ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
In the Person of His Holy Spirit, Christ dwells in every~ one who has received Him by faith. The body is lifeless, so far as the ability to produce fruit is concerned. We need not expect any fruit to come from this mortal body. It is not dead as far as unrighteousness is concerned, but it can not produce fruit unto God. The only way for our bodies to produce fruit is by the Spirit operating in us. But thank God! This will not always be our s~ verse 11 Paul tells us: "If the Spirit 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." In these words we are pointed on to that time when our bodies shall be quickened. The Holy Spirit raised Christ, and He will raise us. This quickening, my dear friends, does not refer to the present; it refers to the future. The Spirit who raised Christ will eventually raise us, and give us our new bodies. When Christ comes, our resurrection bodies will be like His. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (I John 3:2 ). Those who believe in extreme divine healing make verse 11 apply to. the present. But this can not be, following the statement of the previous verse. The body is judicially dead, not actually. A strong body does not necessarily mean a strong spiritual life; nor does a weak body necessarily mean a weak spiritual life. Our mortal bodies will be like this until Christ comes. Then mortality shall put on immortality, and corruption shall put on incorruption. There will be no more sickness, pain, or sorrow. Our resurrection bodies will be like Christ's; and let us remember that His resurrection body was real. I am going to preach this next Lord's Day at the Church of the Open Door on "The Risen Christ, the Foundation of All Church Truth." I not only believe in the empty tomb, but I believe also in the risen Christ. "Pastor" Russell believed in the empty tomb, but Russellism says that Christ's body was dissolved [Page H3
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