Romans 8:9-11 - Spirit in You

9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

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God's Spirit Dwells in You... You Are Not Alone in the Spiritual Battle

The message that Paul delivers in verses 9-38 of chapter 8 is a crescendo, that starts with a series of premises about the Spirit of God being in you since you are believers (vss. 8:9-13). Because these premises are true, you as a believer in Jesus Christ, have the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Spirit means you are God’s child - adopted, but a child of his nevertheless - and an heir to all He possesses. (vss. 8:14-17)

Glory awaits us, and all of creation is eagerly awaiting the ultimate end when we are in glory with Jesus and the Father. (vss. 8:18-24) 

The Spirit of God helps us; intercedes for us; He knows us. We are known, called, justified, and glorified in Jesus. (vss. 8:26-30) 

 The big finish! God held nothing back in order to save us, therefore nothing and no one can stand between us and God. We are winners in Christ. This is not a limping stagger to the finish line. This is like Secretariat in the Belmont! Only bigger and better, because it is His victory! (vss. 8:31-38)

 I was going to say that if you don’t get tears in your eyes when you read these verses, you really aren’t into it. I can say that, because I for years have read these verses fairly dispassionately, thinking, “Those are nice.” But as I have read, studied, and thought about this letter I have come to realize that the lack of victory in my life is not God's doing. It is mine alone. I have not allowed Him to work in me to maturity, to peace. I keep steppping in to take over. For some reason, I think I can run my life better that can God. (That is only partly facitious. I may not think or believe that premise, yet I live and act as if I do.)  

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V. 9 - “You are not in the flesh” - Paul has used most of the previous seven chapters, logically, reasonably making the case that trying to meet God’s justice by our actions has failed us. All the things we do in the flesh come to nought. Sin is a spiritual problem, not a physical problem. Our physical behavior is a manifestation of our broken, failed, sinful nature. The flesh kills, the Spirit gives life. (See: John 6:63; 2 Cor. 3:6; Gal. 6:8; Rev. 22:17)

“If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” - I do not think Paul is doubting the Christians in Rome have God’s Spirit in them. 

The premise is this: if you have Christ (you have believed in Him) you have the Spirit of God within you. Christ promised this. (See: John 14:16, 23, 26; John 15:26; John 16:7; Acts 2:38; Rom. 8:2).

This is the truth Paul wants us to know. "

"If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ” - If you belong to Jesus Christ you have the Holy Spirit in you. If you do not have the Holy Spirit you do not belong to Christ. Note there is both an affirmation and a denial.

The affirmation: You believe in Christ; you are His possession; He is Your Savior; He is in you; you are in Him. Because those are true, you have the Holy Spirit living in you.

The denial: If you choose not to believe in Christ you do not have the Holy Spirit; you do not have Jesus in you; you are not in Jesus; Jesus is not your Savior.

Both are true, but only one of these applies to you. Your choice: your decision. 

V. 10 - “If Christ is in you... the spirit is alive” - This physical body will not be in heaven when you see Jesus and the Father face to face. This body is bound for destruction, the price of sin, the legacy of Adam. We believers receive new perfect sinless bodies, the reward of faith, the gift of Jesus.

We are born again, and our spirit is reborn to eternal life. 

V. 11 - “The Spirit of Him...” - God, Himself. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)

“Who raised Jesus from the dead” - God. Only God can do this. Jesus, through the power of God and the Holy Spirit raised Lazarus (John 11:1-45); Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9:18, 19, 23-26); and the widow’s son (Luke 7:11-16).

“Dwells in you” - The Spirit of God dwells in you! Jesus told us, that if we love Him, He and the Father will come to us and make a home in us. (See: John 14:23, and 21). That is the idea behind the word “abode” (vs. 23) - i.e., a dwelling, a mansion, a home. This is not a temporary stay, “Motel 6” for God, not even a Hyatt Regency, but a home, where you put down roots and get comfortable.

“Will give life to your mortal bodies” - This is a promise of resurrection for the believers. The Holy Spirit is the ‘down payment’ of the promise. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we are Christ’s own possession. We are His, because He paid the price on the cross and in the tomb. Our physical bodies must die because of sin. We will be raised to life by the Lord, just as He raised Jesus Christ. Our resurrected bodies will be immortal. We will be just like Him. See: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3)

“through His Spirit who dwells in you” - This is a vital, important point. The Holy Spirit lives in you (dwells in you). God lives in you. Christ Jesus lives in you. The phrase, “dwells in you” is used twice in this verse, repeated to emphasize the point. “Christ in you, the hope of glory”. (Col. 1:27)

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Romans 8:5-8 - Flesh is Death

5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

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Set Your Mind on the Spirit

V. 5 - “those who are according to the flesh” - This verse could be paraphrased “We go where our mind is...” Whether it is golf or pornography, smart phone apps or Instagram, money or fame - when we are addicted to these worldly things, our waking thoughts are drawn there. Addiction to drugs or alcohol is a physical manifestation of the life your mind is living. (See: Prov. 23:7) The Proverbs talk about negative side of following where your heart leads. (See: Prov. 6:14, 18; 12:20; 27:19)

“those who are according to the Spirit” - The Proverbs also teach about the positive side of following where your heart leads, especially if your heart is focused on the Lord. (See: Prov. 2:2; 4:4, 23; 16:1). In Colossians we read, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:1-3)

Peter also gives us encouragement, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." (1 Pet. 1:14-16)

Living for Christ is a commitment, just as accepting Him as Lord and Savior is a commitment. We do not just “go with the flow”. The worldly nature and flesh are in opposition to the Holy Spirit. Seldom, if ever, will our worldly nature guide us into doing Jesus’ will. We will wail, “Why can’t I do what I know is right?”, just as Paul did in chapter seven. Turn to Jesus, ask Him for the power to do His will, for the strength of character to will to do right, not just be willing to do so.

V. 6 - “mind set on the flesh is death” - The mind set on the flesh does not believe in God. That mind may believe that God is, but does not believe that He will be the final judge. The person that rejects God will receive the penalty - death. "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)

“Mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” - Jesus promised, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.” (John 14:27) Jesus also said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)

V. 7 - “hostile toward God” - We (humans in general) like to think we can be neutral towards God. We like to think in shades of grey, and not in stark black-and-white. Nuances give us ‘wiggle room’. We like to think that having an agnostic belief is not the same as an atheistic belief. However, sin is active rebellion or passive indifference - the result is the same: rejecting the claims of God and going our own way. Paul wrote we were “alienated and hostile in mind” (Col. 1:21). Peter tells us while although we were ignorant we were ‘engaged in lusts’ (1 Pet. 1:14).

V. 8 - “cannot please God” - The only way we can please God is to be in Jesus, and Jesus to be in us. The way, the truth and the life are in Jesus and Jesus alone. (John 14:6). “Pleasing God” is not doing things - it is believing in Him who was sent to save us.

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Romans 8:1-4 - Free from Death

Chapter eight is an elegiac song about the glory of being Christ’s own. In verses 1-8, Paul expands on the statement in the last half of verse 7:25. The first half of 7:25 answers the question, “Who can save me from this death?” (Rom. 7:24) The second half of 7:25 Paul tells of the two natures that are at war within us - the sinful fleshly nature and the new spiritual nature. Verses 1-8 of chapter eight shows us that the flesh (our old nature) is the way of death. The new nature, that of the Spirit of God is life.

***CHAPTER 8 - Outline
8:1-4 - Free from Death
8:5-8 - Flesh is Death
8:9-11 - Spirit in You
8:12-17 - Spirit Testifies
8:18-25 - Creation Longs for Freedom
8:26-30 - God’s Plans

8:31-39 - Who Can Stop Us?

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1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

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V. 1 - “Therefore” - Because of Christ Jesus our Lord, and what He has done for us...

“no condemnation” - Remember, “The man who sins will surely die.” (Ezek. 3:18), and “The soul who sins will die,” (Ezek. 18:4). But, God does not want people to die in their sin, “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies” (Ezek. 18:32), and “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather the wicked turn form his way and live.” (Ezek. 33:11)

This is not our lot - to die in our sin - because Jesus came to seek and save the lost. (See: Luke 19:10) See also: Mark 16:16; Luk. 8:12; Acts 15:11, 16:31.

V. 2 - “Christ Jesus has set you free” - The scenario is: Spirit of Life versus sin and death. Jesus came to save the lost (Luk 19:10). When you believe in Christ (i.e., place your life in His hands) you have new life (See: Jn 20:31; 1 Tim 1:16; 1 Jn 5:13). It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we come to eternal life (See: Jn 6:63; Rom 7:6, 8:6, 10; 1 Cor 15:45; 2 Cor 3:6).

V. 3 - “What the Law could not do” - What was the Law unable to do for us? It could not save us from sin, it could only alert us that we sin. (See: 2 Cor 3:6, 7; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:15, 16; Col 3:13, 14; 2 Tim 1:9)

“God did” - God took away the condemnation, the penalty of death through Christ Jesus. (See: Col. 2:13, 14) We have been reconciled to the Lord in Christ Jesus. (See: Col. 1:20; Eph. 2:16)

"as an offering for sin" - Sin offering was first addressed during the escape from Egypt. (See: Lev. 4:1-6:30) Jesus said the Last Supper, "for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins." (Mat. 26:28) During the ceremony, blood was sprinkled on the altar by the priest - seven times 'before the Lord', (See: Lev. 4:6, 17) or the priest was to touch his finger in the blood and touch the horns of the altar and pour the rest at the base of the altar. (See: Lev. 4:25, 30).

“He condemned sin in the flesh” - Christ, being the perfect sacrifice in order to meet God’s justice requirements, died on the cross. It was a public execution, just as was the bull or goat sacrificed on the altar in the Tabernacle. All the sin of the world was placed on Jesus while on the cross. The price has been paid. 

Another aspect of this statement: What Jesus did was not just spiritual, i.e., God acting from on high, thereby delaring us free from sin, even though we did not see Him do anything. Instead, God in Jesus Christ came to earth, being born of Mary. He lived and died on earth, in a physical human body, with all it's limitations. This is a big deal. There are instances in the Bible where divine beings spent time on earth, but none came to live permanently as a human being. Jesus came and lived 'in the flesh'. He was sacrificed in our place, physically - 'in the flesh'. Just the sacrificial lambs, goats, bulls, etc., physically died, so Jesus died. This was not an imaginary death. This was not the death of an animal that we can by faith believe carries away our sin. Jesus' death and resurrection actually, physically happened - 'in the flesh'. There is no doubt he died. There is no doubt he rose from the dead. All the sin of the world, of mankind from the beginning of time to now (whenever the end of now might be) were placed on Him. He took the condemnation on himself, that we might be free. No more shame. No more fear. No more death. Sin has been banished because He came 'in the flesh'.

His resurrection showed that death is not permanent for Him. He lives! The condemnation of sin was culminated in His sacrifice. He died in the flesh, and was made alive in the Spirit. (See: 1 Pet. 3:18)

V. 4 - “So that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled” - The ‘so that’ makes us look back to verse 3. The Law could not be fulfilled (completed) unless a sacrifice sufficient for God was made. As follows: 

• God sent His Son to live as an actual human (vs. 8:3a).
• God sent His Son to be the necessary sacrifice (vs. 8:3b). 
• The Son’s sacrifice paid the full price for the world’s sin (vs. 8:3c, 4). 
• No further payment is necessary, the Law is fulfilled (vs. 8:4a). 
• Our response is by faith and the Holy Spirit, and not by obedience to the Law (vs. 8:4b).

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