Romans 8 is the climax of a very important series of instruction. We were once in Adam (Rom. 5) and were then lying under death and condemnation. We were once under the bondage of sin (Rom. 6) as truly as Israel of old was under the hand of Pharaoh in Egypt. We (or at least Jewish believers) were once under the law with all its solemn consequences for our souls (Rom. 7).
But from all this we have been delivered. We have passed out of our old position by death, and we are now before God in the risen Christ. This Romans 8 brings before us fully. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (vs. 1). “In Christ” describes our new position before God, through grace. We have in Him a life which death cannot touch and which is beyond all condemnation. We have all the advantages of His risen position. All that is His in virtue of His accomplished work is ours also. The same divine favor and love which rest upon Him rest upon us also who are in Him. Marvelous place to be brought into!
As “in Christ” expresses our new standing before God, “in the Spirit” characterizes us now as men walking below. The Book of Romans does not regard us as in heavenly places, as Ephesians, but as those who are set free to walk to the glory of God on earth. “In the flesh” characterized our former state. The flesh was the source of all our thoughts and actions. Flesh is antagonistic to God and they that are in it cannot please Him. The mind of the flesh is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. The sure result of following its course is death, as the apostle speaks, “For to be carnally minded [or the mind of the flesh] is death. . . . If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die” (vss. 6,13).
We are not in the flesh now (Rom. 7:5; 8:95For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. (Romans 7:5)
9But 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. (Romans 8:9)), though the flesh is still in us. It is no longer a controlling power; it does not characterize our lives as it once did. Faith treats it as a condemned thing and allows it no place. If it acts, it leads us from the Lord into some bypath of sin and sorrow. We are not now debtors to it, to live according to it. “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” (Rom. 8:99But 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. (Romans 8:9)). The Holy Spirit is God’s great gift to every believer, and it is the Spirit, in contrast to the flesh, who now gives character to all our walk and ways. He gives us the happy knowledge that Christ is in us — as He Himself said, “At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you” (John 14:2020At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. (John 14:20)) —He forms all our thoughts and desires, teaches us how to pray, enables us to bring forth fruit for God, strengthens us for all our conflicts with the enemy, and sustains our hearts along the road by His gracious ministry of Christ to us. He is our Leader, and by His power we are enabled to mortify the deeds of the body.
It is one thing to know and accept it as doctrine, quite another to walk in the power of it. Every Christian lives in the Spirit or he would not be a Christian, but every Christian does not necessarily walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:2525If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)). And we should not forget, too, that it is perfectly possible for a true believer to sow to the flesh and not to the Spirit.
“The mind of the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:66For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6) JND). The secret, therefore, of a peaceful walk is to follow the gracious leading of the Divine Indweller. If flesh is habitually judged and mortified, and the Spirit of God allowed His true place, our souls thrive and grow. Things that would disturb and cause bitter sorrow do not intrude themselves then. The Spirit has not to be occupying us with ourselves and our state, but is free to lead us on to a fuller knowledge of Christ, which is His delight.
Adapted from W. W. Fereday