Hope: As It Is in Heaven, So Be It on EarthSample

Welcome to day 3 of week 3 in our series about Hope. Today, we focus on Romans 8:10&11, where Paul continues to write on life in the Spirit.

“But if Christ is in you, although your bodies are dead because of sin, your spirits are alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit which dwells in you.”

One of our team members had a dreamlike vision one evening that provided a new perspective on these verses. In the dream, there was an elderly person from the congregation, whom we'll call William, who had passed away a few months earlier due to cancer. The dreamer was standing at a small table with a well-known classical pianist from our region playing the piano next to him.

Despite having passed away, William looked old, resembling his pre-cancer self. He pointed at the dreamer and said, "You must do something for the Lord." Then, he turned and walked down a road with trees on both sides. As he ran, he grew younger. At the end of the road, he turned around, appearing as the most beautiful person the dreamer had ever seen. He even tore open his clothes, with the glory of God shining from him. In the dream, the dreamer kept pounding on the table, repeating the words, "I knew it, I knew it, I just knew it."

Upon waking up, these words of Paul echoed in the dreamer's mind: "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies." It became clear that everything God created, seen and unseen, is included in the salvation made possible by Jesus through his death and resurrection. There is hope for everything and everyone.

Yes, our bodies still carry the death that resulted from sin, and we still await complete renewal in our own resurrection into glorified bodies. But our bodies also carry the glorious resurrection power of God through the Holy Spirit that is dwelling in us. The very same power by which God raised Jesus from the dead is already at work in us.

We come to the realization that there’s a purpose to this power. We are called to do something for God. We all have unique gifts, now empowered by the Spirit, to serve the King and his kingdom. When Paul speaks of "Christ in you," he refers to the Spirit who lives in us. Remember, Christ is Jesus’ royal title. The King is personally present through His Spirit to empower and guide us as partners in His Kingdom's work.

Be mindful of the Spirit and the things of the Spirit. Consider your life as a partnership with the Holy Spirit, where you can ask and receive what is needed to represent the King and His kingdom. Ask the Spirit to help you discern your gifts, develop them, and use them to work with God’s resurrection power to bring hope to your world.

And so, we pray: "Praise you, Father, for the resurrection of Christ that guarantees our resurrection. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for bringing this resurrection power into us. King Jesus, teach us and guide us to represent your kingdom wherever we are. In your name, we pray. Amen."