Paul's Epistle to the Romans — page 32

The third thing Paul mentions that marks normal Christianity is that believers have a new sphere of life to live in, where the Spirit of God ministers the things of Christ to their souls as they dwell in communion with God (John 16:13-15). We are truly grateful that God has provided such an element for us to live in, to which our new nature is perfectly suited. If He had not done so, Christians would be like "fish out of water."

1. 5 – Paul mentions two classes of men: "those who are

according to [conforme] the flesh" and "those who are according to [conforme] the spirit." These, of course, would be unbelievers and believers. These two classes of people live in two different spheres of life, where they pursue two different objects of interest. Paul defines these different interests as: "the things of the flesh" and "the things of the Spirit." F. B. Hole said: "The apostle [Paul] is speaking abstractly. He is viewing the whole position according to the inward nature of things, and not individuals in particular, or their various experiences" (Paul's Epistles, vol. 1, pag. 1). The things of the flesh would be earthly, natural and worldly things and activities that man, according to the flesh, seeks, and they need not even be enumerated here. The things of the Spirit, as mentioned in our comments on chapter 6, are spiritual things that have to do with the interests of Christ. They are things like: reading the Scriptures, praying, participating in Christian meetings for worship and ministry, singing hymns and spiritual songs, reading Christian literature, listening to recorded Christian ministry, teaching the truth, sharing the gospel, meditating on spiritual things while occupying ourselves with our daily responsibilities, serving the Lord with good works, visiting, etc.

The "raven" and the "dove" that were released from Noah's ark illustrate the appetite of the two natures in a believer (Gen. 8:6-12). The raven, when released, did not return to the ark, but feasted on the carrion. Likewise, the flesh finds its objects of interest in the world, which God judged at the cross, and it is quite at home in it. The dove, when released, returned to the ark, for it had no appetite for those things. Likewise, the new nature, which finds its interest in divine things, has no appetite for the moral and spiritual death that marks the things of this world. Vs. 6-7 – Paul then shows us where occupation with the things in each of these spheres leads – one is to "death" and the other is to "life and peace." It is needless to say that these are very different ends. Paul then explains why the man in the flesh will never walk in holiness. He says: "Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God." The flesh hates God and is incapable of being "subject to the Law of God", even if it wanted to be! Thus, it will never live "according to the Spirit."

A NEW STATE IN WHICH CHRIST IS FORMED IN US (chap. 8:8-10)

Paul also speaks of two different states in which men are, while they live and move in these spheres. The first state he calls: "in the flesh." He says: "Therefore, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh." In stating this, he makes it clear that, while unsaved men of the world ("those who" [they]) are in the flesh, believers ("you") are not. Let us keep in mind that he is speaking of what is characteristic of unbelievers and of believers. He is not taking into consideration that believers can sometimes live in a state that is abnormal to Christianity. Sometimes Christians can act in the flesh (in a carnal way), but what is characteristic of them is that they are not "in the flesh." Thus, Christians have the flesh in them, but they are not in the flesh! This may sound confusing, but these are two different things. One is referring to the sinful nature that resides in the believer (and will be so until the Lord comes, or until the believer dies), and the other is speaking of a carnal state or condition, which Paul emphatically says the believer is not living in (characteristically).

Continuing to complete his thought, Paul says that believers are “in the Spirit” – which is the other contrasting state. He qualifies this by adding, “if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you”, simply because it is not possible to live in the Spirit if the person does not have the Spirit dwelling in them. Thus, Paul shows that there is such a thing as the Spirit being in the believer, just as the believer is in the Spirit. Once again, these are two different things. The Spirit dwelling in the Christian is linked to our new position before God in Christ. All Christians have this indwelling (Eph 1:13). Regarding this, Paul says: “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His”. This does not mean that if someone does not have the Spirit dwelling in him, he is lost. He is simply stating that without the Holy Spirit dwelling, the one born of God is not in the full Christian position, of which Paul is giving an outline in this chapter. The man in conflict in chapter 7 would be an example of someone in this abnormal state. He is born of God and therefore not lost; but he does not have the Spirit and therefore is not in the full Christian position. Note that Paul does not say: “He does not belong to Christ,” as some translations erroneously state, for all souls (saved and lost) belong to Christ, because He bought them on the cross (Matt 13:44 – “the field”; Heb 2:9 – “for all”). That is not the point Paul is touching here. He is saying that such a person, with whom God began the work of the new birth, is not “of” Christ in the new order of creation, until he receives the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:29; Heb 2:11). “In the Spirit” refers to a new state or spiritual condition that exists in Christians, in which the Spirit forms in them the moral characteristics of Christ. Paul uses the expression “the Spirit of Christ” when referring to this special work of the Spirit. Thus, being possessed by the Spirit of Christ, Christians become like Christ, in their walk and in their ways. This formative power of the Spirit operates in us when our hearts are occupied with Christ and His things (2 Cor 3:18), but Paul is not speaking here of how this is accomplished. He is simply stating that this work of the Spirit in believers is a characteristic of normal Christianity.

1. 10 – Then, resulting from this work, Paul says: “And, if Christ is

in you, the body, indeed, is dead because of sin, but the spirit lives because of righteousness”. Here, he uses the word “if” differently from how he used it in the previous verse. In verse 9, it is an if of condition; here it is an if of argument. “If,” used conditionally, has to do with the question of whether something is so or not. Whereas, when “if” is used in the construction of an argument, it could be replaced by “since.” Paul’s point here is that since the Spirit of Christ has His rightful influence in the believer, and the character of Christ is formed in him by the Spirit, he is no longer governed by his carnal appetites and lust. The believer’s body is considered “dead” when the Spirit ministers to him what is truly “life”, energizing him to live in practical “righteousness”. He makes us live in the good of the resurrected life in communion with God, and when He acts in that capacity, He is called “the Spirit of life” – JND. Let us remember that Paul is speaking of what characterizes the normal Christian state, and not of what certain believers may experience in their lives when their state leaves something to be desired.

A NEW EXPECTATION OF BEING GLORIFIED (chap. 8:11) Paul proceeds to a final point that marks the normal Christian life. He says that, since we have “the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus” dwelling in us, His presence is a pledge of what is to come for us (2 Cor 5:5). The same power that “raised Jesus from the dead” long ago “will give life” to our “mortal bodies”. Our bodies will be transformed into a glorified condition (1 Cor 15:51-56; Phil 3:21). This life-giving power will eradicate the flesh from our beings once and for all! Note that he does not say that our bodies will be resurrected from the dead, because the normal Christian hope is to be alive on the earth when the Lord comes. Of course, if we die before the Lord comes, our bodies will be resurrected in a glorified state at that moment.

A Summary of the Normal Christian State

Thus, in the first eleven verses of Romans 8, we see the believer placed in a new position (“in Christ”), with a new power (“the law of the Spirit of life”), in a new sphere of life that has a new set of objectives (“the things of the Spirit”), with which Christ-like characteristics are formed in him (“Christ is in you”). Furthermore, the believer is seen with a hope before his soul, of having his body glorified (“given life”) like the glorious body of Christ, so that he may be able to live and reign with Christ in heaven. This is what a Christian is!

The Practical Results that Flow from Walking in the Spirit

Chap. 8:12-17 – Having presented the position and condition of believers in normal Christianity, Paul continues speaking of the practical side of these things, bringing our responsibility.

Chap. 8:12 – He tells us that, in view of what God has done for us through the death and resurrection of Christ, the believer has no obligation whatsoever to the flesh to live according to the flesh. He says: “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to [according to] the flesh”. This, as Paul has already explained, is because Christ, our federal Head, acted for us by separating Himself from the entire system of sin through death, and we (being part of His new race of creation) have the right to consider ourselves dead with Him (chap. 6:10). But, more than that, we have the power to live above the evil inclination of the flesh because “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” has been given to us in us (chap. 8:2). Therefore, we cannot be right in saying that we are unable to stop living according to the lusts of the flesh, because every provision has been made for us to live free from it.