General James Green
In my fourth lesson I want to deal with Romans 8:13 where the word “if” is used two times:
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds (i.e., actions) of the body you will live.” (NKJV);
“For if you live according to [the dictates of] the flesh you will surely die. But if through the power of the (Holy) Spirit you are habitually putting to death – making extinct, deadening – the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall (really & genuinely live forever.” (Amp. Bible);
“For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (NIV).
One should read other translations as well.
Rom. 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”
But notice that Rom. 8:13 is speaking about the “sinful nature (v.12) of the believer. This is awful confusing to a lot of believers, who believe “once saved always saved,” i.e., once they receive the free gift of salvation (thru repentance/forgiveness) they can never sin again or ever lose their salvation… no matter how in the Hell they live!
Paul writes in v.12 (NIV) “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.” Some wrongly believe that once they get saved they have NO sinful nature to deal with. Wish this was true. The whole New Testament warns us of the world–flesh–devil/demons. What happens at conversion is our sins are forgiven (providing we’ve asked for forgiveness & repented of them). We are given POWER, DOMINION POWER, to resist the sinful nature when it acts up. This involves Spirit Warfare – Lots & Lots of Spirit Warfare!
Notice how Paul uses the “if” word =
1) “if you live according to the flesh (aka fallen nature/sinful nature) you will die.” This fact is addressed to the believer not the non-believer;
2) “if” by the Spirit you put to death the deeds (i.e., sins) of the body you will live.”
In languages it is recognized that a word can be implied that is not there, thus, we can rightly read Rom. 13b., “but if by the Spirit you put to death (i.e., have dominion over!) the deeds of the body, (then) you will live.”
In v. 17 we find the full “if”/ “then” clause; “and IF children, THEN heirs…”
Let’s take this a bit further:
“For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
(Gal. 6:8, NKJV).
To press my point lets read Rom. 6:11: “Likewise you (believers) also, RECKON yourselves to be DEAD indeed to sin, but ALIVE to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Please note that word “reckon.” (Greek logizomai = to take an inventory, i.e., estimate (lit. or fig.): – conclude, reason, reckon, suppose, think.” (Strong’s #3049). You should read #3056 from which #3049 is taken – logos = “something said or thought, reasoning, computation, reason, etc.
Paul did not say the believer was dead to sin, but to RECKON, i.e., CONSIDER yourself to be dead to sin. He asked, “… Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound.?” 6:1. He answers, “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin continue any longer in it?” The act of (water) baptism was a demonstration that the “old man,” “man of sin,” “fallen man,” “the carnal man,” the “flesh” was put to death, not that it literally died, but we reckon it to be dead, consider it to be dead! (Rom. 6:1-11, Being dunked under water (not sprinkled) was a sign that the believer has been crucified with Christ, i.e., died (fig.).
Notice how Paul words v.6: “Knowing this (ref. to 1-5), that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin (i.e., in-bred sin) MIGHT be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Our confession/repentance puts us into the realm of the Spirit; if we continue to allow the “flesh” to rule (not Christ), we will fulfill the lusts of the flesh, hence, die spiritually.
Paul makes this confession:
“I have been crucified (fig.) with Christ; it is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh (or as a human being), I live by faith in the Son of God….”
(Gal. 2:20, NKJV.)
Note also what Paul wrote in 3:3: “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect (i.e., mature) by the flesh?” Be it “religious” or “rebellious” flesh, we only mature in Christ as we allow Him to rule in us – not our carnality.
Paul tells us that before “salvation” we were DEAD in trespasses & sins, i.e., in “damnation” (Eph. 2:1). He says we walked according to the course (i.e., Greek, aion/aeon) of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (i.e., spirit world that Satan rules), the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,” (Eph. 2:2).
So, my dear readers, “if” we walk in the “flesh,” we literally walk once again in the course of the devil, not Christ. The whole New Testament warns us of this. We have the “dominion” power in us IF we walk in/on the straight & narrow. How many believers are on the straight/narrow? How many are on/in the broad way… that leads to destruction?
Let me go back to the beginning (Rom. 8:13) where the word “if” is found:
(Greek, Strongs #1437: ean = “a conditional particle; in case that, provided,” etc. we can trace this word back to ei, i; a prim particle of conditionality; “if, whether, that,” etc.
So, “if” we walk according to the flesh, we will be walking in death; “if” we walk (i.e., live) in the Spirit, we will live. We have a choice.
Romans chapter 8 uses the “if” word frequently: 10 times we find it: v.9 – twice, v.10, v.11, v.13 – twice, v.17 – twice, v.25 & v.31.
Rom. 8:13 in Greek: “εἰ γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα ζῆτε μέλλετε ἀποθνῄσκειν, εἰ δὲ πνεύματι τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατοῦτε ζήσεσθε.”
The question raised is, does the Greek indicate a temporal or eternal death? If a believer, one that has been saved yet lives after the flesh, will he or she miss heaven? From my years of experience, I say yes! One Greek scholar commented on 8:13b.,” but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (i.e., put to death (fig.) the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
“If you seek grace & spiritual help which the Gospel of Christ furnishes, resist, &, by resisting, mortify the deeds of the flesh, against which the law gave you no assistance, ye shall live a life of faith, life, & holy obedience here, & a life of glory hereafter.”
Most of all the Greek scholars I’ve read from believe “Put to death the deeds of the body means to regard”, count, recognize/reckon as dead the power of sin in your body (see Rom. 6:11, as stated beforehand, “RECKON yourselves to be DEAD to sin” means that the believer should REGARD his/her old sinful nature as DEAD & unresponsive to sin. (see 1Cor. 6 for some of the “deeds” of the body – fornications, adultery, homosexual (or LGBTQ+ sins), theft, drunkenness, et al.). Gal. 5:24 tells us that “those who are Christ’s have crucified (or in the process of doing so daily, as Paul said, “I die daily!”) the flesh with its passions & desires.” “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit,” v.25.
Let’s face it, we ALL have to deal with the world, the flesh, & the devil & his demons. As a Christian we ALL have the capacity to sin physically & morally, but we have the POWER that raised Jesus from the dead dwelling in us to “fight the good fight of faith,” to overcome the world with all its lusts of desires. Paul ended his life with this confession: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!” – 1Tim. 4:7 – FOUGHT, FINISHED, KEPT!!! Let this be our end goal. Too many are sitting on their hands waiting to “fly away in the sky” to escape the nasty now-and-now, refusing to fight, waiting to be raptured up into the sweet bye-and-bye!
