The Holy Spirit

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all. . . And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him" 1 John 2:20,27

Devotion #7 of 14

THE MINISTERING SPIRIT, #2 Quickening the body

"But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom 8:11). Those that are born again live in a house of clay. Do not be deceived by that term, however, into believing the body offers us no trouble. Because we are in Christ, "the body is dead, because of sin" (Rom 8:10). It exercises a competitive influence upon us, drawing us downward in the spiral of temptation. It is truly a "vile body" (Phil 3:20) because it is under the domination of sin. As it is written, "with my flesh, I serve the law of sin" (Rom 7:25). Our commission is to subdue the body, bringing it into subjection to our renewed spirits. As it is written, "mortify your members that are upon the earth . . . " (Col 3:5). We are to "yield" our "members servants to righteousness unto holiness" (Rom 6:19). Solemnly the Word of the Lord speaks, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof" (Rom 6:12). The challenge comes in identifying how this assignment can be fulfilled. The answer is found in this text. The Holy Spirit will "quicken" our "mortal body." Some suppose this is talking about the resurrection from the dead, but this is not so. The subject under consideration in Romans six is not the resurrection of the dead, but the sanctification of the believer. The "quickening" of our bodies involves glorifying God in them (1 Cor 6:19). What a marvelous ministry is this! The Holy Spirit, working from within our hearts, enables the believer to make his body a servant of righteousness. Mortifying the deeds of the body "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom 8:13-14). The Word of God makes clear that the posture of believers is an aggressive one. They run hard for glory, fight a good fight to keep the faith, and refuse to let their bodies dominate them. How is such an achievement possible? Is success to be found in human initiative alone? Is a disciplined effort sufficient to kill sinful inclinations? Every honest soul knows this is not the case. When it comes to spiritual power, "the flesh profiteth nothing" (John 6:63). Multitudes are attempting to overcome sin through secret "tips" and marketed techniques. They are all wasting their time! God will not allow the wisdom of men, however astute it may appear, to become the means whereby sin is subdued in His people! The Holy Spirit strengthens us for the task. It is through His influence that we "mortify," or put to death, the "deeds of the body." This is another way of saying we do not allow our earthly natures to dominate us, either in thought of deed. The reason for "putting to death the deeds of the body" (NASB) is in order that we might "live" toward God. To live toward God is synonymous with knowing Him. This is being "partakers of the divine nature" (1 Pet 1:3). It is working out our salvation "with fear and trembling" (Phil 2:11). To be alive to God is everything! It is eternal life (John 17:2). If it is true that we subdue our recalcitrant natures through the Holy Spirit, to quench or grieve the Holy Spirit is to inculcate spiritual death and alienation from God.