Paul
the apostle told the people in Rome,
“you
are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of
God dwell in you”,
and he added, “Now
if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his”.
In chapter eight and verse ten,
Paul told his readers how, “the
Spirit is life”
where
we read:
And
if Christ be
in you, the body is
dead because of sin;
but
the Spirit is
life because of righteousness.
The
verse begins, “And
if Christ be
in you, the body is
dead because of sin;” Paul
began with the words, “And
if Christ”
which means “and whether the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son
of God” “be
in you”
or “is by or with the believers in Rome”, “the
body”
which refers to “the corpse” “is
dead”
or “is lifeless, decease, departed, destitute of life and
inanimate” “because”
or “through and by reason and means” “of
sin”
which refers to “pertaining to missing the mark, erring and being
mistaken”. Paul shared when Jesus “Christ”
was within the believers in Rome, “the mortal body is “lifeless
and deceased” on account of “missing the mark, erring and being
mistaken”.
The
verse continues, “but
the Spirit is
life because of righteousness.” Paul
added the word, “but”
which means “moreover and” “the
Spirit”
or “the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit who is
coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son” “is
life”
which means “living real and genuine, active and vigorous, devoted
to God, blessed and in the portion even in this world of those who
put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be
consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and
to last for ever” “because”
which
means “through and by reason and means” “of
righteousness”
or “the state of him who is as he ought to be and the condition
acceptable to God”. In contrast to the “death”
of the “body”
which is caused by “sin”,
true “life” is available because Jesus Christ lived as He ought
and within the condition acceptable to God.
When
we think through these words of Paul, we see see the great advantage
for living with “Christ” within the believer's life.
Without Jesus, people live according to the “sinful nature” that
leads to “death”, but with Him, they live according to the
“righteous ways of God”. Jesus Christ lived a “righteous”
life and provided a way for everyone else to be filled with His
Spirit to live that way as well. May all who read these words know
“the Spirit is life” and receive Jesus Christ as their
personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next
time Paul tells his readers, “he
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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