Principles of living a godly life [68] – The Christian’s daily life and standing

 ‘…if you are putting to death the actions of the body [down from] breath [pneuma] - you will live, 14 because as many as are being led by the Breath [Pneuma] of God, these are existing God’s sons. 15 Because you are not receiving a breath of slavery once more, penetrating towards fear and alarm. On the contrary, you are receiving breath [pneuma] of placement as a son, within which we are crying aloud, ‘Abba!’, ‘Father!’ 16 The Breath [Pneuma] is also bearing witness together with our breath [pneuma] that we are existing children of God - 17 and if children, also heirs, indeed, heirs of God and joint heirs with the Messiah since indeed we are sharing heavy emotion or adversity together, in order that also we share in praise and honour together’, (Romans 8 v 13 - 17).

Once again we see Paul using as well as distinguishing between the words ‘Breath’ and ‘breath’. His teaching is that only those brought forth by God within the Messiah by means of the Breath of God are made alive and responsive to God and His Messiah. They and they alone possess the Breath of God in their deep inner core. If a Christian is living their life moment-by-moment down from breath, that is, down from the current, energy and movement of their illuminated and enlightened heart and mind, then the practical result is that they are co-working with God and ‘are putting to death the actions of the body’. But Christians are engaged in a battle, in warfare. They have been ‘roused up’ in the ‘inner man’ concerning ‘spiritual’ realities and their minds and hearts are being enlightened and illuminated by the Breath to perceive and be persuaded of unseen realities. But at the same time they are weighed down and grieved by their fleshly constitution because of its inherent energies that are opposed to God. So they [ego] are seeking to put the actions, the outworking, of their fleshly impulses to death since these impulses and energies are working in opposition to God. This warfare is wearisome and grieving because Christians are in a state of adversity within themselves.

The illustrations that Paul presents elsewhere with regard to this situation are those of an athlete training and disciplining their body in order to win the race, or that of a boxer punching away these contrary actions. The Christian’s enlightened ‘I’, [ego], is exhorted to exercise enlightened self-control and illuminated self-discipline with regard to regulating their wayward fleshly behaviours, to ‘possess their vessel’, to ‘rein these fleshly impulses in’, to govern their body by enlightened self-control. But they do not always succeed. And if Christians are persistently and excessively wayward, bringing the gospel and the Messiah into disrepute, they are in danger of losing a portion of their inheritance. They are also in danger of being cut off from the fellowship – excommunicated – both in order to deliver their breath, as well as to maintain the cleanliness of the fellowship.

But as many as are being led by the Breath of God – the source of their enlightenment – they are existing as God’s sons. Because Christians are not receiving a current or movement of fear, terror and alarm within their heart and mind with regard to the settled anger and judicial condemnation of God. Even if they were born Jews or were Gentiles who had become Jewish proselytes under Sinai Covenant law, then ‘the Messiah buys us up completely from out of the curse of the Law’, (Galatians 3 v 1). Instead, Christians are receiving breath of placement as sons, such that they are crying out ‘Abba! Father’ – the expression of reconciliation.

‘The Breath [Pneuma] is also bearing witness together with our breath [pneuma] that we are existing children of God’, (verse 16). Paul once again combines the use of ‘Breath’ and ‘breath’ in this single verse. The movement and current of the Breath of God and His Messiah is also carrying evidential witness together with the Christian’s breath – together with the current and movement of the Christian’s enlightened heart, mind and ego. What is the Breath of God bearing evidential witness and testimony to? The Breath of God is carrying evidential testimony that they exist as children of God, brought forth or ‘born again’ of God. There is an agreement of movement between the Breath of God and the Christian’s breath, presenting evidential testimony that they exist as children of God. This is beyond the ability of unbelievers, and it reflects the polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers.  

And ‘if children, also heirs, indeed, heirs of God and joint heirs with the Messiah since indeed we are sharing heavy emotion or adversity together’, (verse 17). The battle that Christians are engaged in as they pursue godliness means that they are ‘sharing heavy emotion or adversity together, [with the Messiah and the Breath of God], in order that they also share in praise and honour together [with the Messiah]’ – an expression of their union within the Messiah. This grief and weighing down bears no comparison to the praise and honour that Christians will participate in as they are brought to completion.

Having mentioned grief and suffering, Paul then goes on in Romans chapter 8 to look forward to the Christian’s reward and their security within the love of God in what are a very familiar and comforting set of verses for many Christians. 

Principles of living a godly life [67] – The Christian dynamic applied [1]

 ‘Therefore then brothers we are absolutely not existing as indebtors to the flesh, to be living down from the flesh. 13 Because if you are living down from the flesh you are at the point of dying and withering away, but if you are putting to death the actions of the body [down from] breath [pneuma] - you will live’, (Romans 8 v 12, 13). 

This verse confirms that Paul is writing to Christians about how they are conducting their lives moment-by-moment at this present time. He has said that Christians exist at this present time within a dichotomy. On the one hand, the ‘inside of the cup’ – their inner self, their ‘I’ [ego], heart and mind, is now roused up from out of deadness by the Breath, and enlightened towards sensitivity and responsiveness to God. 

But on the other hand, the Christian’s fleshly constitution has not been transformed. Their physical, fleshly body still retains its inherent impulses that lead towards speech and behaviour that God disapproves of. In this sense it is a ‘dead body’, grieving and weighing them down. So how is the Christian’s fleshly constitution enabled to serve God? It is enabled by the movement, influence, current and energy of the Breath of God dwelling within Christians, (verse 11) as the source of Life within the Messiah, (verse 10). 

That is the theology or teaching. Paul almost always states and then reasons through theological teaching before turning to its practical application. That is nearly always how the Apostle works. He presents enlightened knowledge of unseen realities and then reasons this knowledge through to its logical conclusion as a basis for the Christian’s practical intentions, speech and behaviour. 

He begins to apply the theology he has been explaining here, in verse 12 – ‘Therefore then brothers’. What is his general conclusion with regard to the present situation that Christians find themselves in? It is twofold. First – ‘We are absolutely not existing as indebtors to the flesh, to be living down from the flesh. Because if you are living down from the flesh you are at the point of dying and withering away’. Christians don’t owe their fleshly constitution anything, they are not indebted to their flesh. Not only is their fleshly constitution unable to deliver them from divine condemnation, but its inherent impulses and raw passions are continuing to oppose God. It is no use turning to divine law to oppose these passions because these impulses use the injunctions of divine law as a starting point to make self-forfeiture more extensive and more abundantly known. Paul does not say ‘putting to death the actions of the body’ by turning to divine law because divine law brings down knowledge of self-forfeiture and settled anger. Christians are under no obligation to follow their fleshly impulses or to allow their fleshly passions to lead or govern their speech and behaviour. If they do then they are at the very point of dying and withering away. They are at the point of ‘hardening their heart’, of ‘grieving the Breath’, of wandering astray into error and insensitivity, even of losing a portion of their allotted divine inheritance – not their deliverance - but a portion of their reward. 

Second, ‘but if you are putting to death the actions of the body [down from] breath [pneuma] - you will live’. There it is again – the Breath as the source of Life within the Messiah. However, sometimes the Apostle writes the word ‘pneuma’ with a capital ‘P’, and sometimes not. This is something that I am only just becoming aware of and something that the translators don’t always follow, so this nuance is not always presented correctly in English translations. Because I have only recently become aware of Paul’s grammatical style in the Greek text with reference to Breath/breath, I have not commented on it before. 

Assuming that the copyists have rendered the Greek text accurately, as Paul wrote it, then we see that in Romans, Paul uses lower case - ‘breath’ - in Romans 1 v 9; 2 v 29; 7 v 6; 8 v 1, 4, 5, 6, 10. But he uses an initial capital letter – ‘Breath’ – in Romans 5 v 5; 8 v 2, 9, 11. I propose that when he uses the Greek word ‘Pneuma’ - with a capital ‘P’ - the reference is definitely to ‘the set-apart Breath of God and His Messiah’. Whereas if he uses a small ‘p’ – ‘pneuma’ - then he seems more likely to be referring to the impetus or current of the Christian’s enlightened or illuminated heart and mind.  

Here in verse 13, Paul uses the lower case word. If a Christian is living their life moment-by-moment down from breath, down from their enlightened heart and mind, then the practical result is that they are putting to death the actions of the body. The actions of the body are the ‘works of the flesh’ as described in Romans 1 v 18 – 32 and Galatians 5 v 19 – 21. These are the fleshly behaviours that Christians are putting to death down from breath. Down from their enlightened and illuminated heart and mind they are resisting and opposing their fleshly actions. They may not always succeed in overcoming these fleshly behaviours, as fleshly impulses sometimes take them captive, but their enlightened heart and mind is nevertheless leading and inclining Christians to oppose and avoid these fleshly behaviours. And as Christians do this ‘they will live’ – they will be responsive and sensitive to God – alive to God. 

Paul states the same conclusion in his letter to the Galatians. ‘So I say, walk around within Breath [Pneuma] and absolutely do not bring to completion eager fleshly desire. 17 Because the flesh is focused on passionate desires against the Breath, [Pneuma] and the Breath [Pneuma] against the flesh. Because these resist and oppose one another in order that if you desire, you do not construct it, 18 and if you are led by the Breath [Pneuma], you are not under law’, (Galatians 5 v 16 – 18). In these verses Paul uses an initial capital letter – ‘Breath’. The source of the Christian’s enlightened heart and mind is of course the ‘Breath’ of God. Paul portrays Christians as walking around moment-by-moment by both ‘Breath’ (Galatians 5 v 16), and ‘breath’ (Romans 7 v 6; 8 v 1, 4, 9, 10). Indeed, Paul uses both grammatical styles in Romans 8 v 10 - Christians are existing ‘within breath, [pneuma], since indeed, Breath [Pneuma] of God is dwelling within you’. Their heart and mind is enlightened since the Breath of God is dwelling within them. Therefore they are exhorted to walk around day-by-day within breath – within and down from the impetus and current of their enlightened mind and heart, illuminated by the Breath of God and His Messiah.

Principles of living a set apart, godly life [66] – The Christian dynamic [2]

 ‘And if the Breath, [Pneuma] having roused up Jesus from out of the dead, is dwelling within you, [then] having been roused up from out of the dead, Jesus the Messiah will also give Life to your bodies that are dead by means of his Breath [Pneuma] dwelling within you’, (Romans 8 v 11). 

There we are. Paul is stating what I concluded in the previous post. But a number of commentators and scholars fall into an error here. They propose that Paul is now talking about the Christian’s future state - their ultimate approval at the great Assizes. But that is not what Paul is talking about. Barnes, for one, has it right when he says, ‘That this does not refer to the resurrection of the dead [and the Final Judgement] seems to be apparent….I understand it as referring to the body, subject to carnal desires and propensities, by nature under the reign of death’, (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible My parenthesis). 

It is important to recognise that for Christians, the rousing up from out of the dead has already begun. Let’s look at the context. Paul has been presenting the polarisation between the Christian’s fleshly constitution that in itself is dead - unresponsive to God, and Breath leading to Life by means of judicial approval. Christians have been brought forth by God and placed within the Messiah, in union with the Messiah, by means of the Breath that now dwells within their deep inner core. The Christian’s fleshly body has not been transformed, nor transcended. This means that the Christian’s fleshly constitution, the ‘tent’ or ‘clay vessel’ in which they exist - is a burden. It weighs Christians down because although their mind and ‘ego’, their ‘I’ as governor/regulator ‘inside the cup’, is enlightened by the Breath to perceive and entrust the Messiah, and desire godliness, their physical flesh per se remains dead, insensitive and unresponsive to God. In fact more than this, impulses and energies within their fleshly constitution are working to come to completion in opposition to God. But the Breath is the Life-principle within the Messiah. Christians, and only Christians, possess the free gift of the Messiah and the Breath. God gives these gifts to those He has selected when they have no natural power or ability to save themselves or to please God. God’s free gift penetrates into them ‘becoming another, ‘the having been aroused from out of the dead’, in order that they begin and continue to bear the fruit of God’, (Romans 7 v 4).

It is the Breath of God, moving on the basis of the principle of Life within the Messiah, that is given to dwell in the Christian’s deep inner core. It is the Breath that enables the Christian’s unresponsive, dead, fleshly constitution to begin and continue to bear the fruit of God. The Breath is the fundamental principle of Life within the Messiah. It is the Breath that is rousing up and giving Life to the Christian’s unresponsive, fleshly body that in itself is dead. ‘…having been roused up from out of the dead, Jesus the Messiah will also give life to your bodies that are dead by means of his Breath [Pneuma] dwelling within you’. 

Paul is not talking about the future. He is not talking about the Final Judgement. He is talking about Christians living a godly life within divine approval moment-by-moment here and now. If Paul was talking about the resurrection then we would expect him to talk about the return of the Lord Jesus and Christians being caught up to be with the Lord to receive their divinely allotted inheritance. But he does not do that because that is not what he is talking about. He is talking about the Christian’s fleshly body being roused up from out of insensitivity and unresponsiveness to God at this present time. This is confirmed by what he goes on to say next. 

Principles of living a godly life [65] – The Christian dynamic [1]

 ‘But if you [are] within Messiah, the body indeed lacks life by means of self-forfeiture and loss, but the Breath, [Pneuma], Life by means of judicial approval and right wise-ness’, (Romans 8 v 10).

Paul now continues with his theme of flesh and Breath. His focus is now on Christians and he says ‘But if [in contrast to those not possessing the Breath] you [are] within Messiah…’. What makes Christians different? OK. [Warning: Time to take a deep breath]. Unbelievers are existing down from the impulses and energies within their flesh that are seeking to work themselves across from within and into self-forfeiting speech and behaviour. 

But if you are within the Messiah then –

The body indeed lacks life by means of self-forfeiture and loss

But

The Breath, Life by means of judicial approval and right wise-ness

  

Paul maintains the dichotomy between flesh and Breath, and the corresponding results of death and life, even when looking at Christians. Verse 10 is virtually a restatement of Romans 7 v 25 – ‘So then, indeed I am willingly serving God’s law with the mind, but flesh, fundamental principles of self-forfeiture and loss’. On being brought forth by God, Christians have not lost nor transcended their fleshly constitution. They have not suddenly become incorporeal beings who have forsaken their physical body. Christians continue to exist within their physical, fleshly body, which is metaphorically compared in Scripture to a tent – ‘I exist within this, the tent’, (II Peter 1 v 13), and ‘existing within the tent we are groaning, being weighed down’, (II Corinthians 5 v 4). 

Why are Christians being ‘weighed down’? Because ‘the body indeed lacks Life by means of self-forfeiture and loss’. The Christian’s fleshly constitution, their physical body per se remains a hopeless case. On being brought forth by God the Christian’s earthy, fleshly body is not reconstituted nor is it transcended. The Christian’s fleshly constitution does not change. The Christian’s earthy fleshly constitution is indeed death by means of its fleshly impulses and passions working out to completion within self-forfeiting behaviour in opposition to God. Its passions and energies are still actively working in opposition to God, contrary to the Christians enlightened mind. Of itself the Christian’s flesh remains unresponsive, opposed to God, and it is also subject to physical death – it is mortal. Thus Christians are groaning and weighed down. 

Why does God allow this to be the case? Paul tells us elsewhere that Christians ‘have this storehouse within earthen vessels in order that the power above and beyond exists from out of God’, (II Corinthians 4 v 7). The godly service that Christians construct is not originating and emerging down from their physical body or its inherent strength and ability. This means that there is no room for Christians to boast. Christians have their storehouse of divine gifts within their weak ‘earthen vessels’ so that what they construct is down from the power that exists from out of God by means of the Breath.  

Now ‘this is the desire and purpose of God - you set apart, pure and clean….every one of you knowing and perceiving, acquiring possession and mastery of his [or her] vessel within purity and honour’, (I Thessalonians 4 v 3a, 4). The Christian’s divine summons – their calling from God - is towards enlightened self-mastery over the impulses and energies inherent within their fleshly constitution that are working in opposition to God. But how can Christians move towards this goal if their fleshly constitution is dead and unresponsive to God? They cannot attain this mastery by means of turning to the written codes of divine law because the law is made weak and powerless by the impulses and passions of their flesh. The law makes knowledge of self-forfeiture more evident, (Romans 7 v 8 – 10; 8 v 3, 4).

Paul gives us the answer – ‘but the Breath [Pneuma] Life by means of judicial approval and right wise-ness’. The Breath is the source of Life – of sensitivity and responsiveness to God – given to Christians as a result of the free gift of judicial approval secured by God’s anointed deliverer, the Messiah, and the source of the Christian’s union with the Messiah. The Christian’s tied enslavement to their flesh is cut, such that within Christians there is a contrary movement and current, and an enlightened mind, that opposes the flesh. [And relax]. 

Principles of living a godly life [64] – The polarisation separating Christians and ‘outsiders’ [4]

 ‘But you are not within flesh, but on the contrary, within breath, [pneuma], since indeed, Breath [Pneuma] of God is dwelling within you. But if anyone is not possessing the Breath [Pneuma] of the Messiah he is absolutely not existing of him’, (Romans 8 v 9).

‘But you…’, by which Paul means ‘You Christians…’. Paul says that Christians ‘are not within flesh’. It is obvious that Christians still retain their fleshly body – the ‘death-body’ that constitutes the ‘tent’ or ‘clay vessel’ that they ‘inhabit’ and that is intrinsically unresponsive to God. So what does Paul mean by the phrase ‘you are not within flesh’? He means that ‘contrary’ to those existing within flesh, walking around down from and within enslavement to flesh, those who are brought forth by God are no longer in their previous enslaved state – something radical has happened to them. They are no longer within their unpardoned, enslaved state of self-forfeiture. They are not existing down from flesh, (Romans 8 v 5). ‘Knowing this, that our old human appearance is crucified together with [Him], in order that the body of self-forfeiture and loss is rendered down to being idle and inactive. We are no longer devotedly enslaved to the self-forfeiture and loss’, (Romans 6 v 6).  

So what is the fundamental principle and source of this polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers? It is this - 

The Breath related to God and the heavenly realm that is indwelling them and is moving on the basis of Life within the Messiah

Christians possess a movement or current within them of opposition to the impulses inherent in their flesh. They possess sensitivity and responsiveness to God, an impulse towards loyal service, and enlightened knowledge and perception with regard to God and the Messiah. It is by means of this Breath that they are placed in union with their Messiah. The Apostle says that the differentiating and empowering source towards maintaining divine approval day-by-day is not divine law, for the reasons that Paul has been explaining since chapter 7 v 1. The differentiating and empowering source towards godliness and Life within the Messiah is the Breath of God. The contrast that Paul consistently makes is between flesh and the Breath of God. 

The next phrase is usually translated - ‘if indeed the Breath of God is dwelling within you’. The conjunction – ‘if’ - is causal, not conditional. Hence I translate it like this – ‘Since the Breath has presence and activity within you’, in your heart or deep inner core, (I Corinthians 2 v 16; 6 v 19; Ephesians 2 v 22; Galatians 4 v 6). Seeing that the Breath is at the very foundation of your emerging thoughts, intentions, desires and feelings, ‘you [Christians] are not within flesh’. You are no longer enslaved to flesh.

If we are in any doubt with regard to this polarising difference between Christians and unbelievers, Paul stresses it once more. ‘But if anyone is not possessing the Breath [Pneuma] of the Messiah, he is absolutely not existing of him’. The Breath that Paul is talking about he sometimes calls the Breath of God and at other times the Breath of the Messiah. (Usually translated as the ‘Spirit of God’ or the ‘Holy Spirit’]. Here Paul says ‘Breath of the Messiah’, because this movement and current proceeds from the Messiah, is procured by the Messiah, and leads the individual Christian to reflecting the image of the Messiah, (John 14 v 26; 16 v 7; Galatians 4 v 6). The Breath of the Messiah could only be given following the successful obedience of Jesus to the point of death and God’s subsequent approval by rousing him from out of the dead. 

Whatever an individual may say, if they do not possess the Breath of the Messiah then they are none of his - not a member of the body of the Messiah, not a Christian, not existing in a state of deliverance, but still enslaved to flesh. Therefore this whole discourse about divine judicial approval day-by-day has no reference to such an individual because they do not possess the Breath. This is a plain, clear differentiation between Christians and unbelievers that admits no exception. 

So the main point that Paul is making is that Christians are no longer existing down from being enslaved to their flesh, with its impulses and drives. They are existing down from the Breath of God and His Messiah, which they hold and possess in their deep inner core and that provides a current of opposition to their fleshly impulses. They are encouraged to work alongside this Breath, using their enlightened minds. So Paul does not turn to Covenant law, but to the Breath.