“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.” (
Romans 8:13).
Romans 8:6-17 LITV
6) For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;
7) because the mind of the flesh is enmity towards God; for it is not being subjected to the Law of God, for neither can it be.
8) And those being in the flesh are not able to please God.
9) But you are not in flesh, but in Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, this one is not His.
10) But if Christ is in you, the body indeed is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11) But if the Spirit of the One having raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One having raised the Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies live through the indwelling of His Spirit in you.
12) So, then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to flesh,
13) for if you live according to flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live.
14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15) For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba! Father!
16) The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God.
17) And if children, also heirs; truly heirs of God, and joint-heirs of Christ, if indeed we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together.
Is it your view that you might put to death by the spirit the practices of the body, and live, but then the practices of the body come back to life, and you die again?
Or is this speaking of being crucified in Christ, and being reborn in Him? Once again, what does the surrounding context say?
10) But
if Christ is in you, the body indeed is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11) But
if the Spirit of the One having raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One having raised the Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies live through the indwelling of His Spirit in you.
This promise is that if Christ is in you, the body is dead to sin, and the Spirit is life because of righteousness. That if the Spirit of the One having raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He will also make your mortal body live through the indwelling of His Spirit in you.
The condition is "if He live in you", and the outcome is "will may your mortal body live". Not, if He live in you, AND you continue in good behavior . . .
If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if you by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body you will live. You can treat that a something you do and is done, or something you have to continue to do, lest you still die.
Romans 6:5-7 LITV
5) For if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, so also shall we be in the resurrection,
6) knowing this,
that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified, so that we no longer serve sin.
7) For the one that died has been justified from sin.
Much love!