A Study of The Book of Romans

Lesson 51 Chapter 8:11 – 15

1. Verse 11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”
1. Last week we saw that the Holy Spirit dwells in all that are saved. Romans 8:8-10 “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (9.) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (10.) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness (or justification).”
2. The Body is not quickened nor is the body saved, The soul is saved and the spirit is quickened (or made alive). At death the soul and spirit go to heaven the body continues decay in sin. The body will be made new at the return of Christ.
3. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you…” Jesus died, his body was vacated of soul and spirit, and it was the power of God through the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.

a. Lets not forget Jesus Christ (in the body) was the son of man, but in the Spirit was God, and God is a Spirit therefore the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God and the same Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. So if the Spirit is in you it is the same whether The Spirit of God or the Spirit of Christ. John 14:19 “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.”

b. The body of Christ was simply flesh without sin but once the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God re-entered the body it lived again. This is the same Spirit that dwells in us, the same Spirit that brought salvation to us, the very same Spirit that quickened our spirits whereby we cried “Abba Father”.

4. “…shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” There are two schools of thought here;

a. The first is that this is not speaking of the resurrection but that our bodies now is made alive in order to please God and to bring glory to God. The argument is that the Holy Spirit will not rapture us.

b. The second thought is that this is speaking of the resurrection when our bodies will be a new glorified body.

c. I agree with the second thought, while Christ Jesus will rapture us I still see the Holy Spirit having part in it, therefore the same Spirit that raised us Jesus, The same Holy Spirit that quickened our spirits will be the same Spirit that makes our old bodies alive and new.

2. Verse 12 “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.”
1. We that are saved are debtors to God and not to the flesh. God saved our souls the flesh had nothing to do with it. We did not save ourselves by choice, prayer, or works of any sort. We owe the flesh nothing.
2. God saved us, not just Christ Jesus but rather the entire Trinity was involved.

a. The Father elected us and sent God the Son to die as Christ Jesus on that cross for us. Romans 8:3 “...God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh...”

b. The Son was born of a woman and died as a man on the cross that we might be forgiven. Because He lives we live therefore He gives life. Romans 8:10 “...And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin...”

c. The Holy Spirit convicts our hearts from within through quickening and delivers salvation. 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you...” God the Spirit does not live in dead men. Where God is there is only life.

3. “…we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.” Flesh brought death and God brought life, eternal life, now who are we in debt too.
2. Verse 13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
1. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die…” If you are lost and have not the Holy Spirit in your spirit, then you will die both bodily and spiritually. You will die at death and again after death by eternal damnation.
2. “…but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

a. First let us notice “through the Spirit” that is by Him, salvation, living a Christian life, and working is all through Him.

b. Second let us notice “…mortify the deeds of the body…” The word “mortify” means – to kill – the deeds of the body. Can one do this by himself? No, we can only do this through the Holy Spirit or He does it through us. We cannot on our own kill the deeds of the body!

c. “…ye shall live.” Not because of works on our part but because The Holy Spirit quickens us and causes us to cut the old nature. This reminds us of what James said in James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” You have works because you have faith and the Holy Spirit causes both.

4. Verse 14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
1. The Jews here already thought they were the sons of God, but not so, their Nation “was called the son of God” because they are Gods chosen Nation. The “sons of God” here are the elect of God whom Christ died for and whom the Holy Spirit saves. All need to be saved to be included in the “sons of God” and that is only accomplished by the Holy Spirit.
2. This is the family of God and all things taken in context you are only a member of Gods family by being adopted and that is accomplished by the Holy Spirit. John 1:11-12 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (12.) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
3. Romans 8:15 “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” We cry Father because He is our FATHER!