“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.”
My Notes
What Does Romans 8:9 Mean?
Paul declares the definitive mark of belonging to Christ: 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.
Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit — Paul announces a transfer of location. In the flesh (en sarki) describes the old condition: living under the dominion of the sin nature. In the Spirit (en pneumati) describes the new condition: living under the dominion of the Holy Spirit. The transfer is complete — you are not in the flesh. The old address has been vacated. You have relocated to the Spirit.
If so be that (eiper — since, if indeed, assuming that) the Spirit of God dwell in you — the conditional is not doubt. It is correspondence: since the Spirit of God lives in you. The dwelling (oikeo — to inhabit, to take up residence, to make a home) is residential — the Spirit has moved in. The Spirit's presence is not a visit. It is a dwelling — permanent, settled, at home within the believer.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ — the negative condition. Have not (ouk echei — does not possess, does not have). The Spirit of Christ — note the shift from Spirit of God to Spirit of Christ. The same Spirit is identified with both the Father and the Son — a Trinitarian affirmation. The Spirit who dwells in believers is simultaneously the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ.
He is none of his (ouk estin autou — does not belong to him, is not his) — the most absolute statement of belonging in the New Testament. Without the Spirit, you do not belong to Christ. Period. The Spirit's indwelling is not a bonus feature of Christianity. It is the defining characteristic. The presence of the Spirit is the proof of belonging. The absence of the Spirit is the proof of not belonging. There is no middle category — no Spirit-less Christian.
The verse establishes the Spirit's indwelling as the sine qua non of the Christian life. Not church membership. Not doctrinal correctness. Not moral performance. The Spirit. If the Spirit of Christ dwells in you, you are his. If not, you are not. The test is binary and the result is definitive.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does the transfer from 'in the flesh' to 'in the Spirit' describe — and how is it a change of location rather than merely behavior?
- 2.What does the Spirit 'dwelling' (making a home) in you communicate about the permanence of his presence?
- 3.Why does Paul say anyone without the Spirit 'is none of his' — and what does the absolute nature of this test clarify?
- 4.How does the Spirit being called both 'Spirit of God' and 'Spirit of Christ' affirm the Trinitarian nature of the indwelling?
Devotional
Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. You have moved. The old address — in the flesh, under the dominion of the sin nature — is no longer your location. You are in the Spirit now. The transfer is complete. The relocation happened when the Spirit took up residence. You are not trying to move from flesh to Spirit. You have already moved. The question is whether you are living according to where you actually are.
If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Dwell — not visit. The Spirit has moved in. Taken up residence. Made your life his home. The indwelling is not a temporary stay. It is a permanent habitation. The Spirit of God — the same Spirit that hovered over creation, that empowered prophets, that raised Christ from the dead — dwells inside you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. The most clarifying sentence in the New Testament. No Spirit, no belonging. The test is simple and the result is binary: if the Spirit of Christ is in you, you belong to Christ. If the Spirit is not in you, you do not. No middle category. No Spirit-less Christianity. No belonging without indwelling.
He is none of his. None. Not mostly his. Not almost his. Not sort-of his. None — not belonging to Christ at all. The severity of the statement is the clarity the statement provides: the Spirit's presence is not one mark among many. It is the mark. The defining characteristic. The proof of belonging that supersedes every other credential.
The Spirit of God... the Spirit of Christ. The same Spirit called by two names — identifying the Spirit with both the Father and the Son. The Spirit who dwells in you is the Spirit of the God who made you and the Christ who saved you. Both persons of the Trinity are present through the one Spirit who lives within you.
Do you have the Spirit? Not do you attend church. Not do you believe the right things. Not do you perform the right behaviors. Do you have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you? The answer determines everything: in the flesh or in the Spirit. His or not his. There is no third option.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture