Section 9
image of Christ, the Spirit groans within us. Be cause of the Spirit's groaning, the Christian life is not always a life of joy, for we are inwardly troubled when we do certain things. The people in the world may participate in a particular form of worldly entertainment and be happy about it. But if we share in that form of entertainment, we shall feel deeply troubled within. The Spirit groans concerning anything we do that does not correspond to the divine essence, that is, to holi ness, or that does not help to conform us to the image of Christ.
Verse 28 says "that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to the purpose." The "all things" in this verse are related to the interceding of the Spirit in verses 26 and 27. Be cause the Spirit intercedes, so many things work together for good on our behalf. For example, suppose you spend your money in a loose way and do not use it properly for the Lord's inter est. This will cause the Spirit to intercede with groanings. Eventually, the Father will answer the Spirit's intercession by causing you to have a shortage of money. This financial difficulty will help to conform you to the image of the Son of God. The time to declare that all things work together for good is not when we are enjoying