Reflection on Rom 8:11-13
Chapter eight of the Epistle to the Romans leads us into the mystery of deliverance from spiritual and physical slavery which is the consequence of the infection of original sin in us. Verses 1 and 2 speak of deliverance from the law of sin and death which is only possible through the law of the Spirit who gives life in Christ Jesus. The law as such means that something is repeated, a certain regularity. If we have received the Spirit of God, listen to His voice and obey it, following our conscience, we are not carnal people but spiritual. Verse 11 says that if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, He will also give life to our mortal bodies.
What does it mean to “give life”? Original sin influences both our body and soul. It arouses lusts of the flesh which make man into a slave. Its manifestation in the soul is selfishness and pride which likewise enslave man. The human spirit created in God’s image is in the innermost depths of the soul. If we have received Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, and if we have also received the Holy Spirit through faith and true repentance like the Apostles on the day of Pentecost, now through pure love for God we must allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate into our soul and to give life to it. To love God means to lose our life for Christ’s sake and the Gospel’s (cf. Mk 8:34f). To lose our life for the sake of Jesus means to actualize the mystery of baptism through which we were buried into Christ’s death and grafted on His new life – life of the risen Christ.
This is connected with the first and greatest commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength. This must be done first of all in interior prayer. Put this love into practice at least for one minute a day. How? Realize for a moment that God sees you. Realize Christ’s death which is expressed in the words: “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Realize the minute of your death and consciously separate your spirit from the soul burdened with vanities, fears or plans. Simply, love God at that moment with all your soul. In other words, leave hold of everything and give yourself wholly to God. Love God with all the strength of your spirit too. He will intercede in you and for you with groanings which cannot be uttered (cf. Rom 8:26). This pure love, or total dedication to God, allows the Holy Spirit to work. He will enlighten your mind and strengthen and heal your will. He will give life to both your body and soul and sanctify them.
Download: Reflection on Rom 8:11-13
