Posted on 11/24/2010 3:54:57 PM PST by pastorbillrandles
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:11-13)
What is the current state of the Christian? How can it be that there is no condemnation for us, when we know by experience that there are aspects of our lives, such as various lusts,temptations,weaknesses and failures that aren’t righteous ?
The answers to these questions are given in Romans chapter 8. The Christian is one who has been delivered out from under the law of God, ie “the Law of Sin and death”, by his union with Christ. He has died with Christ, to the condemnation of the Law.
Furthermore the Christian is now “In the Spirit”, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. God has sent the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ in us , conforming us to the image of His Son.He will continue in this work until the day of Christ.
As for those aspects of our lives which are yet inconsistent with God’s righteousness, I believe this passage of scripture really gives an answer.
*If Christ be in you – and the assumption of Romans 8 is that He is in us by His Spirit.
* The Body is dead because of sin - Here he is talking about the physical literal human body, not ‘flesh’ as a principle. We have been spiritually regenerated, our soul is being constantly renewed, but our body is still unsaved.
It remains the “Body of sin”, (though disconnected from domination by the “old man”), described in Romans 6. It is still the same “body of death” lamented over in Romans 7. It has not yet been changed, it is still the primal arena of sin-expression, weakness,pain, breakdown, corruption.
*The Spirit is Life because of Righteousness – Simultaneously we have a living spirit, indwelt by the Spirit of Life himself. We have Life, encased in death.
* The Same Spirit that Raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken you mortal bodies – Though already spiritually regenerated, we await the resurrection from the dead for our bodies also. Then mortality and corruption shall be swallowed up in life!
… we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.(Phil 3:21-22)
* Therefore Brethren we are no longer debtors to the flesh- We who are In Christ Jesus may still on occasion sin, but we no longer have to. At one time , we had to sin and everything we did was done”in the flesh” under the domination of the old fallen, Adamic nature.
Therefore, since we are now “In the Spirit” , why should we yet live after the flesh? We are no longer “In the flesh”, the Spirit of Christ dwells in us. For the first time in our lives we are free of the old nature.
*…If you live after the flesh You shall die… Is this verse teaching a conditional salvation, by starting with an “IF” ? In view of everything else Paul has said in this chapter the answer is a definite No.
Paul has told his hearers already that “You are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Christ dwells within you”, and that “Christ is in you”, so he is not putting a condition on that here.
What is he saying? The flesh , the unregenerate nature, “In Adam”, all are ways of describing those who are yet under the realm of Death. Those who live after the flesh are subject to death in all of its forms. But not we who are alive in Christ.
We have been translated out of the realm of death into the Rule of grace and Life. So why should we live in any way ‘out of the flesh’, the old nature? That is the realm of death that we have been translated out of!
*But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live – We come now to one of the practical applications of all of this teaching. How do I apply the truths that Paul has taught about no condemnation,being “In the Spirit”, “In Christ Jesus” , no longer a “debtor to the flesh”?
Always the New Testament method of teaching sanctification is to first set forth the doctrine of who we are , or what is now true of us because of Jesus Christ. Out of that understanding comes the actual practice.
The way to apply this teaching is to “By the Spirit, Mortify the deeds of the Body”, which will be the topic of my next study.
Stayed off porn for 10 months by reciting Romans 6:2,3,4,18,21 6-15 times a day:
1) at scheduled times
2) whenever I got tempted
Finally, I was delivered/exorcised of a spirit of lust, and I don’t need to quote those verses 6-15 times a day any more.
I am free. Like when I was 12 years old.
Free.
Hallelujah! Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace! Praise God for the Testimony and happy thanksgiving!
What a wonderful testimony. You blessed me today, thanks.
The law is dead. Paul sinned all the time (Romans 7). Believers are saved.http://antinomianism-salvation.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the serving of meat, pastor!
Was there a reason you are telling me this specifically?
Happy Thanksgiving.
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