With Dale Ratzlaff
We continue our study in Romans 8:5-8.
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Commentary
In these four verses Paul is contrasting believers with unbelievers. The contrast is targeted to life-change. How can one live a righteous life? Previously, Paul has shown in Romans 7:5-6 that our sinful passions are aroused by the Law and bear fruit for death. A quick review is helpful as Paul is explaining in more detail what is summarized in these two verses from Romans.
For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:5-6).
Once we have been released from the law: the condemnation of the law and the tutelage of the law, then we are in a position to be transformed by the Spirit as we noted in Romans 8:4.
…so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:4).
I want to stress again that “might be fulfilled” is passive; it is the work of the Spirit to change our hearts, our attitudes and our actions and mold them to be in harmony with God’s moral principles of life. There is no place for spiritual pride in the Christian life. Was it not for God’s verdict of justification freeing our conscious from the guilt of sin and the condemnation of the law, we could not focus our minds on the work of the Spirit. We would continually live the defeated life expressed in Romans 7. Now, in Romans 8, having been justified by faith, we take our eyes off ourselves and place them on “the things of the Spirit”. In the rest of this chapter Paul will mention many of “the things of the Spirit”. However, at this point it would be well for us to widen our vision to include a summary of the “things of the Spirit”.
Among the many characteristics of the personhood that the Holy Spirit possesses and manifests are: He function’s with the mind, emotion, and will; He loves the saints, He communicates with them, teaches, guides, comforts, and chastises them; He can be grieved, quenched, lied to, tested, resisted, and blasphemed. The Bible speaks of His omniscience, His omnipotence, His omnipresence, and His divine glory and holiness. He is called God, Lord, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Yahweh (or Jehovah), the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of the Son, the Spirit of Jesus, the Comforter and Advocate for believers.
In our section of Romans for this study (8:5-8), notice the repeated use of “mind set”. If there is one thing that we can control, it is what we think about. And even here it is only because at the new birth we are given the mind of Christ.
But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:14-16).
In Ephesians 4 we learn,
…that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Eph. 4:23-24).
Paul tells in our text for today, “the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” While it is the indwelling Holy Spirit that guides, empowers and sanctifies, we have the opportunity to cooperate with the Spirit by an action of the mind. We set our minds on the things of God. It is a law of the mind that we become what we think about. It is here that we have freedom. We can think about “things of the Spirit” or we can think about “things of the flesh”. The Holy Spirit has given us back the freedom to cooperate with God. In Galatians Paul shows us the result of having our minds set on the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25).
By contrast,
…the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom. 5:6-8).
Without the indwelling Spirit, one is unable to keep the law. We might ask, “What does the mind-set on the flesh look like?”
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21).
Application
Let us ask ourselves what is our mind-set? What do we think about all day long? Obviously, our daily work occupies a large part of our thinking. For those of us who are in some type of ministry it is easier to spend more time thinking about the things of the Spirit as that is our work. Throughout the day do you find yourselves often talking with God? Lord, help me to this. Thank you for this beautiful day. Give me the strength and health to do your will. Teach me what this passage in Scripture means. Help me know how to encourage _____. What is your will regarding this purchase?
Or, are your thoughts directed toward pleasing yourself without regard to God’s will? Are your thoughts immoral? Could your prize possessions be classified as idolatry? Do you find yourself often in strife with others? Do you envy those richer, more successful, or good looking? Do your thoughts throughout the day include prayer to God for His leading? If not what does that tell you?
In summary is your mind-set on the flesh or the things of the Spirit? This is a very important question!
Prayer (chose the right one for you)
- Father, thank you for filling me with the Spirit and giving me the mind of Christ! Help me keep my mind set on the things of the Spirit.
- Lord, I realize that my thoughts are not focused on the things of the Spirit, but on the things of the flesh. I confess my sin, my selfishness, my attempt to live my life without regard to you. I now see how much I need Christ in my life. I believe you died for me and forgave my sin, rose from the grave for my justification and now you are filling my life with the Holy Spirit. Guide my life and help we walk by the Spirit.In Jesus name, Amen.
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