What does 'if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you' mean in Romans 8:9?
It means the indwelling Holy Spirit is the evidence that a person has genuinely experienced salvation. The phrase 'if so be' is a condition: if the Spirit of God dwells in you, that indwelling is the proof that you have eternal life and are no longer in the flesh.
Les explains that this verse is set against the believer's changed position. The believer is not in the flesh or under old Adam's control, but is in the Spirit, in Christ, and a child of God, though still living in the body. Then Les highlights the condition: 'If so be' means if it has happened, if you have genuinely experienced salvation, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. He calls this the proof of the pudding and the proof that you have eternal life—the indwelling Holy Spirit. He then turns to Ephesians 1 as another verse he likes to use for the plan of salvation.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
More Questions
What is the condition for being in the Spirit rather than in the flesh?
Being in the Spirit rather than in the flesh is conditioned on the Spirit of God dwelling in you, which is the same as having genuinely experienced salvation.
Why is Romans 8:9 about not having the Spirit of Christ such a scary verse?
Paul's statement that if any man has not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His is a scary verse, and Les says people sometimes need to be scared a little bit by it.
what does it mean if you do not have the Spirit of Christ Romans 8:9
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.
What does it mean to be in the Spirit rather than in the flesh in Romans 8:9?
In Romans 8:9, being in the Spirit rather than in the flesh means you are under the Holy Spirit's control instead of under old Adam's control.