mortal – Ministry of Grace Church

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Truth to Learn

God promises all Christians that they will be raised from the dead and given an immortal body.

Behind the Words

The word “raised” is from egeirō, which means “to rouse from sleep” or “to awaken.” In its usage here it refers to awakening from the dead.

“Give life” is from the Greek word dzōopoieō, which is made up of dzōon, meaning “a living thing” and poieō, meaning “to make.” Hence, dzōopoieō means “to make a living thing” or “to make alive.

The word “mortal” is from thnētos, which is from thnēskō, meaning “to die.” Thnētos refers to something that is dead or subject to death.

Meaning Explained

This verse contains one of the great promises in the Bible. Paul starts off with, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you.” The first question we have to ask is, “Who raised Jesus from the dead?” Did He raise Himself, or did someone else do it, and if so, who was it? To answer this question let’s look at a few verses.

Having raised up His son Jesus, God sent Him first to you, blessing you in turning every one of you away from his iniquities. (Acts 3:26)

Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), (Galatians 1:1)

and to wait for His Son from the heavens (whom He raised from the dead), Jesus, who is delivering us from the wrath to come. (1Thessalonians 1:10)

It is obvious from these verses that it is God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. Therefore, in the current verse Paul is talking about the Spirit of God the Father, who is none other than the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity. And Paul says that if the Holy Spirit dwells in you (remember that He has been given by God as a pledge, as a seal of the promise of redemption to all who are saved), then God the Father will also make your mortal body alive by this same Spirit who dwells in you. In other words, for all of us who are saved by His grace, God the Father has promised that just as He raised up Jesus, He will also make our dead bodies alive by his Holy Spirit.

For those of us who are alive when Jesus returns at the rapture, this means that our dead body will be changed “in a moment, in a twinkling of the eye” into an immortal body. If we have already passed from this earthly life, it means that our dead body will be awakened and made alive as an immortal body.

Application

If you believe you are a sinner and that Jesus died to pay the penalty of your sin, God promises that He will give you the same kind of immortal body that Jesus has right now! That’s an eternal promise that can’t be undone. Since the Spirit is our seal and our promise, we can’t lose it no matter what we do. We have the Spirit of God and His promise of eternal life.

That’s eternal security!

In God's service, for His glory,

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its lusts.

Truth to Learn

Don’t let sin take control of your life.

Behind the Words

“Reign” is a word we looked at in the final verse of the previous chapter of Romans. It is basileuō, which means “to be king or to have ruling power over.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood indicating it is a command, “do not allow sin to rule over your mortal body!”

The word translated “mortal” is thnētos, which is derived from the verb thnēskō, meaning “to die.” Hence, thnētos refers to something which is subject to death.

“Obey” is from the Greek word hupakouō, which is made up of hupo (or hypo) meaning “under” and akouō, meaning “to hear.” Hence, hupakouō literally means “to hear under.” It is a picture of a disciple listening to, hearing, and obeying the teaching of his or her master.

The word, “lusts” is a translation of the Greek word, epithumia, which is made up of epi, meaning “above or over” and a form of thumos, meaning “the mind.” As we put these together we see it means “to have overly strong thoughts or desires.”

Meaning Explained

This verse and the next form a two part summation of what Paul has been saying in the past few verses with some explanation added. He just told us that we should consider ourselves dead to sin, but living to God. Here he tells us what he means by considering, or reckoning, ourselves dead to sin. He says, “Don’t let sin reign in your mortal bodies.” In other words, the way we reckon ourselves dead to sin is to not let it have control. If sin is reigning in our life, it is ruling over us and we are submitting ourselves to it; we are letting it control us. If we are dead to sin, then we are separated from the dominion of sin and we will not live in obedience to it.

The second half of this verse has been viewed by some Biblical scholars as questionable. They believe that it has been added and was not part of the original letter. Others, and I agree with them, believe that it rightly belongs here since it appears in most reliable manuscripts.

Paul says that the way we keep sin from reigning in our mortal bodies is by not obeying it in its lusts. God has put desires within us that are necessary for survival, such as the desire to eat, the desire to rest, and the desire to procreate. However, when we allow these thoughts and desires to get so strong that they overcome us and control us, then they become sinful to us. The Apostle John says that these desires (lusts) are not of God but are part of the world system:

Because all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)

We should not allow these desires to control us.

Application

If you are living to God through Jesus Christ then you must have control over your sinful desires. Don’t let the world system stir up your desires. Don’t let the world system rule over you. Take control of your life by submitting to God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: mortal

Romans 8:11 – God’s Irrevocable Promise

Romans 6:12 – Who’s Your Ruler?