Devotion #5: The Spirit Gives Us Life
As we journey through the book of Romans, we come to Romans 8:9-11. Throughout Romans, Paul emphasizes living by the Spirit rather than by the flesh, and this theme is strongly echoed here in Romans 8:9-11: “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. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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.”
When I think about “life,” my first thoughts often go to life here on Earth with its struggles, trials, and pain. I am especially drawn to the powerful words in verse 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.” Every day, we are confronted with reminders of the sin and brokenness around us. As Paul says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” I often wonder, as I raise three children in this world, how they will navigate a world that seems to grow more chaotic by the day.
Amid all this worry and anxiety, I sometimes overlook a simple yet profound truth. I am grateful that God continually brings me back to the essence of the Gospel: that we are only here temporarily, and our real home is eternity with God. Verse 9 powerfully reminds us that if the “Spirit of God [Christ]” dwells in us, He will give us life. By accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive not just earthly life but eternal life. It is one free from pain and suffering. This is the life we are all searching for; we just need to lift our eyes from the flesh and turn them to Him.
Have you accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life? If not, consider reading these verses in Romans: 6:23; 5:8; 10:9; 10:13; 5:1; and 8:1. We can be confident of our eternal life simply by recognizing our need for a Savior, believing that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, and calling on His name.