Thoughts on the Epistle to the Romans (135) - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

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.
Romans 8:9.10

Thoughts on the Epistle to the Romans (135)
When someone puts his faith in Jesus Christ and His work of redemption, he is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). From that moment the Spirit of God dwells in him. That is the irrefutable proof that the believer is no longer "in the flesh". His standing before God is no longer that of a sinner.

In the next verse the Spirit of God is called the "Spirit of Christ". It is the same Spirit, but here it is stressed that Christ served God perfectly in the power of the Holy Spirit in His life on earth. If the characteristics of Christ's life are revealed in a person, we can assume that Christ's Spirit dwells in him and that he is no longer in the flesh, but in the Spirit.

If the Spirit of Christ dwells in us, then "Christ is in" us, too. Verse 1 states that the believer is "in Christ Jesus". These wonderful facts indicate the believer's position today.

The believer's body, however, is "dead because of sin". The vessel in which sin dwells has not yet been redeemed; it is under the sentence of death, and we have to expect physical death. On the other hand, "the Spirit is life because of righteousness". The Spirit of God is the believer's new source of thoughts, feelings and actions. He is capable of showing forth the fruits of righteousness in his life (Philippians 1:11).

(to be continued next Sunday)

Today's reading: Jeremiah 10:1-25 · Luke 22:1-13