What is the meaning of Romans 8:10?

But if Christ is in you

- Paul assumes the reality of Christ’s indwelling for every believer. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) echoes the same assurance.

- Union with Christ is personal and present, not theoretical. As Jesus promised, “I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity” (John 17:23).

- This indwelling changes identity: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

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your body is dead because of sin

- Though Christ lives within, the physical body still bears the consequence of Adam’s fall. “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin… death spread to all men” (Romans 5:12).

- “Dead” points to mortality and the ongoing decay of the flesh (2 Corinthians 4:16), reminding us that redemption of the body awaits future resurrection (Romans 8:23).

- Practical implications:

• We do not trust the flesh (Philippians 3:3).

• We reckon ourselves “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

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yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness

- The moment Christ enters, He imparts His righteousness, fulfilling “the righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17).

- Spiritual life is God-breathed: “Even when we were dead in trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5).

- This righteousness is not earned; it is “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (Romans 3:22).

- Ongoing results:

• We walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh (Galatians 5:16).

• We set our minds on things of the Spirit, leading to life and peace (Romans 8:6).

• We bear spiritual fruit that evidences inner life (John 15:5; Galatians 5:22-23).

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summary

Romans 8:10 assures believers that while our bodies remain under the shadow of sin’s mortality, our inner beings pulse with the very life of Christ, granted through His righteousness. This tension keeps us humble about our frailty, hopeful for resurrection, and confident to live Spirit-empowered lives that display Christ within.