So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
(9) But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. (10) And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
(12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. (13) For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (15) For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out “Abba, Father.” (16) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Christian church at Rome in preparation for his intended visit. This letter is an exposition of the gospel that Paul had been preaching for 20 years. This epistle is a towering letter of theological principles and great truths set forth for the early church and, as Scripture, is the word of God to us.
The verses we study today concern the fallen nature of man and the bondage that man inherited from the sin of Adam. The wages of sin is death and unregenerate man in his sinful nature was unable to please God. All this changed with the acceptable sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and also made man. He was without sin and became the perfect acceptable redemptive sacrifice in atonement for the sin of man.
The very clear text tells us that fallen man, redeemed by Christ gives the believing, faithful man new life by the grace of God. The first activity of our new life is faith in Christ and acceptance of God’s gift of eternal life because as carnal beings we face physical death, spiritual death and eternal death.
Paul then addresses the reader indicating he is now talking to believers -Those whose spirit is alive because Christ lives in them and thus the righteousness of God is imputed to them – they have the life of the spirit.By grace through faith in Christ, we are acceptable to God. We are justified even though our believer’s body is mortal. Paul contrasted eternal spiritual life to death of the body. As redeemed sinners the Holy Spirit lives continually in us. Paul modified the belief of the Jews that God would raise the dead at the end of this age but he says God has already raised Jesus and this is a sure sign of the future resurrection of the believer.
the effect of the Holy Spirit living within us is we are now children of God. The Apostle Paul is teaching privilege with responsibility. He now tells us how the privileged should live their lives. Paul begins with But – recipients are not able to act independently. It is by the Spirit they are being led. Salvation is God’s gift from start to finish but there is still is an obligation to perform. There is always the thread that believers by themselves would never be able to fulfill God’s commands – We acknowledge our empowerment only by the in dwelling Spirit and the love of Christ. We are no longer debtors to the flesh but to Christ and the Spirit.
Spiritual death results in the separation of the soul from God and equates with the loss of eternal life. Paul is telling us that believers are no longer under condemnation – but God expects moral commitment and personal effort. Faith is the key to this. Grace changes the nature of man but nothing can change the nature of sin It can be destroyed but never cured. In reading Chapter 8 of Romans we must keep these verses in context, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ”. If we slip and fall there is no sentence of eternal death. Instead Paul contrasts different lifestyles – the one of Adam and our fallen, sinful nature -that of death – to those believers in Christ.
When we trust in Christ we are superior to the ways of our sinful nature. Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. This does not mean we are involved in a new bondage like the law where men were moved by fear rather than by faith. Those being led are progressively sanctified – set apart from the world and becoming holy.
We have been bought from death into a new life. Christ is the pivot in this new life. God raised Jesus from the dead and the believer with Him – triumph is assured if we live after the Christian life The believing Christian lives In liberty in Christ, led by the Spirit. This does not mean he/she is free to do what they please but this is freedom from the law and the flesh in the Spirit and we are able to please God. Every believer is a child of God – a rightful heir and more, joint heirs with Christ. This adoption never needs to be repeated and is permanent. this is the grace of God. the believer has new standing before God, from grim condemnation to privileged heir. The believer’s heirship is future hope and present reality. We possess in principle what we look forward to in full possession