The Same Spirit
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.
- Romans 8:11
As believers, we have a hope that goes beyond this world. Our time here on earth is just the practice field or dressing room for eternity. One of the reasons we know this is that God has already placed His Spirit in all those who confess Christ as Savior. It is a heavenly down payment on a forever future in the presence of God.
I believe the text indicates that this works two ways. First and foremost, we know that the Spirit of God gave life to the three-day-dead body of the Prince of God. Death could not hold Jesus in the grave, and was overcome by the life of God that was demonstrated in Him when He came out of that borrowed tomb.
In the same way that Jesus was resurrected, our bodies, too, will be resurrected from the grave by the operation of the Holy Spirit. If Jesus doesn’t return in your lifetime, your faith in Jesus Christ guarantees the resurrection of your flesh and blood body by means of the same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. His power has not been diminished in any way—He will raise you from the dead, too, if you hold fast to your confession of faith during this lifetime. What a great hope this gives to all of us who name the name of Christ!
But I believe there is another benefit that we must not overlook, and that is the promise of divine healing. Sickness is nothing more than limited death. We know that God’s will is for us to be well in our bodies. The text says that God “…will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit that lives in you.”
I am convinced that one of the ways our mortal bodies receive life is through the healing power of God. You don’t have to suffer from sickness—God wants you to be well, and He has sent His Spirit to give you greater life—sufficient in quantity and superior in quality—than anything this world has to offer. And the proof of it is that God has sent His Spirit to indwell you—not in the sweet by and by, but right now!
Dear Lord, I love You. All that I've expressed above is the desire of my heart. I confess that sometimes my actions and reactions betray my love for You. Please forgive me. Thank You for Your grace that is able to recognize this new day as a new chance to walk closer with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Further Reading
- Romans 8:11
- 1 Corinthians 6:14
- Acts 3:15
