Is It In You?

Background to passage: Romans 8 is all about life in the Holy Spirit and His purpose and work in our lives. While there are many passages that speak of God the Father raising Christ from the dead, and Christ taught that he would lay his life down and take it back up, this passage is the only one that teaches the direct agency of the Spirit in the resurrection. It is an incredible understanding of the trinitarian effort in the resurrection of Jesus. God the Father raising up Jesus through the Holy Spirit as he takes up his life again after laying it down.

However, there is another reason that we are taking up this passage today. It speaks about the indwelling of the Spirit of God in the life of the genuine believer. Most importantly, for today, it testifies of our resurrection from the deadness of sin and guarantees our resurrection in the future because of the indwelling of the Spirit and the grounds of his resurrection.

Romans 8:9–11 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Opening illustration: Gatorade “Is It In You” campaign. Game changes, IT stays the same.

Main thought: Life in the Spirit is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus, which we celebrate every Lord’s Day, but emphasize especially today. This morning we will look at three results of indwelling of the Spirit because of Jesus’s resurrection, IF the Spirit dwells in you.

1) You Belong to Christ (v. 9)

Romans 8:9 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

1) You Belong to Christ (v. 9)

Explanation: The gift of the Spirit of God (Spirit of Christ, Christ) is the down payment of our salvation. He is Christ inside of us. He leads us. He helps us kill sin and walk as Jesus walked. He empowers us to advance in the Kingdom of God in our lives personally, and together with others. He speaks. He brings to remembrance the word of God. His purpose is to glorify Christ. Teach what Christ taught. He convicts for sin and unrighteousness. He comforts and shelters.

Is He in you? If He is, you belong to Christ. You have been adopted by God, and now are sons and daughters and coheirs with Jesus. If He lives in you, you have been bought with a price, and you are no longer your own. You have been bought with the precious blood of Christ...IF He dwells in you. There cannot be a relationship to Christ without the relationship to the Spirit.

1 John 3:24 ESV

24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Illustration: Ivy’s fierce protectiveness of her duck.

Application: What does it mean to belong to someone, specifically to someone who loves you and has your best interest at heart? They want to protect a prized possession. They want to take care of their own bodies. They want to heal up wounds. They want to feed and do other practical things. If you belong to a family, that could be good or bad. You could belong to a club or organization or ministry.

Now think about belonging to the one who loves perfectly, has absolute sovereignty over all things, is completely capable in every way, who is wise beyond comparison, who is good and kind and benevolent. He is yours and you are His is this reconciled relationship where He is your Father and you are His child.

2) You Are Alive Because of Righteousness (v. 10)

Romans 8:10 ESV

10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

2) You Are Alive Because of Righteousness (v. 10)

Explanation: IF the Spirit dwells in you, because of Jesus’s death and resurrection you are alive. The great exchange is what is in view here: your sin given to Jesus for His righteousness. Even though we are believers, we still live under the curse of sin related to the death of our bodies. As a believer, one in whom the Spirit dwells, we have already passed from death to life in our spirits, but our bodies will still die. The Holy Spirit is life to you IF He is in you.

John 6:63 ESV

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Illustration: The Marbled Four-eyed Frog in the Andes survives it’s nightly freezing as it journies up the mountain to breed. Cryobiosis helps his bodily fluids resist the formulation of ice crystals, and when the temps rise, he thaws out, and his little heart starts beating again.

Application: How do you know if you have been resurrected to new life internally, spiritual, by the Spirit? Evidences of the Spirit filled life are things like death to sin, new desires, longing to be free of vice and rebellion against God’s word. The Spirit-filled life is evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit and how you treat others. The Spirit-filled life is moment by moment obedience to the promptings of the Spirit in your daily life. Old things are crucified in you, and new life is in Christ. Old things are passed away, all things are new.

3) You Will Be Resurrected Just As Like Him (v. 11)

Romans 8:11 ESV

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

3) You Will Be Resurrected Just Like Him (v. 11)

Explanation: This is where it is explicitly taught that life in the Spirit is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus. Twice it mentions Jesus being raised and then links it to the resurrection of the body. There will be a resurrection of believers and unbelievers. All will bow the knee and declare Jesus as Lord, but some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting destruction. Some to a glorified body prepared for life in the presence of Jesus forever, and some to a body prepared for eternal death without dying.

2 Corinthians 5:1–8 ESV

1 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

John 5:24–29 ESV

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

Illustration: All sorts of burials, scatterings, burning, drowning, burial at sea

Application: The suffering and and death of Christ is in every gospel presentation - Jesus had to die to pay the penalty and judgment. The resurrection is present in every gospel presentation. Repentance and belief is called for when the gospel is presented. When repentance and belief happens you are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ, and Spirit indwells your life. Your salvation, your indwelling of the Spirit, your Christian life, your eternal life, and your resurrection is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus.

So the question I ask is: Is the Spirit in You? Have you believed? Have you repented? Have you surrendered? Have you followed? Have you been changed? Paul affirms his confidence that his readers were filled with the Spirit, belonged to Christ, resurrected in spirit, and will be resurrected in Christ because of the resurrection.

The women saw it, the stone was rolled away, the apostles saw him (in fact died for the truth of the resurrection), the gospel writers testified to it, over 500 saw him at once, and millions, billions believe in it without having seen. This is one of the main cornerstones of our faith. He is ALIVE!

Closing illustration: a REALLY BIG “IF.” What if the corner of the car doesn’t hold up?

Recap