The Holy Spirit who dwells in us
[Romans 8:9-11]
Look at Romans 8:9-11: “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. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 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.” In these verses, the word “the Spirit” which refers to the Holy Spirit appears five times (3 times in v. 9, 2 times in v. 11). And the word “the spirit” which refers to the spirit of man one time (v. 10). Look at verses 9 and 11, which refer to the Holy Spirit: “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. … 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.” The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. So, I would like to meditate on Romans 8:9-11 under the title “The Holy Spirit who dwells in us”.
Look again at Romans 8:9 – “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you ….” Here, the word “you” in “if … in you” refers to the saints of the Roman church, but does not include the Apostle Paul, the author of the book of Romans (if he had been included, he would have said “we”). d
This is not to say that there is no Holy Spirit in the Apostle Paul. The Holy Spirit dwelled in the Apostle Paul. We can know this in 2 Timothy 1:14 – “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” Here “us” refers to the Apostle Paul himself and Timothy to whom the letter of 2 Timothy is written. The Holy Spirit also dwelled in the saints of the Corinthian church. Look at 1 Corinthians 3:16 – “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” The Holy Spirit dwelled in the saints of the Roman church as well. Look at Romans 8:15 – “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” Here “a spirit of adoption” refers to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us who believe in Jesus. Look at Romans 5:5 – “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Look at 1 John 3:24 – “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” Also, look at 1 John 4:13 – “By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”
Look at Romans 8:9 – “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit ….” If the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, dwells in us, we are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we dwell in the Holy Spirit. Look at John 15:4-5: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” If we abide in the Lord, the Lord abide in us. To say that the Lord dwells in us means that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. That means we abide in the Holy Spirit. That is, we are united with the Holy Spirit. Then we bear much fruit. That fruit is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Look at Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; ….” Also, the Holy Spirit works in us to make us to be like Jesus.
Look at Romans 8:10 – “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, ….” Here, “If Christ is in you” means “If the Holy Spirit is in you.” And when we think of “body” in the phrase “the body is dead because of sin,” we know that we are created with “the body” that is united with “the spirit”. Here, “the body” refers to the outer man, and because the first man of mankind mentioned in Genesis disobeyed God’s command (Gen. 2:16-17) and ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (3:1-7), it is dead. As a result, all mankind, descendants of Adam, also died. Look at Romans 5:12, 17: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- … For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, …” Look at Romans 8:10 – “… the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” Here, “the spirit” refers to the spirit of man. And this spirit refers to the inner man. We died body and soul because of Adam's sin. But because our sins were imputed to Jesus, nailed to the cross, and rose from the dead, the righteousness of Jesus has been imputed to us. Therefore, the Holy Spirit raised our spirits from the dead. That is, the Holy Spirit has regenerated us. Look at Ephesians 2:1 – “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (KJV).
Look at Romans 8:11 – “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead ….” It is God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead, and his Spirit speaks of the Holy Spirit. This verse tells us that Jesus died and rose from the dead. Who Killed Jesus? God the Father did. God the Father accepted Jesus Christ as a sin offering/propitiation. In order to save us, God the Father made Jesus Christ, who takes away the sins of the world, die on the cross so that Jesus Christ might bear all our sins. God the Father gave the Son Jesus to death. Jesus died on his own. Look at John 10:18 – “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again This commandment I received from My Father.” Also, look at 1 John 3:16 – “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; ….” No one took the life of Jesus. It was Jesus who gave himself up. The reason is to save us. So who raised Jesus from the dead? God the Father did. Look at Acts 2:24 – “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” Look at Acts 3:15 – “but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.” Look at Romans 8:11a – “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead ….” Jesus Christ himself prophesied that he would rise again. Look at Mark 8:31 – “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (cf. Matt. 17:9; 20:19). Jesus' disciples testified of Jesus' resurrection. Look at Acts 10:40-41: “God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.” If the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead, dwells in us, he will also give life to our mortal body (outer man) (Rom. 8:11). Just as Jesus' body died on the cross and rose again (bodily resurrection), so will our body live again.
God the Father will bring us back to life. Look at 2 Corinthians 4:14 – “knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.” Look at 1 Corinthians 6:14 – “Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.” Look at John 5:21 – “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.” Look at John 6:39-40: “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” The Lord will raise us up on the last day to eternal life.
We are good/blessed/beneficial to live and good/blessed/beneficial to death. Look at Revelation 14:13 – “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.’” This is the blessing of those who abide in the Holy Spirit, and those whose Holy Spirit abides in him. Jesus died, rose and ascended into heaven, and at the right hand of God is praying for us. Jesus will surely come again and lead us to heaven. We will reign there forever and ever. Also, look at Revelation 3:21 – “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Therefore, even in the midst of many difficulties and adversity, we must realize and accept the word of truth and enjoy the blessing. We must overcome hardships well with precious faith. These words will be written on our hearts and we will have to win through faith.