Quickened!

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ~ Romans 8:11

In the past upon reading this verse, I only equated ‘quicken your mortal bodies’ with the glorified body I would receive in the resurrection at the return of Christ. Why I did, I do not know. Maybe because I had heard it referenced in sermons on that particular topic. Whatever the reason, that is the only way I looked at this verse.

Now, while it is certainly true that I will receive a glorified body at the return of Christ, I believe this verse speaks not only of a future quickening, but also of a present quickening in the current body.

Let me explain.

Since I am in Christ Jesus then I have died to sin, for my old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed. The Spirit of God now dwells in me. Therefore, I can experience a ‘quickening’ in my present mortal body.

What I mean is this.

I have the resurrection power of Christ available to me even at this very moment to put sin to death and to live in the Spirit. Sin shall not have dominion over me, for I am not under law, but I am under grace. I have been made free from the power of sin and I have become a servant to God. I now have power to overcome.

Victory is mine for the taking.

Instead of living in this life defeated by the flesh, I now have power from Christ to mortify the sin that dwells in it. Through the Spirit I can put sin to death and walk in a victorious life! The same power that gave Christ victory over sin, death, and the grave can and will give me victory too!

There is victory in Jesus!

Now while it is true that I am looking forward to the glorified body which I will one day receive, it is equally true that I can experience a ‘quickening’ in the body I currently have. Through the power of the Holy Spirit I can now ‘yield my members as instruments of righteousness unto God.’ I can have fruit unto holiness because the law of the spirit of Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death and the same power that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken my mortal body by his Spirit who dwells in me.

That is powerful! That is resurrection power!

Yes, Our Lord can save to the uttermost them that come to God through Him!