For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
- Romans 8:5-11
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
- Romans 8:5-11
Our Old Nature
Verse 7
So why is it that the mind of the flesh is death? Verse 7 answers this for us. It’s because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God.
It’s nature is opposed to God. The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God. The Law of God is the revelation of his nature. Therefore, the opposition to the law is opposition to God.
Paul seems to indicate that it’s not a passive state, it’s not a casual state. It’s a purposeful and active action against the nature of God. Those who are in the flesh are actively against God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 also asserts that the natural, carnal man is not only in opposition to God, but cannot accept the things of God and counts the things of God as foolishness.
So why is it that the mind of the flesh is death? Verse 7 answers this for us. It’s because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God.
It’s nature is opposed to God. The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God. The Law of God is the revelation of his nature. Therefore, the opposition to the law is opposition to God.
Paul seems to indicate that it’s not a passive state, it’s not a casual state. It’s a purposeful and active action against the nature of God. Those who are in the flesh are actively against God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 also asserts that the natural, carnal man is not only in opposition to God, but cannot accept the things of God and counts the things of God as foolishness.
This is what we all were, this is who Paul is saying we were prior to coming to Christ as were, if it weren’t for the grace of God we would still be at enmity with God, we would still be in opposition to God, we would still count the things of God as foolishness, but it is by God’s Grace and the Holy Spirit and the work of Christ on the Cross that we can know God, we can grow in Christ’s image, we can have a relationship with God, we are no longer in opposition to God. But this is not the state of the rest of the world, and our heart should break for this.
A depraved person cannot submit themselves to God’s law because he is at war with God.
Transition between 5-7 & 8-11
How can this be if every man dies? How is life possible at all? What are you talking about Paul?
All men die because they are in the human situation, but the Spirit-controlled man dies, only to rise again. Christ died and rose again, and the man who is one with Christ is one with death’s conqueror and shares in that victory.
The Spirit Controlled, Christ-possessed man is on the way to life, but death is an inevitable interlude that has to be passed through on the way.
Verse 8
This is the result of those who live in the flesh, whose minds are governed by the flesh, they are in a constant state of displeasure from God; they cannot please God.
Enmity towards God has a natural consequence, and that consequence is divine disfavor. Those who are opposed to God are objects of God’s displeasure and will ultimately be the objects of the wrath of God.
I’ve heard that some people don’t like it when you say that unbelievers are the object of God’s wrath. They’ll say, how is anyone supposed to come to a God whom they’re the object of God’s wrath. But it isn’t God’s fault, it is human fault. Because unbelievers are at odds with God. You’re either with God or you’re against Him. I think this truth is something we need to be proclaiming more often. It reminds me of the sermon preached by Johnathan Edwards titled “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God”
We are either living in the flesh or living in the Spirit, therefore we are either the object of God’s love or the object of God’s wrath. There cannot be hope without holiness. And when we try and make the separation between being the object of God’s love and holy living, we are making the separation between Christian living and hypocritical living. But there is good news for those who are the object of God’s wrath, they can become the object of God’s love, but they can’t be both.
A depraved person cannot submit themselves to God’s law because he is at war with God.
Transition between 5-7 & 8-11
How can this be if every man dies? How is life possible at all? What are you talking about Paul?
All men die because they are in the human situation, but the Spirit-controlled man dies, only to rise again. Christ died and rose again, and the man who is one with Christ is one with death’s conqueror and shares in that victory.
The Spirit Controlled, Christ-possessed man is on the way to life, but death is an inevitable interlude that has to be passed through on the way.
Verse 8
This is the result of those who live in the flesh, whose minds are governed by the flesh, they are in a constant state of displeasure from God; they cannot please God.
Enmity towards God has a natural consequence, and that consequence is divine disfavor. Those who are opposed to God are objects of God’s displeasure and will ultimately be the objects of the wrath of God.
I’ve heard that some people don’t like it when you say that unbelievers are the object of God’s wrath. They’ll say, how is anyone supposed to come to a God whom they’re the object of God’s wrath. But it isn’t God’s fault, it is human fault. Because unbelievers are at odds with God. You’re either with God or you’re against Him. I think this truth is something we need to be proclaiming more often. It reminds me of the sermon preached by Johnathan Edwards titled “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God”
We are either living in the flesh or living in the Spirit, therefore we are either the object of God’s love or the object of God’s wrath. There cannot be hope without holiness. And when we try and make the separation between being the object of God’s love and holy living, we are making the separation between Christian living and hypocritical living. But there is good news for those who are the object of God’s wrath, they can become the object of God’s love, but they can’t be both.
The Implications of Our old nature
Verse 9
“But”, “However” I told you how much I enjoy the “buts” or “howevers” when they come directly after death. This one, in particular, comes after not being able to please God. It would be tragic if the verses stopped there, but there’s a “but”
We are not carnal, we are not fleshly, we do not have a mind controlled by the flesh, we are in the Spirit. We are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Remember all the way back in Chapter 1 when we talked about the Roman church’s relationship to Paul? What was the Roman Church know for? The Roman Church was known for their faith, their faith was being proclaimed throughout the world. And this was a Church that Paul really didn’t know, but he knew their faith. Show me a church that is known for their faith, and I’ll show you a church that is living by the Spirit.
But Paul goes on to clarify. He says that it’s not just walking the walk or talking the talk. It’s not just the outward proclamation of this faith or of Christ, but it’s also the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That is the true litmus test. We may be Church members, we may have grown up in a Christian family, we may volunteer, we may do all these good things, but unless we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, what Paul is saying won’t apply. This is the hinge pin to Paul’s argument… This is true… if you’re indwelled by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit now dwells in the Church. The Holy Spirit dwells in each individual believer.
When Paul is writing, he says, “Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Christ.” Some might be inclined to point to this and say, Paul is talking about the disposition of God or of Christ. If you are not like Christ, if you are not like God, if you don’t have the same disposition of God, then none of this applies. However, Paul isn’t talking about disposition, he’s talking about the Holy Spirit. He’s talking about the 3rd person of the trinity. There are other places in Scripture that Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Christ as well.
The Holy Spirit is of the Spirit of Christ in the same sense in that he is the Spirit of God. The Spirit stands in the same relation to Christ as he does to God the Father as Spirit. But we also see that Christ is the source and the one whom gives the Spirit to his Children.
So we see another example of Paul’s ability to string multiple thoughts together to make one point, which he makes in the next verse. Paul maybe could have said, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, and because of this you have life because of righteousness.” But he wants to make sure that he qualifies his statement. He wants to make it clear, that those who have life are only those whom the Holy Spirit dwells. And if we do not have the Holy Spirit, we do not belong to Christ.
“But”, “However” I told you how much I enjoy the “buts” or “howevers” when they come directly after death. This one, in particular, comes after not being able to please God. It would be tragic if the verses stopped there, but there’s a “but”
We are not carnal, we are not fleshly, we do not have a mind controlled by the flesh, we are in the Spirit. We are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Remember all the way back in Chapter 1 when we talked about the Roman church’s relationship to Paul? What was the Roman Church know for? The Roman Church was known for their faith, their faith was being proclaimed throughout the world. And this was a Church that Paul really didn’t know, but he knew their faith. Show me a church that is known for their faith, and I’ll show you a church that is living by the Spirit.
But Paul goes on to clarify. He says that it’s not just walking the walk or talking the talk. It’s not just the outward proclamation of this faith or of Christ, but it’s also the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That is the true litmus test. We may be Church members, we may have grown up in a Christian family, we may volunteer, we may do all these good things, but unless we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit, what Paul is saying won’t apply. This is the hinge pin to Paul’s argument… This is true… if you’re indwelled by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit now dwells in the Church. The Holy Spirit dwells in each individual believer.
- Ephesians 2:22
- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - *So glorify God in your body
- John 14:15-17 – if you love me, keep my commandments. And we have a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us
- 2 Timothy 1:13-14
When Paul is writing, he says, “Spirit of God” and “Spirit of Christ.” Some might be inclined to point to this and say, Paul is talking about the disposition of God or of Christ. If you are not like Christ, if you are not like God, if you don’t have the same disposition of God, then none of this applies. However, Paul isn’t talking about disposition, he’s talking about the Holy Spirit. He’s talking about the 3rd person of the trinity. There are other places in Scripture that Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Christ as well.
- Galatians 4:6
- Philippians 1:19
- 1 Peter 1:11
The Holy Spirit is of the Spirit of Christ in the same sense in that he is the Spirit of God. The Spirit stands in the same relation to Christ as he does to God the Father as Spirit. But we also see that Christ is the source and the one whom gives the Spirit to his Children.
- John 15:26
- John 16:7
- Luke 24:49
So we see another example of Paul’s ability to string multiple thoughts together to make one point, which he makes in the next verse. Paul maybe could have said, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, and because of this you have life because of righteousness.” But he wants to make sure that he qualifies his statement. He wants to make it clear, that those who have life are only those whom the Holy Spirit dwells. And if we do not have the Holy Spirit, we do not belong to Christ.