Coney Hill Baptist Church

Demonstrating God’s Love Together

The Spirit of Jesus

Romans 8:9-17

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

¹¹ 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 through his Spirit, who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation— but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

¹³ For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father.

¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs— heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Introduction:

In many ways this is a parallel passage to the one we read a few weeks ago – talking again about ‘Abba’ Father. It sums up a lot of what we’ve said in these first two weeks but it has another emphasis too – Jesus.

The Christian understanding of God can be quite complicated, as well as being magnificent and wonderful. Notions of the Trinity can become needlessly theoretical. But what is universally attractive is the person of Jesus. If only, it’s said, we could get back to him … then the model for our faith would be so much different.

Well, Good News! The person of Jesus remains at the heart of the living out of our faith, for the Spirit of God in us is the Spirit of Jesus.

The Spirit of Christ = Belongs to Christ

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” (v.9)

Two things here – that identity of the Spirit Himself with Jesus of Nazereth and the role of this Spirit in enabling us all to belong to this Christ now.

Only on a couple of occasions does Paul refer to the Holy Spirit as the ‘Spirit of Christ’ yet it is significant that he does. We know that Jesus, in his earthly ministry was dependent on the Spirit – so they are distinct. When Paul uses this term then he doesn’t do so meaning a sort of ongoing legacy, like we might say the spirit of someone is carried on when others do similar work to them. No, it’s much more than that.

Instead, thinking back to how, in the beginning of the gospel, we’re reminded that both this Jesus, and the Spirit who empowers him, were ‘with God in the beginning’, we see something of their shared identity. They are one and the same.

So, if we want to understand more about the power and authority of Jesus we can look to the Spirit and if we seek to know more of the life and work of the Spirit, we can look at Jesus.

What the Spirit wants to do in us, through us, is identical to the work God was doing in and through Jesus. The impact he made, the love he showed, the compassion he demonstrated …the Spirit’s role is to enable just the same.

Enabling us to belong to Christ is not only a sort of comfortable incorporation into the intimacy of God, although it is that, it is Paul’s favourite description of what being a Christian is … ‘in Christ’ caught up in him, becoming a part of him, doing his work.

Christ in you = Life … Resurrection Spirit…

“If Christ is in you … your spirit is alive because of righteousness … the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead.” (v.10-11)

The second point in this passage goes on to expand on a key theme that was all over Jesus ministry – Life!

Above almost anything else Jesus brought life, not only where there was physical death like with Lazarus or Jairus’ daughter, or the widows son. But where there was stagnation, where there was boredom, and dead routine, where there was mere empty ritual or meaningless repetition. What was stale, what was cold what was dead, Jesus made alive. Jesus is all about life, it is a key gospel word, especially in John, everywhere he went he brought it, offered it, promised it. He still does. Not only exuberant, fulfilling life, but resurrection life.

The Spirit is the power of the resurrection today. In us and through us, to the world.

Co-heirs with Christ = Glory

“The Spirit himself testifies …. that we are … co-heirs with Christ, …we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (v.16-17)

Finally here we are told again about that intimacy of the Spirit, securing our place as heirs. We spoke about the Spirit’s role in this inheritance before but here again the emphasis is on our being co-heirs with Christ – our brother.

Not only do we inherit the riches of heaven, alongside him, but we share also the sufferings, and the glory, of him. That sort of identification with the work of Christ is challenging, one of the most powerful truths of the life of Jesus was it’s pain and suffering, and no Christian can expect to go without his or her share of that, but it is also hopeful – if Christ himself suffered how can we not expect to, and, ultimately, wonderfully positive – glory is the promised final destiny.

Conc.

And so the attraction of Jesus, still real in our modern world, still powerfully missional, can be brought to bear in our day. Indeed it must be – if the church is the body of Christ it can only truly live out its calling when it embodies him, embraces his life and, finding hope even in his suffering, heralds his glory as a promise for all.

Office Address:

Coney Hill Road

West Wickham

Kent

BR4 9BU