Romans 8 first reveals the person of the Spirit; then it reveals the work of the Spirit. It tells us who the Spirit is, and then it tells us what the Spirit is doing within us. As to His person, He is revealed first as the Spirit of something, and then He is revealed as being the Spirit of two persons. Verse 2 says that He is the Spirit of something—the Spirit of life. Then in verse 9 the Spirit is revealed as being the Spirit of God and of Christ. Logically speaking, it seems that the Spirit of life should be last instead of first. It would seem that the Spirit of God or of Christ should come first. But in Romans 8 the Spirit of life is mentioned first because in this chapter the emphasis is on life. At the front door of this chapter is the sign “The Spirit of life.” At the back door there are two signs, one on the left and one on the right. One sign says, “The Spirit of God,” and the other sign says, “The Spirit of Christ.” The sign at the front door of this chapter is the Spirit of life because this chapter emphasizes life. Many Christians, when they read this chapter, consider that it is on the Spirit. Actually, this chapter stresses life too. So the first title given to the Spirit in Romans 8 is not of God or of Christ, but of life.
In the last chapter we saw that Romans 8 uses the word life referring to the divine life four times. Romans 8:2 mentions the Spirit of life. This relates to the Spirit’s life, and this also indicates that this life is involved with God; actually, it is God’s life. The second time life is mentioned, it is involved with our mind (v. 6). The third time life is mentioned, it is involved with our spirit (v. 10). And the fourth time it is mentioned, it is involved with our body (v. 11). We are a tripartite man, and every one of our three parts is involved with this life. First of all, this life is in God; then this life comes to us. The first step is for this life to get into our spirit. The second step is for it to spread into our mind, and the third step is for this life to get into our body. Such a life is altogether conveyed by the Spirit. So the Spirit is called the Spirit of life.
Chapter 8 tells us that this Spirit of life is God the Spirit, or the Spirit of God (v. 9). The chapter goes on to tell us that this Spirit of life who is the Spirit of God is also the Spirit of Christ. Why does Paul mention the Spirit of life, then the Spirit of God, and then the Spirit of Christ?
In the Bible the Spirit of God is first mentioned in Genesis 1. At the time of that mentioning, there was no incarnation, no human living by God on the earth, no crucifixion, no redemption, no resurrection, no ascension, and no enthronement. But by the time the book of Romans was written, all these things had been accomplished. Because the Spirit of God whom Paul mentions in Romans could be understood as the Spirit in Genesis 1, Paul adds another term—the Spirit of Christ. Today the Spirit is not merely the Spirit of God as in Genesis 1 for creation. Now as the Spirit of God, He is also the Spirit of Christ. Such a Spirit is not for creation. The Spirit accomplishing the old creation in Genesis 1 was not the Spirit of life but the Spirit of power. But for God’s new creation, it is not a matter of power but a matter of life. Actually, God’s new creation is not created but regenerated by rebirth. The new creation is not something produced by power; it is something generated by and through life.
We need to realize that the Spirit of God is basic, and the Spirit of Christ is even more basic, that is, basic in what He has gone through. From creation He has gone through incarnation, human living, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement. Now the Spirit of God is the Spirit of such a One. You might consider then that Paul did not need to mention the Spirit of God; he only needed to mention the Spirit of life and then the Spirit of Christ. But if Paul had not mentioned the Spirit of God here, we might think that the Spirit of Christ is another Spirit, a Spirit different from the Spirit of God. Paul’s writing is very fine and very careful; he left no loophole to us. The Spirit of life is the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ.
Both in the Far East and also in the U.S.A. I have heard some who say, “Praise God!” Do you know what persons should say, “Praise God!”? The Jews. The God whom the Jews worship has never passed through incarnation or crucifixion or resurrection. If you are still living in an age of “praising God,” you have to realize that that is the Old Testament age, the Jewish age. Also, the Pentecostal people like to say, “Praise Jesus!” You have to realize that this term Jesus refers to the three and a half years of the ministry of Jesus. Those three and a half years were the age of Jesus. But Romans 8 does not say “the Spirit of Jesus”; it says “the Spirit of Christ.” When we say, “Praise the Lord!” this includes God and Christ. It comprises God and Jesus and Christ. Our Lord today is not merely the God who created the universe. He is not merely Jesus who lived as a man on this earth. He is also Christ. He is God and Jesus and Christ. After He was resurrected and ascended to the heavens, He was made Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). You have to realize that when Paul says “the Spirit of Christ,” he implies also the Spirit who was there in God’s creation and was also there with Jesus for three and a half years. And today the same Spirit is with us. When He comes today in the new age to be with us, He is no longer merely the Spirit of God but the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ actually indicates the all-inclusive Spirit. This is the stress of the Spirit in chapter 8 of Romans. He is the all-inclusive Spirit. When He houses Himself in you, God is in you, Jesus is in you, and the resurrected Christ is in you. Incarnation is here; crucifixion is here; resurrection is here. He is all-inclusive. The person of the Spirit in this chapter is all-inclusive, yet the focus of this all-inclusive Spirit is the Spirit of life. Life is the focus. We must see this. Many of those in the Pentecostal movement only know a kind of “power”; they do not know life at all. They know “power” in the way of speaking in tongues, healing, and miracles, but they do not know anything of life. But in Romans 8 there is no power, no miracles, no healings, and no speaking in tongues. There is just one silent and mysterious thing—that is life. This is the person of the Spirit.
Now we come to the second point, that is, the work of the Spirit. The Spirit is the instrument through which God imparts life into our mortal body, even into our whole being. The Spirit is the instrument through which we put to death the practices of our body, and the Spirit is the One who directly leads us as sons of God.
Now we have to ask, What is the way that the Spirit works out these three points? God is now imparting His zoe life into our dead body through the Spirit, and we have to slay the practices of our body by the Spirit, and this Spirit, through whom God imparts life to our dead body and by whom we slay the deeds of our body, is leading us. But by what way and where? There is a big word in this chapter, which indicates how or by what way the Spirit could accomplish this work. What is this word?
This chapter mentions several times that the Spirit dwells in you. Of course, to dwell does not mean to do something. But the dwelling is for doing something. His dwelling has a purpose, and surely that purpose is to do something. His indwelling in itself is not His working, but it is the way for Him to do His work. His work is done by an indwelling way.
Many Christians have been influenced to think that they need to pray and fast for three days and nights, waiting for something to come suddenly from the heavens upon them. Many Pentecostal believers are waiting for something to fall upon them from the heavens, and many fundamental believers are waiting for a kind of inspiration. But actually in the New Testament it is a matter of the indwelling. Again and again this word indwelling is used in the New Testament. The Spirit today works not in a way of falling upon us or by the way of inspiration but by the way of indwelling.
While He is indwelling you, He is very active. You can never be more active than He is. You may think that you are more active because you do not realize that a more active One is in you. You have been influenced by Pentecostalism and fundamentalism. You consider that if nothing is falling upon you, then He is not active. You think that if you do not feel some inspiration, that means He is silent. Actually, He is not silent; He is moving in you. You need to say to the Lord, “Lord, how I thank You that You are more active than I am. I can be silent, but You would never be silent. I can sleep, but You would never sleep. I can be dormant, but You would never be dormant. With me there is a winter time, but with You there is no winter time. You are more active than I am.” This is the indwelling Spirit.
Do you really believe that the Spirit, not only of God but of the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, ascended, and enthroned Christ, dwells in you? Is this a doctrine or a fact to you? I am sorry to say that to most Christians this is just a kind of doctrine, a kind of terminology. Do you really realize that you have a divine person in you? This is not a simple person but a person who has passed through creation and entered into incarnation. He has passed through the human life and through the cross and through the tomb. He has even passed through Hades and entered into resurrection. Such a One now lives in you. Do you really believe this? Is this a doctrine or a fact to you? This makes a big difference. It is not a small thing to realize the fact that you have another One dwelling in you. Such a One now dwells in us. His dwelling in us is not His doing, but it is the way for Him to do things. His way of working is not a matter of His coming upon us or a matter of inspiration but a silent, mysterious, yet excellent indwelling. You cannot deny that He indwells us and that He is living, He is acting, He is working, He is very active. It is by the way of indwelling that He works for us; He is very busy.
The work of the indwelling Spirit is of three categories: to impart life to our mortal body, to slay the practices of our body, and to lead us. You have to realize, though, that of these three times, the Spirit is the instrument for the work twice. Twice He is not the worker but the instrument or the means. In the last category, that of His leading, He is the worker. Yet it is strange that even in this third category Paul does not use the active voice. Paul does not say that the Spirit leads you. Rather, he says, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God” (v. 14). He leads you, yet it depends upon whether you are willing to be led. In the first category of work the Spirit is not the worker. The worker is the resurrecting God, the very God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. This resurrecting God works in you to impart life into your body. In the second category the worker is we ourselves. We slay, we put to death, the practices of our body. So in the first two kinds of work, the Spirit is not the worker but the instrument. One of the two workers is God, and the other is we ourselves. The Spirit is indwelling you, yet God works in you through Him. Second, you also do something by Him. This is very meaningful. Paul does not say that the indwelling Spirit imparts life to our mortal bodies. Rather, he says, “He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you” (v. 11). Nor does he say that the Spirit kills the practices of our dead body. Rather, he says, “If by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live” (v. 13). Why does Paul write in this way? Based upon doctrine alone, you have no way to explain. You must come to the matter of experience. Some condemn us because we stress experience so much, but if you are going to understand spiritual things, you surely need the experiences.
Let me explain it in this way: Yes, it is the indwelling Spirit working in you, but suppose you do not contact God. Suppose you do not have any fellowship with God. Suppose you just forget about God. Suppose you consider that since the indwelling Spirit is within you working, He bears every responsibility and takes care of everything. If you take this way, the Spirit does not work. But when you come to God through the Lord Jesus, whenever you have some fellowship with God, whenever you spend just a little time with God through Jesus Christ, the Spirit works. By this the Spirit works. The Spirit is the Spirit of life, but do not forget that this life-working Spirit is the Spirit of God. You can never separate Him from God. Without God, you do not have the life-working Spirit, and of course, without the life-working Spirit, you do not have God. When God works in you, that is the Spirit working in you. But you have to realize that the Spirit in these instances is the instrument, and God Himself is the very worker. If you are going to enjoy the work of the Spirit, you must have something to do with God. If you are not having anything to do with God, there will be no work of the indwelling Spirit at all.
Furthermore, not only does God impart life through the Spirit, but you also must do something through the Spirit: you must slay the practices of your body. This is to coordinate with God. God may be imparting life to you while you are fellowshipping with Him, yet if you would not slay the practices of your body, nothing will happen. This requires teamwork. God is working within you, and you have to work with God. Both you and God must work through the Spirit as a team. Many times God is working within us, but we are not slaying. We must be willing to be led. Whether God is really imparting life into you or not and whether you are really slaying the practices of your body or not depend upon whether you are willing to be led by the Spirit. Now He is the Leader, taking the lead. Are you willing to be led? Very few are willing to be led, and even these few are willing only to be led seldomly. We are just not willing to be led. It is easy to say, “Praise the Lord! God is working within me, imparting life to every part of my being, and I am willing to slay the practices of my body.” But when the actual action is needed, you are not willing to be led by Him. These three things must be mingled into one: God’s imparting, your killing, and the Spirit’s leading. Actually, it is your willingness to be led. If you have these three things, then you will have the real experience of the indwelling Spirit. I feel burdened to spend so much time on these details because we talk a lot about the Spirit, but we do not have much experience. We talk a lot about life being imparted into our dead body, we talk about killing the practices of our body, and we talk about being led by the Spirit, but we do not have much experience. We are still under our own direction. Actually, we do not even have the willingness to be led by this indwelling One.
What is the issue of the indwelling Spirit working in us in these three categories? The issue is the firstfruits in verse 23. There we have the firstfruits of the Spirit. I mentioned previously that, according to the Bible, the firstfruits refer to the satisfaction, to the enjoyment, to the taste. Not until you experience the indwelling Christ imparting life to your deadened body, putting the practices of your body to death, and leading you, will you enjoy the real experience of the firstfruits of the Spirit. Actually, the firstfruits of the Spirit are just the Spirit Himself for our enjoyment. We all have the Spirit indwelling us, but not many have the practical and actual enjoyment of the firstfruits of the Spirit. This is because we are lacking these three kinds of work of the Spirit. Only when God is actually imparting His divine life into your deadened body by His indwelling Spirit, and when you cooperate with God in putting to death the practices of your dead body by this indwelling Spirit, and when you are willing to be led by this indwelling Spirit, will you have the experience of the firstfruits of the Spirit. At that point you will realize that you still have such a body, dragging you away, pulling you off, distracting and bothering you. Then you would groan within for that part of your being to be changed. This is the anxious watching for the full sonship, the redemption of our body. Then we are ready to be presented in Romans 12 as a living sacrifice to God for the Body life. Now you can understand why there has not been much Body life of Christ through the centuries. To reach Romans 12 is not so easy. It is not a long way, but it is a narrow and a zigzagging way in Romans 8. It is not so easy to get through this way to reach the destination—the Body life of Christ. In this Perfecting Training, we are spending a lot of time simply to take care of this zigzagging way.
Finally, you have to realize that in Romans 6, 7, 8, and also 12 the main part of our being that is dealt with is our body. Chapter 6 says that our body is a body of sin, which needs to be unemployed. Chapter 7 says that our body is a body of death. Of course, in chapter 8 many verses stress our body. Today our problem is our fallen, deadened body of death. Now you understand why Romans 12 opens with the presenting of our body. Of course, it also deals with our mind but not that much. The focal dealing is on our body. Our body needs the imparting of the divine life. Our body needs some killing. Our body needs our willingness to be led by the Spirit. Eventually, our body needs to be redeemed, to have a thorough metabolic change. This is all through the Spirit.
