THE BODY IS DEAD BECAUSE OF SIN "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin" (Romans 8:10) -- Monday:
The "body" is the part of us that is "dead." It is not recognized by God, and cannot be reconciled to Him. This condition exists "because of sin." Our bodies have the seeds of death within them, while our spirits, in Christ, possess God-bestowed and sustained life. This is why "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 15:50). It is why "the flesh profits nothing" (John 6:63).
The "body" is the part of us that remains unaffected by salvation. It must be subdued and brought into subjection to Christ. As Paul affirmed, "but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified" (1 Cor 9:27, NASB). Your body can keep you out heaven! It cries out to have the dominance in your life. Yield to its demands, and it will cause you to be disqualified for the prize of eternal life! Candidly, it appears as though this perspective is nearly extinct in the professed church. There are congregations that have more activity in their gymnasiums (now called family life centers) than in their [for want of a better term] sanctuaries. It is not unusual to see more professed church members at a picnic than when the Word of God is preached. All such people have a high veneration for the body, but little for their spirit.
Keenly sensitive of the real situation, Paul spoke for every sensitive soul. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom 7:24 KJV). In the body, death finds a place where it can reside. It is at home there, because the body has been denounced with an irreversible curse. "For you are dust, And to dust you shall return" (Gen 3:19). However, the appointment of death (Heb 9:27) also provides for release from the cursed part of our persons.
A religion that accentuates "the body" is destined to fail! "The body is dead because of sin." It cannot be allowed to sit in the driver's seat, so to speak. Those who make health or wealth their main thrust have erred. As important as diet and appearance may seem, they must not be allowed to occupy places of preeminence. The aspects of life that depend primarily upon "the body" must not become our focus. Whether it is government, the family, or other social relationships, they must not be viewed as primary! "The body is dead because of sin." As such, it is the subordinate part of us, and must be so viewed.
The stance of the believer is determined by a keen perception of the situation. "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" (Rom 8:13 KJV). The "deeds of the body" are the activities that are stimulated by the godless part of our persons. They are "deeds" that are to be refused dominance! They proceed from the cursed part of us. Yielding to such impulses brought Adam and Eve down, and it will bring you down also! The satisfaction of your lower nature, as vital as it may appear at times, is never to be at the heart of your attention.
Those who are sensitive to the Lord are acutely aware of the enmity of the body. The closer they draw to the throne of all grace, the less significant "the body" becomes. In the presence of the King, it becomes a "vile body," or "a body of humiliation" (Phil 3:21).
However you wish to view it, the body is a liability, not an asset, to the child of God. Forget this, and you will invariably fall into the snare of the devil! Any and every emphasis that places the body, in any sense, at the center, is seriously flawed.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I ask for grace to help me to subordinate my body, and bring it into subjection.