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A common theme in Romans has been to resist interpreting Paul’s words from within a binary framework. The Hellenized world was wrought with Platonic dualism which categorized everything into matter and spirit or as Paul frames it in this chapter, flesh and spirit. Whereas Plato saw these as two completely separate realities, Paul’s framework is more ternary, incorporating both extremes into a larger third reality. He accesses this truth by way of Jesus Christ, who was BOTH completely man as well as divine, establishing what I call a Christological Continuum, where identifying with Christ can mean divine union with God or the pit of human suffering and everything in between. The “both-ness” of Paul’s Christology created challenges for the religious mind which likes to categorize people as either in or out. Today, as Paul talks about those who are “In Christ” we also need to resist the temptation to make blanket assumptions. If we can be under wrath and grace, sinners and justified, flesh and spirit, then it’s reasonable that we can also be in Christ and not in Christ.

Paul’s distinction between people is still valid.

“You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 

The Greek is a bit more nuanced here.

“Further, you are not joined to the sinful nature but to the Spirit, since surely the Spirit of God dwells in you, but if someone does not experience the Spirit of Christ, this one does not exist in Him.”

To be “in Christ” is not the same as being “in the Christian religion,” or “in the Church.” This is proven because the events of Pentecost took place about 20 years earlier than this letter, but the book of Acts wouldn’t be recorded at least for another few years. This means Paul’s audience of Jews, Greeks, and Heathens would know what “the Spirit” of Christ was, but no organized religion existed around it.

Let’s revisit my metaphor where the Governor of a city buys every citizen a house and places them in it. Many houses have piles of Amazon boxes on their porches, but not all of them. Those with no boxes outside, are those who have opened them and realized that the Governor has sent each citizen everything they needed for their optimal life and dwelling. Those with unopened boxes, have no understanding/experience of all the Governor has done for everyone. They remain ignorant or in the dark. This helps us see Paul’s distinction. Everyone is made right (whole)“justified,” the Governor has not left any out, all receive his generosity, but not everyone sees what has been done for them, and so not everyone is “fully in” on the Governor. Those with unopened gifts are focused on their physical well-being (flesh/sinful nature) and short-term survival. Those with opened gifts, are focused on the Governor’s (spirit) and live in anticipation (faith) of what is next.

Paul says both. Everyone is a recipient. Everyone receives the gift of life, in order that we would know and love God, ourself, and others. In that sense, “There is no distinction” (3:22, 10:12). Paul is saying: anyone who opens the Amazon box (of life) immediately(ẽxo– experiences/possesses) the “spirit” of the Governor. Those who don’t explore the gifts, do not yet have (experience) the spirit of the Governor. They are in but not really in.

¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 

This is the window into Paul’s take on Plato. Whereas Platonic enlightenment sought disembodiment, Paul reveals the body, though rendered powerless under slavery to sin, can actually be restored in life now, and will be renewed in the same way Christ’s body was restored.

¹¹ If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

While we are NOT our bodies, we are ALSO not OTHER than our bodies either. Not binary, but continuum. The Spirit helps us realize our true life span.

12“So then, brothers (and sisters) , we are not obligated (debtors) to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 

This goes back to Paul’s salvery metaphor. Our alternative slavery (out of love) means we can actually step away from our obligations to our appetites, by the interior work of the Spirit.

¹³ For if you live according to the sinful nature you are set die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 

If you’ve ever had the experience where you could perceive in yourself something that needed to change…that awareness was the work of the Spirit. Some of us listen to this voice more than others. We often think it’s us, and it kind of is…it’s the true self found in God. Some of us open the gifts, others don’t, others open some. Think about it, what is the usual outcome for the most disciplined people among us? What about those who have no self governance? So few people know who they are on the other side of temptation. Paul is hoping to wake us up to a huge discovery.

¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons (and daughters) of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons (and daughters), by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

The gifts keep coming...with a contingency “if indeed we join or share in his suffering.”

As children, He wants to make us (kleronomos–recievers of a gift, heirs) and co-heirs, fellow receivers, benefactors along with his son (Christ)…through identifying with the Christoform pattern of life.

God desires to do for us what He has done for Christ……What??

We must have compassion on those who have yet to open the gift of their life. They are not stupid, they are ignorant of “what’s inside.” We all avoid pain and seek pleasure, as slaves to our flesh, we seek to throw away, rather than open, the gift of our suffering. Most gifts are not what we’d expect. Opportunity looks like work, bad news turns out good, the cross is now Good Friday. We’ll discover the tremendous beauty and purpose to it all suffering…namely, that we cannot go through life and miss God. There is no meaningless suffering, but that is hard to see when we are suffering. We must also consider how religion has made people skeptical or avoidant of opening gifts.

What changes if we replace the “innie” vs “outie” binary where only those converted to the Christian religion are “in Christ” with Paul’s “Christological Continuum” where we are all “in Christ” to varying degrees while at the same time helplessly under the bondage to our sinful nature? Isn’t Paul’s framework more realistic? Have you ever met anyone who lived a sinless life? Yes folks, we can overcome some sins by the power of the Spirit. Yes, we must strive to end sinful thoughts an behaviors, but not as a requirement for entrance into Christ, but as the evidence we are already there.

Perfection is not required, but the suffering of our struggle is. Struggle is the headwind that gives lift to our wings, it is the tension that holds up the bridge, it’s the stress that makes us stronger. Giving in to our flesh ruins our life, relationships and our world. In the end it’s a self that cannot ultimately exist.

This means being “in Christ” is the only place our true self, and our true life can ultimately exist.