A Fatal Deficiency

worlddic.com

Romans 8:9

But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you…

Note —

I. THE REMARKABLE TITLE HERE GIVEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT — "the Spirit of Christ." He is so called because —

1. He especially rested upon Christ. The manhood of Christ was begotten of the Spirit of God. When our Lord was baptized the Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, and then was "led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil." Then He returned into Galilee in the power of the Spirit. When He began to preach His first words were, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me." His ministry stood in the power of the Spirit. All through His life the Spirit of God rested upon Him in fulness of power, for God "giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him."

2. He is given to us by Christ. "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." Jesus spake of giving to men living water, and this spake He of the Spirit. After His resurrection Ha breathed on His disciples, and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," and having procured Him by His ascension poured Him out at Pentecost.

3. Christ lived peculiarly in the Spirit. "Spirit" in the text is in opposition to the "flesh." Never did the flesh rule Christ. Nay, He even forgot to eat bread, finding meat to eat which even His disciples knew not of. Never was He moved by any sensuous passion, or by a motive of fleshly tendency. Some have high ambitions, but not He. The flesh that lusteth for vengeance had no rule in Him, but the Spirit of holiness and love. The objects He aimed at were all spiritual.

4. He quickens the entire mystical body of Christ. All the members of that body are distinguished by this — that they are spiritual men, and seek after spiritual things. The true Church being in herself a spiritual body, acts in a spiritual manner, and strives after spiritual objects. True religion consists not in outward forms, peculiar garbs, or modes of speech, or anything that is ritualistic and external. "The kingdom of God is...righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."

II. THE NECESSITY OF POSSESSING THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST.

1. This is needful in every case. "If any man." It may be urged that some have an especially amiable disposition. True, but the fairest flowers, as surely as the foulest weeds, are none of Christ's if they are not of the Spirit's own planting. This one lack is fatal to the noblest character, and Christ disowns utterly every man who has not His Spirit in him. This must be said concerning the ministers and officers of churches.

2. This is put in opposition to everything less than itself. For instance, there are some who glory in the name of Christians, as if the name were some great thing. It is not wearing the name of Christ, but having the Spirit of Christ, which will prove us to be accepted.

3. But the text is expressly in opposition to "the flesh." We are either in the flesh or in the Spirit. He who is in the flesh —

(1) Is ruled by the flesh, but the man who is in the Spirit labours to keep it under.

(2) Trusts to the flesh. He looks to his own works for salvation; but the man who has the Spirit of Christ counts all his good works to be dross, and trusts in Jesus.

(3) Worships in the flesh, but the man who has the Spirit desires not to see but to believe, not to smell but to think. The sound of truth is better to the spiritual man than tinkling bells and the noise of pipes and bellows.

III. THE EVIDENCES OF HAVING THE SPIRIT. If you have the Spirit —

1. He has led you to Christ.

2. You will honour Christ, for the Spirit delights to glorify Christ by taking of the things of Christ and showing them to us.

3. He will make you like Christ, who lived for God, who was in constant communion with the Father, was always spiritual, always true, and always ready to do good to all.

4. He will show Himself by His open actions in the heart, making us hate everything that is evil, making brave for God and truth, and joyful and hopeful in God.

IV. THE SAD CONSEQUENCES OF NOT HAVING THE SPIRIT. He is none of Christ's. Ah, if I am none of His whose am I? The devil's. And where are you if you are not Christ's? On the way to judgment and eternal condemnation.

worlddic.com