Romans 8:11-14
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
In the Gospel of Luke there is an amazing statement made by who we can only imagine were two angels standing at the tomb of Jesus. As they stood in glimmering white garments, they made this declaration, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!” If there was ever any doubt about the power and majesty of Christ, the resurrection silenced all naysayers, doubters, haters and unbelievers. Jesus promised he would die. And he died. And he promised he’d get up. And he got up. But there is an ancillary realization for us to face this morning. Jesus not only got up, he got out. He didn’t languish in the tomb waiting for folk to come and see him. He left the tomb and all that it represented.
I highlight this distinction because there is a difference. Having the power of resurrection and using the power of resurrection are completely different. While Jesus walked out of a physical tomb that literally housed dead people, the scriptures declare that we believers are host to that same resurrection power. We are supercharged with the dynamic aura and personhood of the Spirit of God in us. So we have no excuse. But in our own way, sometimes we are tempted to stay in the comfort of the tomb. Although we shouldn’t be there. Although we have the power to escape. All too often, we regress and ‘set up shop’ in the very place made to destroy us. We get too comfortable in the tomb.
In Romans 8, the Apostle includes a concluding fact in stating, “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.” The word “therefore” in that sentence debunks any notion we have allegiance to our flesh at any time, because all the flesh can offer is death. And since that’s all it can offer, what better place for it to make your home but in a tomb? But if life and liberty is what you’re seeking, you’ve got to leave your flesh behind.
So as we read our verses this morning, the challenge here is twofold. First we are admonished to mortify or kill the deeds of our bodies. The same body we’ve always nurtured, loved, cared for and protected. The deeds of that body must die. In other words, it no longer has precedence and preeminence in our lives. The second challenge is equally difficult because after mortifying the deeds of the flesh we gotta be led by the Spirit instead of our flesh or the world system.
Now, under normal circumstances these tasks would be unimaginably difficult to accomplish. But because we have resurrection power, we are more than able to walk away from our tombs and dead bodies and live as new creations in Christ Jesus. God’s promises He will quicken our mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in us.
So child of God, I only have one question. Why are you still laying there? If you have the power, and you have the directive to get up and go, why do we sometimes languish in dead places? In 2 Timothy 3:5, Paul writes about the saints “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” And warns, “Have nothing to do with such people.” Thinking back to the tomb of Jesus, perhaps we all could use a few good friends to assist in rolling the stones from in front of our entombment, and rejoice that we are alive and well. But in any case, never get comfortable in the tomb.
God bless
