In the previous blog, we saw that the spirit is life and the only means of communication with God. In this blog, we will try to understand the spirit from Romans 8.
EFFECT OF SALVATION ON THE SPIRIT
We saw earlier that one of the roles of the soul is to willfully accept Jesus as the saviour of our life. Although it is in the soul we decide to follow Jesus, its impact is seen in the spirit. We know that the moment we start believing in Jesus, we become the children of God according to John 1:12-13
But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of god JOHN 1:12-13
But, what does it mean to be the children of God? Romans 8 14-17 explains clearly.
For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, father.” the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. ROMANS 8:14-17
Let us compare the scriptures mentioned above. Jesus, in John1:13, says that those who are born of God have the right to become His children. Likewise, Paul in Romans 8 says that those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. The real effect of salvation is in the spirit. The salvation we receive through Jesus brings to life or regenerates the dead spirit inside of us. From that moment we have a regenerated spirit. we can live in the spirit and communicate with God. Our relationship with God is mended because our spirit is regenerated. If our spirit is not alive we cannot have a relationship with God.
Another effect of salvation on the spirit is that before we accept Jesus as our saviour, we identify ourselves based on the soul(mind, will, emotion) and are led by the soul. This means that until that moment, we were a soul, we had a spirit and were in a body. But, the moment we believe in Jesus, we are a spirit, we have a soul and are in a body. This is why the word of God says, “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. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you”(Romans 8: 9-11)
Because of salvation and the Spirit of God, the way we identify ourselves changes from soul to spirit. I believe that this was the original design of God for man. This is why after man sinned, God said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6:3). See the two words, flesh and spirit. ‘flesh’ is used instead of ‘soulish’ or ‘proceeding from the soul’ in the bible. So God is saying, men have become soulish instead of being spirit-led.
Why does this even matter? This matters more than anything else because as long as we are led by the soul we cannot please God. We cannot live in the call of God over our lives. We cannot live the holy life that God expects of us. Since we are born of sin, we cannot walk in the law of God. Therefore we need to walk in the fullness of the salvation that Jesus earned for us, which is being led by the Holy Spirit. By living a spirit-led life, we can do and think the things of God and not of this world. This is why Paul, in Romans 8 says: before we accept Jesus as our saviour, we are under the power of sin and death. But, Jesus came in flesh and died for us in our place as the perfect sacrifice so when we accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour, we are made His children. Which means that we are led by the spirit of God.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ROMANS 8:1-4
Let me break this passage down by verse and help you understand the full essence of what God is saying through Paul.
VERSE 1 – NO CONDEMNATION
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
We see that the word of God doesn’t say that there is no condemnation to those who just believe in Jesus but to those who are in Jesus and led by the spirit. We often only see the first part of the verse, leading to a misconception. The whole truth is that the belief in Jesus also includes being led by the spirit granting us freedom from condemnation.
VERSE 2 – FREEDOM FROM SIN
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
I believe that the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus is grace; that makes us free from the law of sin and death. Grace is the power that Jesus gave us through His death to enable us to fulfil the righteous requirement of the law by believing in Him. We can do all things through the Spirit of God.
VERSE 3 – BREAKING THE POWER OF SIN
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
Humans could never fulfil the law that God gave our ancestors. Therefore, they needed to sacrifice the animals as an offering before God on account of their sin. To break the power of the law, man had to fulfil it. Therefore, God sent His Son as a human to climb the cross and be the perfect sacrifice on our behalf to keep the law and break its power enabling grace to overflow in our lives.
VERSE 4 – FULFILL THE RIGHTEOUS REQUIREMENT
that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The righteous requirement of the law cannot be fulfilled by walking in flesh or living a soulish life but only by living according to the spirit. It is as simple as that. Through the holy spirit and by living in His ways you can live the life that God wants us to because “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God“(Romans 8:5-8)