Romans 8:9–11

Freedom from the fear of death

At first glance the negatives in verses 7 and 8 do not appear to have positive counterparts, as the previous two verses do. However, the positive mind-set, which is Paul’s chief concern and emphasis, follows in verses 9 and 10:

9 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.

At various places we have expended some effort in trying to determine the precise shades of meaning for the flexible word law (nomos). There is a somewhat similar but less vexing flexibility to the Greek word pneuma. It is regularly translated as “spirit,” but here the task is to determine whether it should be with a capital S or a lowercase s. With a capital S it refers to the Holy Spirit. With a lowercase s it refers to the “spirit” within a person—we might say “heart,” or “mind,” or even “mind-set.”

The two meanings (with lowercase or uppercase) are closely related when used in reference to Christians. In their case pneuma refers to the new heart and mind they have received, their spiritual nature.

As we well know, however, there can be no spiritual life in anyone unless the Holy Spirit has created that life. Therefore, in such cases where the discussion centers on spiritual life worked by the Holy Spirit, one wouldn’t go far wrong using either the capital or lowercase s. The resulting sense will be very similar. But there is a rule of thumb that is often helpful. If there is a contrast in the sentence between “flesh” (usually translated by the NIV as “sinful nature”) and “spirit,” it is likely that the apostle intends the use of the lowercase “spirit.” In that case he will be referring to the Christian’s spiritual nature as opposed to the sinful nature—in other words, the new self as distinguished from the old Adam.*

* Many translators, including those for the NIV, tend to overuse the uppercase “Spirit.” For places where the NIV appropriately uses the lowercase “spirit,” see verse 16 of this chapter, as well as verses 15 and 10.

In verse 9 we have this contrast between flesh (“sinful nature”) and spirit. Therefore, it would be appropriate to reflect that contrast with a translation such as, “You, however, are controlled not by your sinful nature but by your spiritual nature, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” In the second use of pneuma (“the Spirit of God”), the capital S is, of course, proper. Not only is the pneuma specifically identified as the Spirit of God, but there can be no spiritual life in a person unless the Holy Spirit has first worked such spirituality. Paul calls attention to this important work of the Spirit by adding, “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Regarding the designation “Spirit of Christ,” more will be said at verse 11.

Notice that each of the four sentences that make up verses 9 to 11 is a conditional sentence. The Greek construction, however, makes it plain that these sentences are not at all hypothetical or iffy. They are so certain, in fact, that one could substitute since or because for “if” to get Paul’s intended meaning.

The observation regarding the certainty of these conditional sentences is important particularly in verses 10 and 11, which carry the key emphasis for this section. Recall that we have entitled this chapter “Freedom from the fear of death.” A very important freedom the Holy Spirit gives Christians is the freedom from death—both spiritual and physical. Paul treats them in that order, beginning with freedom from spiritual death. He says in verse 10, “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.”

There is no doubt in Paul’s mind that Christ is dwelling in the hearts of his readers through faith worked by the Holy Spirit. Hence he can operate on the assumption that they have spiritual life. He can say, “Your spirit [pneuma] is alive.”

That is a marked change from the former state of things. Previously, their whole being and existence, separated from God as they were since the fall, was one of spiritual darkness and death. Now the Spirit (capital S) has given them a new spirit (lowercase s). He has given them spiritual life by leading them to accept the merits of Christ. They have spiritual life already now, a life that will last for all eternity “because of righteousness,” namely, Christ’s righteousness credited to them by faith.

But there is more: “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.”

In verse 9, Paul spoke of the “Spirit of Christ.” In the present verse he refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of “him who raised Jesus from the dead,” that is, God the Father. Note how the confession we make in the Nicene Creed agrees with these two verses, for there we say that we believe the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father and the Son.”

Note also that although the term triune God doesn’t occur in Scripture, here we have a clear reference to all three persons in the same sentence. This triune God is the giver of the future physical life that will be ours by a resurrection comparable to what the Father did for his Son on Easter morning.* And all of this is possible “if [or rather because] the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you.”

* The evangelist John expresses a parallel sequence of thought in the fifth chapter of his gospel: verses 24 to 27 speak of present spiritual life; verses 28 and 29 speak of future physical life.