Assurance for the Christian
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. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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.
Romans 8:9-11 (NKJV)
After telling the Roman Christians that they are ‘not in the flesh’ but ‘in the Spirit’, Paul goes on to identify five key components of their Christianity, and ours. They are:
‘…the Spirit of God dwells in you’ (v.9) – The word ‘dwell’ here means more than just being there, like you might be at a party. It comes from the Greek for ‘house’ and implies that the Spirit has taken up residence; this is where he lives. The Spirit of God makes his home in us, he is not just passing through.
‘…you are…in the Spirit’ (v.9) – This is not saying that the Spirit is in you, but that you are in the Spirit. This has the implication that we are in the sway of the Spirit, he is the decisive influence in our lives, and he will transform us by developing a new heart and mind that is conformed to Jesus.
‘…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His’ (v.9) – This means the reverse is also true. If we have the Spirit of Christ, we belong to Christ and should view ourselves as his beloved possession. We have been purchased by the blood of Jesus, that’s how precious we are to him.
‘…the Spirit is life because of righteousness’ (v.10) – Our bodies are mortal and doomed to die, but we don’t have to wait for the redemption of our bodies to be spiritually alive. The gift of righteousness is ours now, the presence of Christ is ours now, and spiritual life is ours now too, as we are alive in Christ Jesus through the Spirit.
‘…He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.’ (v.11) – Our resurrection is as certain as Jesus’s resurrection because the Spirit that raised him from the dead dwells in us. He will raise us up to be with God forever.
So, the Spirit dwells in us; we are in the sway of the Spirit; we belong to Christ; we are spiritually alive because of the righteousness and the presence of Christ, and our mortal bodies will be raised. What wonderful treasures the Spirit brings for us to ponder and enjoy. They provide us with total security and absolute assurance, both in life and death.
Prayer
Loving Father, thank you for the assurance you give us through the indwelling and the work of the Holy Spirit. Spirit of God, spark our faith, hope, and love into new action each day as we live in this assurance. In Jesus’s name, we pray, Amen.
Study by Barry Robinson
Barry Robinson is a minister in Grace Communion International and Regional Pastor for Southern England.
Local congregation:
Grace Communion International Camberwell
The Salvation Army Hall
105 Lomond Grove
Camberwell
London SE5 7HN
Local congregational contact:
Barry Robinson
Email: camberwell@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church