In Romans 8:10, Paul wrote, If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. What did Paul mean by that? How do you know if Christ is in you? What does the Bible say about Jesus Christ in you?
When do you belong to Christ?
When you have become a new creation in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you, you belong to Christ.
By faith in Jesus Christ and through regeneration in Him, you have become a son of God (this applies to both males and females). Your flesh has died in Jesus Christ and your spirit that was dead has been raised from the dead by the power of God and has become alive.
If your flesh with its sinful nature has died, it means that it is dead and no longer lives. Therefore, when you become born again, you shall no longer be controlled and led by your flesh in which the sinful nature reigns.
The flesh can’t please God
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:7-8)
Since sin reigns in the flesh because of the sinful nature, the flesh can’t please God. The flesh has the nature of the devil and rebels against God and always wants to do those things, that go against the will of God (Read also: The battle and weakness of the old man and The will of God vs the will of the devil).
That’s why Jesus had to come to earth, to deal with the sinful nature of (fallen) man that is present in the flesh.
Jesus came in the likeness of man, so that Jesus could become the Substitute for (fallen) mankind (Read also: Was Jesus fully Human?’ and ‘Jesus restored the position of fallen man).
If your flesh has been crucified in Christ and is dead, you shall no longer walk after the flesh in the dominion of the sinful nature. Therefore sin shall no longer reign in your life anymore.
Your flesh has died; therefore, you shall no longer live after the flesh and be led by the impulses from the world; the kingdom of darkness that causes your flesh to do things, that go against God’s will and cause you to keep sinning and persevere in sin.
The old man is led by the flesh and controlled by the kingdom of darkness
Before you repented and became a new creation in Jesus Christ, you were led by your flesh in which sin reigns and controlled by the kingdom of darkness and the will of the devil.
Your mind (your thoughts), senses, feelings, emotions, will, and the lusts and desires of your flesh reigned in your life and dictated you what to do and you obeyed them (Ephesians 2:1-7).
But now, that you have become a new creation and your flesh has died in Jesus Christ, you shall no longer be led by your flesh and controlled by the kingdom of darkness that causes you to persevere in sin. You shall no longer walk as a slave of the flesh and live in the bondage of the flesh and sin and death.
How do you know if Jesus Christ is in you?
But you 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. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness (Romans 8:9-10)
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 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 (Romans 8:12-14)
If through regeneration, Jesus Christ is in you by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ really lives inside of you and is seated upon the throne of your life, then this will become visible by the way you live.
You shall no longer live under the dominion of sin and death, and therefore habitually persevere in sin. You shall no longer do those things which go against the will of God and Jesus (Read also: The commandments of God and the commandments of Jesus).
As long as you live after the flesh in disobedience to God and do those things, which don’t please God but instead please the devil, then this shows that the flesh is still alive and reigns in your life and nothing has changed.
But if you really have become a new creation and Jesus Christ is in you, you shall live after the will of God; the will of the Word. You shall be led by the Word and the Holy Spirit and therefore you shall walk after the Spirit in obedience to God. The Spirit shall have dominion and reign in your life.
Is lying not a bad thing?
This means for example, that when you have a conversation with someone and during that conversation, a thought of a lie (or a white lie) comes up in your mind, that releases you a.o. from your responsibility, you can do two things.
You can either walk after the flesh, by listening to this thought, which derives from the flesh that is controlled by the kingdom of darkness and ensures that when you bow for this thought and obey this thought you will lie and not speak the truth and therefore do the will of the devil.
Or you can walk after the Spirit, by taking this thought captive in Jesus Christ; the Word, Who says, that you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor, but you shall speak the truth, and follow and obey the Word, and reject this thought and speak the truth, despite the consequences.
Because if you have become a son of God and you belong to God and received His nature and Jesus Christ lives in you by the Holy Spirit, then you shall speak the truth, just like your Father.
Does sin lead to eternal life?
As long as you keep doing the works of the old man and walk after the flesh in sins and iniquities, then this proves that your flesh is not crucified in Jesus Christ, but that sin, which is the fruit of death, still reigns in your life.
As long as the flesh is still alive, you shall live in bondage and be controlled by the sinful nature of fallen man and belong to the devil. The sinful nature, which is present in the flesh shall reign in your life and shall keep you in the bondage of sin.
The Word says that sin leads to death and not to eternal life. Therefore, it does matter how you live after you become born again (Read also: Once saved always saved?)
The only way to be redeemed from the dominion of the devil and the sinful nature and to be reconciled with God is through faith in Jesus Christ and regeneration in Him (Read also Shall you not die if you keep sinning?).
Does the Spirit of Christ live in you?
This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:5-7)
But 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)
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God (Romans 8:14)
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God (Romans 8:16)
We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not (1 John 5:18)
The Word says, that if you have received the Spirit of Christ, you belong to God. Therefore if you have not received the Spirit of Christ, you don’t belong to Him.
If Jesus Christ is in you, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, you shall love Him, listen to Him, and keep His commandments. You shall follow Him by obeying Him; the Word and walk after the Spirit in righteousness; after the will of God.
If you follow Jesus and walk after the Spirit in righteousness, sin shall no longer have dominion and shall no longer reign as king in your life. You shall no longer live in the bondage of the law of sin and death, which reigns in the flesh of the old man. But you shall reign in Christ as king and have dominion over sin and through the Spirit, you shall kill the deeds of the flesh and live in the freedom of Christ.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
