The Role of the Spirit in Resurrection (Rom. 8:9-11)

Wayne Galloway
02/12/13 - N/A

Series: Resurrection

Introduction:

1.  Throughout the Scripture the Spirit of God is associated with the giving of life. 2.  Rom. 8:9-11 is one such example. 3.  Already in this series we have noted that God is in control of both death and life.  The Spirit’s role in resurrection is founded upon God as having the authority of life and death. 4.  Additionally in this series we have distinguished between what we have described as a spiritual resurrection, that which occurs at the time of our baptism, and physical resurrection, that which occurs when the Lord returns and “transforms the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21).  (The terms “spiritual resurrection” and “physical resurrection” are not perfectly suited for this distinction because both are spiritual in their nature.  The final resurrection involves an immortal body that Paul actually describes as “a spiritual body” (1 Cor. 15:42ff).  But understanding this, we will continue to use these terms in this study according to typical usage.) 5.  It is my understanding that the Spirit of God acts as the agent to give life in both these circumstances. 6.  It is the purpose of this lesson to examine the evidence of this and to think briefly about the implications.

a.  We will begin with considerations regarding Rom. 8.

b.  Review other texts that carry implications about the Spirit’s agency in resurrection.

c.  Finally think about what some of the implications are to what we have studied.

Discussion:

I.  Considerations regarding Rom. 8:9-11.

A.  The passage seems to focus on the final resurrection and not on our spiritual resurrection in baptism.

1.  Later in this same chapter there is a reference to “the redemption of our body” and our “waiting eagerly for it.”  This suggests that we have not yet received the resurrection under consideration here.

2.  Yet it must be recognized that the passage assumes that its readers have the Spirit dwelling in them, so there is a sense in which they are spiritually alive (v. 10).

3.  But additionally it says the Spirit “will (looking to the future) give life to your mortal bodies” (v. 11).

B.  I would also call to your attention that you not lean to heavily to distinguish “the Spirit of God,” “the Spirit of Christ,” from the Holy Spirit in this text.  Here the terms are synonymous.

1.  Christ in you = the Spirit of God dwelling in you = His Spirit dwelling in you.

2.  Yet the “Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead” allows some distinction between Jesus and the Spirit who raised Him.

C.  There is a definite correlation between being “led by the Spirit” and “putting to death the deeds of the body” (v. 13-14).

1.  There is a bundle of information in this text.

2.  It is not so easy to separate all the strands of information into nice and neat categories. Some of the ideas seem to run together.

3.  Being led by the Spirit (or walking according to the Spirit) stands in contrast to having one’s mind set on the flesh (8:5).  Cf. also vs. 12-14.

4.  The on-going “putting to death of the deeds of the body” involves the Spirit in an on-going work of resurrection.

D.  Suffice it to say that it is clear that there is a claim that the Spirit acts as an agent to give life.  This dovetails with what Ezek. 37:1-14 says, which may be the background against which Rom. 8 should be interpreted.

II.  There are other texts that give the Spirit a primary role as agent in the resurrection.

A.  The Spirit is active in the giving of spiritual life originally (Col. 2:12; Titus 3:3-5).

1.  To say that the Spirit gives life initially is not to say that the word is unimportant or inactive in this process.  However, to say that the Holy Spirit acts only through the word to give life probably overstates the case.

2.  It is not the mere act of believing the word that gives life as if life was granted by the mere logical acceptance of some abstract truth, but faith in God’s acting at the time of baptism to raise to spiritual life.

B.  The Spirit is active in the on-going work of “putting to death” and therefore by implication the on-going work of “putting to life” (Rom. 8:13).   I take this to mean that as the Spirit works to convict us of sin through His revelation our conformity to this revelation puts sin to death in our lives thus we “consider our earthly body as dead to sin” (Col. 3:3, 5) but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:11).

C.  Such is consistent with walking by the Spirit having crucified the flesh (Gal. 5:16-26).

D.  Gal. 6:8 says, “The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

1.  Observe that this is not talking about immoral deeds of sensuality, lust, drunkenness, etc.

2.  It is talking about financially supporting those who teach us the word.

III.  Implications of the Spirit’s agency in giving new life.

A.  It is God’s own power that raised Jesus from the dead (Eph. 1:20) and God’s own power that raises us to spiritual life (Col. 2:12; 1 Pet. 3:21).  This is the power behind resurrection in baptism.

1.  Indeed it is a new birth of water and spirit (Jn. 3:3-5).

2.  We may quote Rom. 1:16 to the effect that it is belief in the abstract truth of the gospel itself that gives life.  But such an interpretation does not do justice to such passages as Col. 2:12; Titus 3:3-5.

B.   It is God’s own power that raises us in the last day (Rom. 8:11) and God’s own Spirit that gives us life now (Rom. 8:10).

C.  This does not mean that the Holy Spirit does not act through the word, only that this is not the only way the Spirit acts.

D.  To argue that the Spirit acts to give new life at the time of baptism does not mean that all those who have this spiritual life perform miracles.

1.  Since baptism of water and the Spirit is one baptism (and might be referred to as baptism of the Spirit) some might jump to the conclusion that this necessarily involves miraculous manifestations.

2.  While the “baptism of the Spirit” referred to in Acts 2 and Acts 10 involved speaking in tongues initial resurrection by the Spirit does not necessarily involve such (cf. Acts 8:14ff).

Conclusion:

1.  The Holy Spirit grants initial spiritual life. 2.  The Holy Spirit acts on the on-going putting to death of sin and by implication the on-going giving of life. 3.  The Holy Spirit acts to raise to life at the end time.