THE HEART OF THE BELIEVER, A PLACE OF DIVINE ACTION
Part 11
Rom. 8:27
Morning Meditation 12/31/14
Verse 27 says, “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
We will discover as we open the truths of this God given verse that the heart of the believer is the stage of Divine action. The Father searches to find the mind of the Holy Spirit who is making intercession for the believer according to the will of God. You will notice there are four great truths here. The Father’s search, the Holy Spirit’s mind, the Holy Spirit’s intercession, and the Holy Spirit’s will. Our meditation will examine these four truths.
THE FATHER’S SEARCH
I have meditated on this verse many times over the years. I have also studied what many commentator’s have had to say. Concerning the words, “And he that searcheth the hearts,” who is the “he?” Some believe that “he” is referring to the believer who searches his own heart. They believe that through this search he will find out what the mind of the Spirit is and can therefore pray according to the will of God.
First, let me say that the Spirit does communicate with us in our hearts. I will give three verses that confirm this: Romans 5:5 says, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” 2 Corinthians 1:22 says, “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” 2 Corinthians 3:2 says, “ 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” So we see that it is Scripturally true that God does through the Holy Spirit communicate with out hearts. But is the “he” of this verse referring to the believer who searches his own heart to find the mind of the Spirit? Or, is it the Father above who searches the heart in order to find the mind of the Spirit?
I believe it is the Father who searches the hearts of believers. God has always been a heart Searcher. David invited God to search his heart in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 44:21 says, “Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.” God knows. He wants us to know that we cannot hide anything from Him. He does not have limitations like us. God wants to be treated like God. This is an encouragement to keep our hearts right with Him. We must not meditate on in the heart what the devil puts into our minds. We can’t keep the bad thoughts from coming but we are told what to do with them (2 Cor. 10:5). God searches the hearts but it is not for the trash. It is for the mind of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a will for our lives.. He is the promised Comforter (One called along side to help). He help develop us in our Christian lives. He strengthens us in the Lord. He helps our infirmities. He aids in worship. It is through Him that we put to death the deeds of the body. The Holy Spirit has a plan and it is to conform us to the image of Christ. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our greatest needs.
Can we stand a search? Yes. And the reason is that there is NO CONDEMNATION. Read again the first verse of this chapter. There is no condemnation, and if there is no condemnation, He does not search with condemnation. He searches with GRACE. He comes with forgiveness not with the treatenings of the law. Amen! God says in Colossians 1:21-22: “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.” We as sinners have been reconciled to God “in the body of his flesh through death.” And the reason is noted in the words, “to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight.” Question: how right does the cross make a believer? Half right? Three quarters right? Ninety-nine and nine tenths percent right? Listen, if there is any part that is not right, we are not right at all. We have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and we cannot be more right than the blood makes us. Look closely at what this verse says.. He died on the cross “to present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable IN HIS SIGHT. (Caps mine for emphasis). Next,
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S MIND
The words “And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit . . .” centers on the place of the Divine search. The heart is the place of the search and the “mind of the Spirit” is the object of the search. The word “search” is in the present tense and means, “to examine carefully.” The present tense means that the Father continually does this. The word “knoweth” means, “to know with certainty,” and is a perfect tense. The perfect tense means theologically that nothing catches the Father by surprise. He is omniscient which means He is all-knowing. The word “mind” translates “phronema” and means, “what one has in the mind, the thoughts and purposes.” The Holy Spirit has a mind. It is one with the Father. It is impossible for them to disagree. God is not a schizophrenic. He is not in disagreement with Himself. But God is a trinity. We have a Father in heaven and the Holy Spirit on earth in the body of the believer which He has made His temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Now don’t struggle too hard to understand this, it will be a waste of your time.. You see we have an “infirmity” spoken of in verse 26 and is identified with the words “we know not.” Amen to that!
It is wonderful to know that Christ has sent the gift of the Spirit to indwell us as our Helper. He is sent into our lives with a plan and purpose. He is there but the only way He can fulfill His purpose is to have our voluntary cooperation. He works in us “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). But we must also make a choice. God searches the hearts that He might know the mind of the Spirit. I want you to notice that the Spirit has a mind. He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30). Everything that is said of a person is said of Him. He is not just some influence. He is a person who attempts to influence our lives. He is sent into our lives to be to us what Jesus would be to us if He were here in His body. The difference is between sight and faith. We must train our minds with Scripture to reckon with Him and cooperate with Him by faith. The Holy Spirit KNOWS what is best for us. The Father searches our hearts for the mind of the Spirit. Next,
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S INTERCESSION
Barnhouse says, “Christ is in Heaven at the right hand of the Father, and He is there for us. The Holy Spirit is here on earth, dwelling within us, and He is here for us. So the Father is for us as the one who has begotten us, the Son is for us as the one who died for us in order that we might be His bride, and the Holy Spirit is for us as the one who is sent to possess us and to have full charge of us until He brings us safely home.” Praise the Lord!
Christianity works from within. The heart is the scene of Divine action. Here we have the Holy Spirit both empowering and aiding us in the manifestation of the new life and making intercession for us. He groans with groanings that cannot be uttered. There is no one as interested in your success as a believer as the Holy Spirit. He will not turn you into a robot. He is helpless as well as being omnipotent. While He is all powerful, He is helpless to change us against our wills. So what is left for Him to do? We are told in this verse. He makes intercession for us. I have a prayer list. Some of those I pray for are Christians who are backslidden. I have prayed for them a long time. There are times I think it is a waste of burden and time. It is not. The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us. He groans for our yieldedness. He desires with longings that cannot be uttered that we would make a choice to allow Him full control of our lives that He might show the ones who are in the sphere of our influence that Jesus is alive and wants to save them. Then our text speaks of,
THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WILL
It is a prayer that is “according to the will of God.” I desire to pray according to the will of God. Many times, I am afraid, I do not pray according to His will. The words “the will of” set the standard for His intercession. He is in complete harmony with the One to whom He prays. He can never compromise or relax His will to our desires gone astray. He never endorses our wrong praying. He always prays according to the Father’s will. And He always knows the Father’s will. When we know the mind of the Spirit who knows the mind of Father our requests are answered (1 John 5:14-15).
Christianity works from within. Religion is simply living according to external rules and practicing human rituals. This is not Christianity. Jesus said in Luke 17:21: “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” The heart of the believer is the place of Divine action. The Father searches hearts to discover the mind of the Spirit who continually makes intercession FOR the saints (every believer) according to the will of God. He prays FOR us even when we do not pray for ourselves. He prays for the will of God when we are missing it in our prayers. We must learn to live our lives FROM WITHIN because this is the scene where the DIVINE ACTION IS. The Holy Spirit is our greatest Friend. He is not an Adversary. Do not fear Him. Cooperate with Him for your good and God’s glory.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
