that. Oh, yeah. Guys, join us tomorrow, same time, same station. We're going to be diving into another great topic here on the Clear Vee Today show. Thanks again to our sponsors for making today's episode possible.

Don't forget that you can support us by subscribing to the show on iTunes, Spotify, wherever you're listening from. You can always support us financially at Abadansha.com forward slash give. John, what are we closing with today? Lots of exclusive content on pray.com. We've, of course, got discerning doctrine every single week.

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