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. 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. Romans 8:10-11, NIV

 

In Romans 8, we investigate the new life in Christ, as the Holy Spirit leads us by faith. The amazing wonder is that God chooses to know me and he has the desire to share my life with me. He has given me life and peace – we have learnt this from verse 6. This promise is for here and now – we now have peace with God, our neighbour and ourselves. We have life now, a life that matters. Jesus said in John 10:10 that he has come to give us life, life in abundance.

 

These promises of life and peace reach far beyond the horizon of this life. God has created us for an eternity with him. However, that brings us to the question of our own mortality. This is one of the certain things in life – we are going to die. We are living in mortal bodies on this broken planet. As we grow older, we see the decay that life in this world is causing on our bodies. We are aware that there is an expiry date on our biological life, we are going to die and it is mostly an uncomfortable truth for us. Paul draws a direct line between the presence of sin in this world and the reality of death. We are living in an imperfect realm now; this earthly body that I am living in is growing older and will die.

 

Take heart! This chapter teaches us of another realm, the realm of the Spirit. Romans 8:1 laid the foundation of another form of existence, for those who are “in Christ Jesus”. This is the way of the Spirit, of people following in the footsteps of Christ. We came to know Jesus as Lord and received a new life by faith. We are following Christ in this life on the path of suffering and death; we are not spared the ravages of time. We will, one day, die in Christ. However, this is the amazing promise of today’s verse: the Spirit, who raised Christ from death to eternal life, is living in us. As he raised Christ to eternal life, so he will do for every child of God. He gives us life because of righteousness, verse 10 declares. Christ has restored our righteousness by faith. He has “made us right” with God! Because we are “in Christ” by faith, we will live with him forever more. Jesus said it in John 6:47, “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.” The present may be difficult, but our future is eternal life with Christ. This fills us with hope!

 

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you have loved this world so much that you have given your Son, Jesus Christ, so that I, through faith, will not perish, but have eternal life. Thank you for the promise of raising me from death by your Spirit, just as Jesus was raised. My future is filled with hope, because Jesus lives! Amen.