DAY #5: Romans 8:9-17

In contrast to those still controlled by the sinful nature, believers are not controlled by our sinful nature when we have yielded control to the Spirit of God. To not have the Spirit of Christ means to not be a Christian. Christ’s Spirit lives within our human spirits, but our fleshly bodies are still infected by sin and will die. Sin has been defeated by Christ, but sin and death still claim their hold on our mortal bodies.

Yet in these bodies we are alive spiritually and can live by the Spirit’s guidance. In addition, we are promised the physical resurrection of our bodies into eternal life. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to us. So there is wonderful hope even for our prone-to-decay bodies.

Because of all that Christ has done and is going to do for us, we are under no obligation whatsoever to do what the sinful nature urges us to do. We are to refuse the drives and desires of our still attractive but crucified sinful nature, to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions. The old, sinful nature may present its demands, based upon the past, but we have no obligation to cooperate.

Our sinful nature shows itself through the vehicle of the body. Therefore, we must turn from following the sinful nature and its evil deeds, the practices and habitual responses of the sinful nature. This is an action to be done, a moral decision to be made—every day we are to turn away from the desires that draw us away from God.

The Jews already considered themselves to be children of God because of their heritage; but Paul explains that the term has new meaning. True children of God are those who are led by the Spirit of God as evidenced in their lifestyle. Believers not only have the Spirit (Romans 8:9); they are also led by the Spirit.

This slavery to fear that Paul talks about is most likely referring to life under the law, obedience that was concerned for scrupulous exactness with a constant fear of failure. Paul implies that believers are not to be like slaves who cower in fear before their master. Instead, we are adopted children who can call God our Father.

We can know this is true because the Holy Spirit within tells us it is so. The Holy Spirit not only adopts us as God’s children, but he also assures us of our family status (Galatians 4:6). The Holy Spirit within us changes our obedience to God from slavery to a relationship where God is both our Master and our loving Father. The Scriptures indicate that believers can expect inward confirmation of the faith by the Spirit. Our very capacity and desire to approach God as our Father is itself evidence of the Spirit’s witness with our spirit that we are children of God. We are motivated by the Spirit.

The Jews were convinced that they were the Lord’s inheritance, and that as such they would inherit the Promised Land. Paul explains that God’s promise includes all who believe in Christ—both Jews and Gentiles. Because we are God’s children, we are his heirs and will share his treasures. The Jews thought this was to be the Promised Land—instead, it is another “land,” God’s Kingdom - heaven.

We are God’s children only because of Christ’s suffering on our behalf. As believers, therefore, if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. We will enjoy our future inheritance if our relationship with Christ is genuine enough so that we will face suffering for his sake.


SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read ans studied today?)


As I read and study this passage of scripture, the question that comes to my mind is this; What are some of the characteristics that should distinguish a Christian?

Of the top of my head, I think these things - Accepting Jesus into your life. Patience. Accepting Jesus' resurrection. Filled with the Spirit. Love and forgiveness. Serving others.

Paul concentrates on one thing. How can you know that you're a Christian? v. 9-10 "You however are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit if the Spirit of God lives in you and if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Christ. But Christ is in you. Your body is dead because of sin yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness."

One of the main characteristics of a believer is that the Christian has the Holy Spirit on the inside of him. That's what makes him different from an unbeliever. Remember this chapter is the premier chapter of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. The word Spirit is used 19 times in this passage of Romans 8. Paul uses three different titles for the Spirit. He says The Spirit of God, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead. He's talking about the same person. The Holy Spirit has lots of different names.

Who is the Holy Spirit? What is His ministry?

In John 14:16, we see some of the the last words of Jesus. He's getting ready for the cross and giving final instructions to His disciples. "And I will ask the Father and He will give you another counselor to be with you forever. The Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him or knows Him. But You know Him because He lives with you and will be in you.... If anyone loves Me, he will obey my teaching and My Father will love him and We will come to him and make our home with him."

Jesus is going back to heaven. He says He will not leave the Christians by themselves. He'll comeback in another form -- the form of the Holy Spirit. When Christ comes into your life it's the Spirit that comes into your life. They are the same -- God is the Father is the Son is the Holy Spirit. You don't get them piece meal. They come together because they're the same.

That verse goes onto to say, "He will give you another counselor". In Greek there are two words for another: one means "of another kind", "another of a different kind". The other word is the word used here. It means "another of the exact same kind". Jesus says, I'm going to go back to heaven but I'm going to send another just like Me. Because it was Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is here in the world today in the life of every Christian.

What does He do? He does everything you need in the Christian life. He meets every one of your needs. He guides you. He teaches you. He comforts you. He helps you. He protects you. He empowers you. He prays for you. Everything you need in the Christian life comes through the Holy Spirit's power.

When does He come into my life? The moment I become a Christian. Because the Spirit is Jesus. They are the same. You can't have one without the other.

Some people talk about the baptism of the Holy Spirit as something that comes later, after you're saved. Three terms: The Holy Spirit indwells, the Holy Spirit baptizes, the Holy Spirit fills. What's the difference between these three terms? No difference between the first two -- indwelling and baptizes.

He indwells us. In Romans 8, five times this word is used. In the New International Version it's the word "lived."

Romans 8:11. The Spirit lives in you. In Greek it's the word from which we get our word "house". It literally means He makes His home in you. He becomes resident in your life. He dwells in you. When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you. Every Christian is indwelt by the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12 talks about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. v.13 says, "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, we're all given one spirit to drink." It's the baptism of the Holy Spirit that puts you in the body of Christ. If you're not baptized in the Holy Spirit you're not in the body of Christ. It's another synonym for salvation. If you're not baptized in the Spirit you're not in the body of Christ.

Romans 8:9 says, "If anyone does not have the Spirit he does not belong to Christ." Can you be a Christian and not have the Holy Spirit? NO. There's a difference between the Holy Spirit being resident in your life and the Holy Spirit being president in your life. That's where the third thing comes into play. That's where we are filled with the Holy Spirit and that is as often as I allow Him to.

Ephesians 5:18 says, "Don't be drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Holy Spirit." The word means to be continually filled. You could be filled and emptied 30 times, 100 times a day. The moment I'm living in Christ, I'm filled. The moment I'm carnal, doing my own thing, I'm empty.

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Being filled is compared to being drunk. What is it like when a person is drunk? Out of your own control -- you're under the influence of whatever you're drinking. To be filled with the Spirit is like being drunk, being under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Controlled, led, directed, guide -- all of those are synonyms of being filled. It means you're under the influence of God. When you trusted Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came into your life. You became a temple.


Sometimes a person will ask me - How can I know, really know that I'm a child of God?
Paul gives us 4 or 5 designations how we can know we're Christians. When he describes this new relationship he uses words like "sons", "children", "father", "joint heirs" -- family terms to talk about our relationship to the Father.

v. 11 says, "And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who also raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit who lives in you."

The first characteristic of how you know you're a Christians is a new power in your life. He compares that to the power of the resurrection. The same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is the same Spirit that lives inside of you and He will give you power to really live. The power of the resurrection is the power to cancel your past, power to conquer your problems, power to change your personality. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that is inside of you. Let the Spirit live through you. He's there. Right now. He's talking about the here and now! I have a new power in my life.

The second characteristic is that I have a desire to do what's right. Before I became a Christian I didn't want to do what was right. I wanted to do what I wanted to do. Do my own thing. v. 12 says, "Therefore brothers we have an obligation. But it is not to the sinful nature to live according to it."

I don't have to sin any more. Before I became a Christian I didn't have the power to change. I wanted to change but I didn't know how. I couldn't stop sinning even if I wanted to. That's why at Church of the Valley, we don't expect people to act like believers until they are believers. If they come and they are doing things that you or I wouldn't approve of, they can't change until they have God's power in their life. God doesn't say, go clean up your life then come and I'll save you.

He says, "Come to Me just the way you are -- hang ups, faults, mistakes, sins that you're actively engaging in right now and give it all to Me (the good, the bad, the ugly) and I will help you clean up your act because you can't do it on your own." He's saying that we don't have an obligation to the old nature. Remember the good nature that the Holy Spirit gave you, the new nature that wants to do what's right. And the old nature that wants to do what's wrong. Until you became a Christian you were powerless against it. You couldn't stop if you wanted to. But never again, if you're a Christian, can you say, "I can't help myself" because you can. God will give you the power to change. God will help you. You can change. These are the privileges and responsibilities of being a Christian. I have a new power. I have a new desire.

But there's a responsibility. He says we're not obligated to the old nature. But we do have an obligation. v. 13 says, "For if you live according to the sinful nature you will die, but if by the Spirit you will put to death the misdeeds of the body and you will live." Paul is saying now I have the power to put an end to all those sinful things I kept on doing and couldn't stop doing. Now I have the power to change. Now I have the power to stop doing all those things that were killing my life.

When he says "put to death the misdeeds of the body" he's not talking about trying to make yourself holy by beating your self up, fasting three meals a day. That's human will power, whipping yourself into shape. He says it's the Spirit. You're free. One of the marks of the Christian is he's free. He has a new desire to do what's right. I take all the dope I want to take. I get drunk all that I want to get drunk. I run around with all the women I want to run around with. Jesus changed my want to. when I became a Christian all of my desires changed. I didn't want to do things that seemed to be tempting in the past. I didn't want to do things that everybody else said was the cool thing to do. He changed my desires. Now I want to do what's right. If you don't have any desire to do what's right you're not a Christian most likely. He says that one of the characteristics that you're a Christian is that you want to do what's right.

v. 14 says, "Because those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God." The third characteristic of a Christian is he's led by God's Spirit. Before I became a Christian I was led by peer pressure, the world's standards, my own wisdom, some psychology book. People are guided by all different kinds of things. But no that I'm a Christian I look to God for guidance, to give me direction, check in with the commander in chief and ask, "What do You want me to do."

How does the Holy Spirit lead us? Through the Bible. Through prayer and impressions. Through circumstances that He arranges. Through the counsel of godly friends and Christians. Through pastors, teachers, leaders. All of these ways. John 14:26 says, "All of this I've spoken while I'm still with you but the counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

Have you ever been reading a Bible section that you've been reading all along and all of a sudden a verse pops out at you. Wow! I've never seen that before. It really hits you and applies to you today. That's the Spirit taking the Bible and teaching you. Have you ever been sitting in church on Sunday morning and feel I'm talking directly to you. That's the Holy Spirit. I honestly don't read your mail. But as I teach the word of God the Holy Spirit takes it and brings it in on you. He's very specific. When He speaks to you, you know it. It doesn't have to be written in the sky or come in a cloud or banner. You know God is speaking to you. It makes sense! the Holy Spirit takes the word of God and applies it in my life.

Think through today how you will apply these truths you've read and studied to your life.