His Spirit of Righteousness Empowers Us to Live

Romans 8:9-11

Paul declares that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1). In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:11-14) the Pharisee prayed within himself, glorifying himself. On the other hand, the tax collector stood way off, refusing to look up to heaven, hit his chest, and said, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). He prayed openly to God, and Jesus declared that the tax collector was justified rather than the Pharisee. When we humble ourselves and accept the Lord, the Spirit of God will come to live in us. His Spirit of righteousness empowers us to live as children of God.

Romans chapter 8:9 says that “we are not living in the flesh but in the Spirit. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” Those of us who live in the Spirit “are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God” (1Corinthians 6:11). “If Christ lives in you, though your body is  dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness” (v.10). We have heard the phrase “Sin is a mean thing,” or we may even have used it. Why do we use that expression? Sin is a killer, and it kills our physical body. The Spirit provides righteousness, giving life to the soul of the believer. “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead lives in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that lives in you”(v.11). How blessed we are to have the Holy Spirit who sanctified our souls to live in us that we might live eternally! For that same Spirit that resurrected Jesus from the dead in three days, is that same Spirit that will quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit that lives in us.