In both 8:6 and 12:2 Paul speaks concerning the mind. In 12:2 he tells us that we need to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. But if our mind is not set on the spirit, it cannot be renewed. The renewing of the mind results from setting the mind on the spirit. Therefore, the mind set on the spirit in 8:6 becomes the renewed mind in 12:2. Our mind can be renewed only by its being set on the spirit.
Paul’s word concerning the body and the mind in chapters eight and twelve links these chapters. The same is true about what he says concerning our spirit. In 12:11 he exhorts us to be burning in spirit. But if our spirit has not been made alive, it cannot be burning. Only when life is prevailing in our spirit can we be burning in spirit.
The fact that Paul’s word concerning the body, the mind, and the spirit in chapters eight and twelve links these chapters, indicates that the enjoyment of the divine dispensing in chapter eight issues in the Body life in chapter twelve. This matter is very experiential. If we do not have the adequate experience of what is revealed in chapter eight and do not enjoy the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity into the three parts of our being, we shall not realize the Body of Christ. Rather, the teaching concerning the Body would merely be a doctrine to us, and our talk regarding the Body would be vain. But when we experience and enjoy the divine dispensing in Romans 8, this experience and enjoyment issues in the realization of the Body life in chapter twelve. When I enjoy the dispensing of the divine Trinity, I aspire to be in the Body. The enjoyment of the divine dispensing makes me a living member of the Body of Christ in a practical way.
We know that Paul did not conclude the Epistle to the Romans with chapter twelve, but went on until he came to chapter sixteen. This chapter contains Paul’s greetings. When I was young, I did not care for this chapter of greetings. However, in recent years I have seen that this chapter is not merely a list of greetings; this chapter is on the local church life. In verse 1 Paul mentions the church in Cenchrea. In verse 4 Paul refers to “all the churches of the nations,” and in verse 5, to the church in the house of Prisca and Aquila. Then in verse 16 he says, “The churches of Christ greet you.” As I considered these verses, I realized that the greetings in this chapter were given in the sphere of the church life. This is a strong indication that if we are serious with the Lord concerning the Christian life, we need to come to the point of having the church life in a practical way. The church life is part of the full gospel revealed in the book of Romans.
In the first two and a half chapters of Romans, we see that we were sinners. But according to the second part of chapter three, all of chapter four, and the first part of chapter five, we have been justified and reconciled to God. Following this we see, in the second part of chapter five and in chapters six through eight, that in Christ we are being sanctified. We have pointed out that in chapter eight we enjoy the divine dispensing, the dispensing of the divine life into our tripartite being as our supply. It is by this dispensing that we are sanctified, transformed, and made living members of the Body of Christ in chapter twelve. After writing about all this, Paul brings us to the local church life portrayed in chapter sixteen.
Wherever we may be, we should participate in the church life in our locality. It is here in the local church life that Satan, the Devil, will be crushed beneath our feet. Therefore, in 16:20 Paul says, “Now the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Amen.” From experience we know that when we live in the church life, Satan is crushed under our feet, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with us. Therefore, in the church life we have the crushing of Satan and the enjoyment of grace. All this is included in the gospel of God.
The full salvation of God’s complete gospel includes the church life. Not only does this salvation include justification, sanctification, and the Body in a doctrinal way; it also includes the church life in a practical way. The Body of Christ can be practical to us only through the genuine practice of the local church life. If we are not in a local church, how can we be in the Body of Christ in a practical way? Apart from the church life, the teaching concerning the Body is theory. Unless we are in the church life in a practical way, our talk concerning the Body will be vain.
Here in the church life not only do we have all the experiences described in chapters one through twelve, but here Satan is crushed under our feet, and we enjoy the grace of the Lord Jesus. Praise the Lord that the divine dispensing of the Divine Trinity issues in the genuine Body life practiced in the local churches!