We Are Debtors

[Romans 8:12-13]

Look at Romans 8:12-13:
"Therefore, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 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."
[(Contemporary Bible Translation) “Brothers, we are debtors, but not to the flesh. We should not live according to the flesh. If you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if you put to death the evil deeds of the flesh through the Holy Spirit, you will live.”]

The Bible tells us that we are debtors (v. 12). All of humanity is in debt. People of the past, the present, and those yet to be born are all debtors. There are two options: either we are debtors to the flesh or debtors to the Spirit. All the descendants of Adam are debtors to the flesh. We, too, were debtors to the flesh before we were born again from God (before we were spiritually reborn) [1 John 5:1, 4].

How do debtors to the flesh live?
Look at Ephesians 2:2-3:
"In which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."
[(Contemporary Bible Translation) “At one time, you followed the evil path of the world, obeyed the devil, who rules over the realm of the air, and lived according to his power. This devil is active in the lives of those who disobey God. We, too, lived like them, following the desires of our flesh, doing whatever our body and mind wanted, and we, too, were by nature objects of God's wrath, just like the rest.”]

When we were debtors to the flesh, we followed the evil ways of the world, obeyed the devil, and lived according to the desires of our flesh and mind. We lived according to what our body and mind desired. In this way, we lived as debtors to the flesh, until at some point (whether we realized it or not), we were transformed into debtors to the Spirit.

When did John the Baptist become a debtor to the Spirit?
Look at Luke 1:15:
"For he will be great before the Lord. He will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb."

John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. In other words, he became a debtor to the Spirit from the time of his conception. This is why the Bible says that when Mary visited Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John (v. 36), "the baby (John) leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 41).

John the Baptist himself probably didn't know when he was filled with the Holy Spirit, but when he grew up, his mother Elizabeth would have told him. Many people with a "maternal faith" (those who were raised in the faith) do not know when they were born again or when they became debtors to the Spirit. However, there are cases where people know when they became debtors to the Spirit. One example of this is Cornelius and his relatives and close friends in Acts 10, who knew when they became debtors to the Spirit. Peter and “some of the brothers who came with him from Joppa” (v. 23) also knew that they were debtors to the Spirit.
Look at Acts 10:44-45:
"While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles."

Those Who Are in Debt to the Spirit

Those who are in debt to the Spirit are in debt to the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul begins Romans 8:12 with the word "Therefore." This conjunction connects what he has just said with what follows. Therefore, those who are in Christ Jesus (v. 1), because the law of the Spirit of life has set them free from the law of sin and death (v. 2), no longer live according to the flesh, but live according to the Spirit (v. 4, Contemporary English Bible). As we set our minds on the things of the Spirit (v. 5, Contemporary English Bible), spiritual thinking results in life and peace (v. 6). Now that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we are under His control (v. 9, Contemporary English Bible). This Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead, and He will also give life to our mortal bodies (v. 11, Contemporary English Bible). Therefore, we are debtors (v. 12).

In Romans 8:12, the Apostle Paul says "Therefore, brothers." Here, "brothers" refers to the saints in the church of Rome. "Brothers" is a term of endearment, and Paul refers to all of them as those who believe in Jesus Christ, as those who are in debt to the Spirit, that is, those who are born again and indebted to the Holy Spirit. In other words, the thoughts of those who are in debt to the Spirit, the thoughts of the born-again ones and the ones in debt to the Holy Spirit, are thoughts of life and peace (v. 6). However, the thoughts of the flesh are death (v. 6), they are hostile to God (v. 7), and they cannot please God (v. 8).

Those in debt to the Spirit have a living spirit [(v. 10) "The spirit is alive because of righteousness"]. In other words, those in debt to the Spirit have been born again.

Jesus, when He took the hand of the dead daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:41) and said, "Little girl, get up" (v. 54), brought her back to life. The Bible expresses her resurrection by saying, "Her spirit returned" (v. 55). Likewise, Lazarus, who was dead (John 11:14), when Jesus went to his tomb (v. 38), told them to move the stone (v. 39), and called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" (v. 43), the dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen (v. 44). Lazarus also came back to life when his spirit reunited with his body. His spirit returned and joined with his body to bring him back to life.

The Holy Spirit gave life to our spirits, which were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). This spirit is eternal. The mind of the Spirit is life (Romans 8:6), and that life is eternal. The Holy Spirit has not only given life to our dead spirits, but He will also give life to our mortal bodies, transforming them into immortal bodies (v. 13). When? At the sound of the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52, Contemporary English Bible). In that moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will all be changed (v. 52, Contemporary English Bible). The Holy Spirit will give life to our spirits and bodies to live forever. This is the completion of eternal life!

Therefore, the Apostle Paul says, "We are not to live according to the flesh" (Romans 8:12). We are no longer debtors to the flesh. Therefore, we should not live according to the flesh. What does it mean to live according to the flesh?

Look at Galatians 5:19-21: "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Also, in Colossians 3:5-6: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming."

As those who are debtors to the Spirit (the Holy Spirit), we should not live according to the flesh. Rather, we must walk according to the Spirit. Then we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul says that if we put to death the misdeeds of the body by the Spirit, we will live (Romans 8:13). Although living as debtors to the flesh means we will surely die eternally, if by the Spirit we put to death the misdeeds of the body (living according to the flesh), we will surely live. This is the result of living as debtors to the Spirit. That is, we will live, but we will live forever. When? When the Lord Himself descends from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16). At that time, the dead in Christ will rise first (v. 16). That is, they will come to life again.

We are debtors to the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must live according to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us (Romans 8:9) and protects us from the power of Satan. Moreover, the indwelling Holy Spirit gives us the power of life, wisdom, bears fruit, and grants us victory. The Holy Spirit empowers us to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, carrying out the work of bringing dead souls to life. The Holy Spirit will also revive our bodies and spirits at the second coming of the Lord, allowing us to live forever with Him.