Living in the Realm of the Spirit - Mortification of our Sin

February 13, 2013 - Romans 8:9-13

8:9		如 果 　 神 的 靈 住 在 你 們 心 裡 、 你 們 就 不 屬 肉 體 、 乃 屬 聖 靈 了 ． 人 若 沒 有 基 督 的 靈 、 就 不 是 屬 基 督 的 。
8:10		基 督 若 在 你 們 心 裡 、 身 體 就 因 罪 而 死 、 心 靈 卻 因 義 而 活 ．
8:11		然 而 叫 耶 穌 從 死 裡 復 活 者 的 靈 、 若 住 在 你 們 心 裡 、 那 叫 基 督 耶 穌 從 死 裡 復 活 的 、 也 必 藉 著 住 在 你 們 心 裡 的 聖 靈 、 使 你 們 必 死 的 身 體 又 活 過 來 。
8:12		弟 兄 們 、 這 樣 看 來 、 我 們 並 不 是 欠 肉 體 的 債 、 去 順 從 肉 體 活 著 。
8:13		你 們 若 順 從 肉 體 活 著 必 要 死 ． 若 靠 著 聖 靈 治 死 身 體 的 惡 行 必 要 活 著 。

⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

   ¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

Paul says believers, because of the indwelling Spirit of God, are not in the realm of the flesh but in the realm of the Spirit. Believers have the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, and so also belong to Christ. The Spirit gives life to our spirits because of righteousness that has been accomplished in us through Christ - that we can now have a living vital relationship with God; and the Spirit also will give resurrected life to our mortal bodies when Christ comes again. Paul illustrates how believers are now living in an eschatological age that our spirits have been revitalized by God's Spirit and the mortal bodies are still waiting for the future resurrection. Nevertheless, Paul does not stop his illustration on this tension but rather he affirms that as we are waiting for this future resurrection, believers have no obligation to sin as before and must put to death the misdeeds of the body by the Spirit - the mortification of sin by the Spirit. 

My dear Holy Spirit, thanks for indwelling in me that my spirit is revitalized to have relationship with God again, and also that I am now belonging to Christ. Thanks to the Holy Spirit that I know that one day when Christ comes on earth again, You Spirit will resurrect me to have glorious body like Christ. I am now really a Living Person that lives in the realm of Spirit but not the realm of flesh. Dear Holy Spirit, I also know that I am still living in a spiritual battle that I have to mortify (put to death) my flesh by the power of the Spirit. This is an on-going battle with the flesh but this is a battle that I know that the final victory is on my side because of what Christ had done on Cross and the Spirit has promised to me when the Day of the Lord comes!