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… To have the Spirit of Christ is to be possessed by the Holy Spirit, who directs and sanctifies the believer in Jesus by the Word of God. I. THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST TOWARDS GOD. This Spirit — 1. Begets and forms a Christlike character. "We are created in Christ unto good works." The Spirit changes the bias of a man. Christianity is Christ in you. 2. Gives a Christlike devotion. This is not a prayerful age. But holy lives ever have been much in communion with God. If Jesus needed prayer, much more do we. 3. Leads to Christlike obedience. Christ's life motto was, "I come to do Thy will, O God." Obedience to God is the Spirit of Christ, and this obedience Jesus made the test of discipleship. This Spirit puts Christ before creeds, the truth before traditions, principle before policy, faith before feelings. It puts piety into practice, devotion into duty, love into labour, grace into giving, and power into prayer. II. THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST TOWARD MAN. Christ's Spirit — 1. Was full of sympathy with man. Sympathy means to suffer with another. As a substitute Jesus suffered with man in his sins; He "Himself bare our sins in His own body on the tree." And if any man have the Spirit of Christ he will have something of that vicarious sympathy for man's redemption. Men of God have felt at times this soul burden; the Church of God has seasons of agonising for the salvation of sinners. 2. Labours to save men. Labour is the expression of Christ's sympathy for man. The Spirit of Christ is not exclusive, but aggressive. Our devotion to Christ is ever measured by our sacrifice and toil to save men. Christ suffered to provide redemption, and the Christian must suffer to apply it. Thus it is "the Church fills up that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ." (J. P. Thoms.) Parallel Verses KJV: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. |
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