Romans 8:11 : But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Here again we have a condition stated. The making alive of our mortal bodies depends upon his Spirit's dwelling in us. Does this refer to the resurrection? Some think so. But does our resurrection from the dead depend upon the Spirit's dwelling in us? Do not the Scriptures plainly teach that the wicked, as well as the righteous, will be raised? The future resurrection from the dead is not the matter under discussion at this point. He had just stated that the body was dead because of sin. That means that it is no longer active in sin--no longer an instrument of sin. But is it to remain altogether inactive? Is it not to be brought into any kind of activity in the life of the Christian? If the Spirit of God dwells in you, he will make your bodies alive to righteousness. That seems to be in harmony with the context. Besides, I am not sure that in the resurrection God will give life to our mortal bodies. Here our bodies are mortal; they are subject to death and decay they return to dust. In the resurrection will God again form the dust into a mortal body and then give it life? Are we to be mortal when raised from the dead? If not, then this verse is not talking about the resurrection from the dead. "Shall give life also to your mortal bodies" is stated in the future tense, because there are conditions to be performed by man. The word "also" connects this giving life to our mortal bodies with the life already given to the spirit. The fact that Jesus was raised from the dead that we might-- be saved--might be made alive to his service is a guarantee that even our bodies, as well as our spirits, shall be made alive to righteousness. By the teaching of the Holy Spirit we are required to present our bodies a living sacrifice. So if the Spirit of God dwells in us, not only are our spirits alive to righteousness, but our bodies will also be made alive to the service of God. "For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (2 Corinthians 4:11). The following note seems to be worth inserting here "The section (Romans 8:1-11) balances the preceding section (Romans 7:7-25). There the inability of the law by itself to produce the higher spiritual life was shown, and the argument dealt primarily and mainly with human life as it is now. Here the whole object is to show that the gospel provides just such a power as law lacks that is, to revive and renew the human spirit so as to enable it to mold and master the whole life. The life and death spoken of are the spiritual life and death already described; the raising is the present liberation of the spirit which affects the body also, making it, too, serve its true ends and live its true life. The raising of Jesus is a proof both of the will and character and power of that Spirit, which operated then and operates now through the risen life communicated now to man (cf. Romans 6:2-11). The future resurrection is not referred to but it is, of course, implied as a consequence of the whole relation thus described between God and man." (Cambridge Greek Testament).