Romans 8:9-11

9: 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.
10: If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11: 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.

*** 

Paul had just said, “…those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” And then he said, “However…” If the Spirit of God is in you, you are not "in the flesh" but "in the Spirit."

In these three verses, Paul referred to Him as the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead. If this Spirit lives in us, we are not in the flesh, we belong to Him, our body is considered dead to sin, our spirit is alive because of righteousness, and He will give life to our mortal bodies. Christ lives in us through the Spirit of God. It’s the same Spirit who raised Him from the dead, and this same Spirit will give life to our mortal bodies (which is our body that is subject to death, such as our physical body).

Paul referred to the time when the believer's physical bodies will be resurrected as Jesus’ was. Yet, he also talked about living here on earth with His Spirit alive in us. We are "in the Spirit" right now because of our faith in Jesus. He lives in us now. We belong to Him now. Our spirit is alive now because we have been made righteous in Christ. Our bodies are dead to sin now and as a result, we can please God now while here on earth.

The thought that began with those in the flesh being unable to please God, ends with the understanding that you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit so you can please God now while in your body on the earth. This would indicate that being "in the flesh" is more than the physical condition of living in your body, it’s a frame of mind, a condition of the heart, which can be overcome by living "in the Spirit" and making choices in line with the gift of righteousness you’ve been given.



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