"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the spirit is life and peace. Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God: for it is not subject of the law of God, neither indeed can be, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8v5-8
He now gives a graphic description of the human state prior to conversion, and therefore of the state of unconverted people now. He puts it under a number of headings:
- "They that are after the flesh." This means more that they are under the flesh, that is under the power and domination of the flesh. What is the flesh? It is the corrupted human nature handed down from Adam, which we have all had from birth. This picture is not very complimentary but it is true. God wants us to look into the mirror of His word, and see ourselves as we really are. Everything we do is dictated by the selfish cravings of the flesh, our corrupted human nature. Some of these cravings may well be good in themselves and legitimate, from a purely natural point of view, but what Paul is describing here is a kind of spiritual slavery under the dictates of our corrupt nature. In Ephesians chapter 2 verses 1-4 Paul describes the human state in terms of a three-fold slavery. We are enslaved to the world system all around us, we are enslaved to the unseen demon spirits behind the world system, and we are enslaved to the dictates of the flesh. It is in that section he says "fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the mind." Our corrupt human nature being dominated by unseen sources too great for us we are thus classed as being "under the flesh."
- "They mind the things of the flesh." The word "mind" goes to what we are occupied with on a daily basis; what takes up our time, our interests, our pursuits, what dominates our thinking and therefore our actions. Since we are not taken up with matters concerning heaven and the things of God it is surely a fact that we mind things of this world only. Many of these things are good like education and business and achievement. We are concerned to prepare for a good career; to get married and raise children; to provide homes and shelter for our loved ones; we are concerned with preparing for retirement; we are concerned with leaving a legacy to our children and so we even prepare for death. Sadly however, there is nothing beyond that, no preparation for eternity. The thing about "minding the things of the flesh" is not to say that all the things of the flesh are evil and profligate, for many are right and legitimate; it is to say that all of this is done without reference to God. We have left God out of our thinking and out of our lives altogether. If we are not atheists in doctrine, we are in practice; in reality we live as if God does not exist. This is what is meant by "minding the things of the flesh". The Psalmist said "the fool has said in his heart there is no God." Psalm 14v1 A better rendering of that would be "the fool has said in his heart no God for me ." That is exactly what the Psalm is saying and that is exactly the condition of most of the present world.
- "The mind of the flesh is death." The bible says elsewhere "alienated from the life of God". We were created to live in fellowship with God. Human beings today are living as only partial beings. We are tri-partite beings consisting of body, soul and spirit and we are completely devoid of the spiritual side of our natural make-up. If we do have any spiritual experience, it is contact with the wrong spirits, we are devoid of real spiritual contact as it was intended to be, we are spiritually dead to God our Creator, and if that situation is to change a miracle of resurrection, spiritually, must take place. Here is the language of those who are dead to God "the Bible is a fairytale for those people who are afraid of the dark". To this Professor John Lennox replied "Atheism is a fairytale for those who are afraid of the light."
- "The mind of the flesh is enmity against God." Disregard of God and living lives devoid of the Sprit of God leads people to be antagonistic towards God, towards God's people, and towards God's things. There is no more maligned person in the universe than God. The Bible is a fairytale, Christians are weak, they need religion because there is something wrong with them. The reality is that this mind set of the human being hates God and His laws and His people. They want to change God's laws for their own ideas and essentially they want to deify themselves. Says Paul, they are not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be.
- "They that are in the flesh cannot please God." All such bring down the displeasure of God upon them, something has to change if we are to find acceptance with God. As we are, under the flesh minding the things of the flesh, living only for things of this world we will find no acceptance with God. God will reject us, but there is another way.
Tomorrow d.v. what it means to be after the Spirit.
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