But *ye* are not in flesh but in Spirit, if indeed God's Spirit dwell in you; but if any one has not [the] Spirit of Christ *he* is not of him
Read Full Chapter →Commentary for this Verse
Paul has just said that those "in the flesh cannot please God." Now he describes what a Christian is. The verse states a settled position and then gives a test. The dividing line is the Spirit living in a person.
Two Positions, Not Three
To be "in the flesh" is the natural state of every child of Adam. One writer sets it against the Christian's place:
William KellyTo be in flesh is hopeless ruin. Its mind is opposed to God, and it will not submit to His law at all. This is the sad condition of all the sons of fallen Adam. It is not, however, the standing of the Christian. The beginning of our chapter says he is in Christ, and therefore outside every possible condemnation. So here it says, "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you." So the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the witness and proof that we are "in Spirit," and so not in flesh.
The verse's closing clause leaves no third category:
Hamilton SmithThe part of the verse that says, "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him," is an aside. You are either a Christian with the Spirit and of Christ, or a natural man without the Spirit and not of Christ.
Where I Am, and What I Am
Being "in the Spirit" is not a mood that rises and falls. It is the condition on earth that matches the believer's place in Christ:
F. B. HoleHe indwells us so that He may control us. He gives us the capacity to walk in newness of life and to serve in newness of spirit. He produces in us a state that matches our standing outside ourselves. If "in Christ Jesus" expresses our standing, "in the Spirit" expresses our state.
The Wording Paul Chose
Notice what the condition is not. It is not "if you are sincere," nor even "if you are born again":
Hamilton SmithHere man's natural condition stands in contrast with the full Christian condition. There is no middle condition in view. The contrast is not between the natural man and a man born again. It is between the natural man and what is true of a Christian — someone in whom the Holy Spirit lives. Old Testament saints were born again by the Spirit as truly as New Testament saints. But this passage is not speaking of them.
The words "dwell in you" point to a Person: "it plainly refers to the Spirit personally... He is distinct from the person He dwells in" (J. N. Darby).
Why the Title Changes to "the Spirit of Christ"
The verse names the same Spirit twice, but with different titles, and the shift carries meaning:
F. B. HoleThere is only one and the same Spirit, yet the change in the descriptive title is significant. Christ is the One from whom we derive our origin spiritually, the One to whom we belong. If we truly are His, we have His Spirit. So we should be Christlike in our spirits, clearly enough for everyone to see that Christ is in us.
The Spirit carries three titles in these verses:
J. N. DarbyThree characteristic names are given here to the Holy Spirit. First, the Spirit of God (v. 9), in contrast with the flesh. Second, the Spirit of Christ, as the forming power of the new man. Third, the Spirit of Him who raised up Christ from among the dead, because He is in us the pledge of our resurrection.
"He Is None of His"
Older versions end the verse, "he is none of His." The Spirit is an owner's mark, and where the mark is missing the claim fails:
Frederick W. GrantSo, among those owning Christ we can say, "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." The seal of the Spirit is Christ's mark upon His own. So among those professing to be His, if the mark is not there, it is a false profession.
Commentators differ over how sharply the warning lands. Some read it as an outright exclusion. Others soften the tone: "'None of his' alarms people; it is simply that he is not yet His, any more than the prodigal son was in a son's place until he reached his father" (J. N. Darby).
Assurance: the Work, Not Feelings
If the Spirit's presence is the test, doubting His presence is serious:
Samuel RidoutUnderstand this as clearly as possible: this indwelling is not because of anything in us, either at the beginning or at any stage of the Christian life. From first to last, the Spirit dwells with us because of the unchanging value of the work of Christ. Stop dishonouring the value of that work by doubting the presence of this Holy Person. Your feelings and your faithfulness have nothing to do with this basic fact.
Summary
- Two places. There is no middle ground — in the flesh without the Spirit, or in the Spirit and Christ's.
- One test. The condition is not sincerity or even new birth, but "if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you."
- The mark. The Spirit is Christ's mark of ownership. Where the mark is missing, the profession is empty.
- Likeness. The mark is the Spirit of Christ. So the one who has Him should look like Christ, clearly enough for others to see.
- Certainty. He dwells in us because of the unchanging value of Christ's work. Feelings and failures never settle the question.