Grow 12: Romans 8:5-8

Romans 8:5-8 (NASB)

 ⁵For 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. ⁶For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ⁷because 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, ⁸and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The Big Picture

Sometimes a good chart can illustrate clearly what could take pages and pages of written text.  The following chart is helpful for understanding graphically what Paul is describing in words.

Romans 8:5

⁵For 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.

Walking Accordingly

Paul is now contrasting the two ways that a believer can walk at any given time.  Not shockingly the two different walks have wildly different results.  The two different choices a believer is free to make at any time are described in extreme terms in these verses:  Life and Death.  It is the difference between a life of constant growth and fellowship with God in the relationship which He has freely given us in Christ, or a life that is devoid of that grace, love and fellowship described here simply as: Death.  This shows us clearly that someone can be a genuine believer their entire lives and never “get it”!  A believer may never understand what is needed to grow and thus spend an entire life out of fellowship with God and trying to make it on his or her own steam.  This is a great tragedy that must be understood at all costs if we are to become what the Lord longs to make us to be.  So Paul here sets up the two options for believers:

The Flesh – This is a synonym for the Sin Nature (the Sin).  And harkens back to Paul’s statement in Romans 7:

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. Romans 7:5

But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. Romans 7:8

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Romans 7:18

but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:23

So one option available to every believer is to live a life that is focused on (and thus controlled by) the Flesh, or the Sin Nature.  This can take either of two guises:

1) Living in overt sin which brings about the functional death of described in Rom. 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2)  Attempting to be perfect ourselves by some outside law or standard ending in the death and frustration described in Romans 7 and culminating in 7:24: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

Notice that either “ditch” that the believer may fall into is self focused.  Whether focused on “my own personal lusts” or “my own persona desires” the focus is on the same person: me.  The opposite of being focused on the self, is to be focused on Christ.

Do you Mind?

This verse also mentions the “mind” which is here set either on the flesh or one the Spirit.  The word translated “set their minds” is a Greek word that means their entire mindset.  It has the idea of the entire mentality being controlled by one principle or the other.  It is not just one conscious decision but rather a mental state of being that is controlled either by the flesh or the Spirit.  This, again, is the vital choice that each believer makes on a day-by-day, moment-by-moment basis.  Our mindset will be, at any given time, either carnal (set on self) or Spiritual (set on the Spirit).  Each choice has consequences.

Get Spiritual

The world has great misunderstandings about the idea of “spirituality”.  Even Christians mistake and use this term unbiblically quite commonly.  A person who is involved in eastern mysticism may be called “spiritual” as could someone who is an aesthetic, absorbing themselves with their petty abstinence from whatever worldly evils they view as destructive.  A person may be called “spiritual” because they are particularly charismatic and interesting in a group.  However, none of these things are Biblical spirituality.  To be spiritual from the biblical perspective is to be in fellowship with God.  That is, to have one’s mindset controlled by the Spirit in the context of relationship and trusting in what God has done for us (and is doing in us) through the life and work of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:6

⁶For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,”

Cause and Effect

Having a “fleshly (or carnal) mindset” has certain effects on the life of the believer.  The result of having this mind set is “death”.  As has been made plain by the study of the use of the word “death” throughout the book of Romans (and the greater context of the Bible itself going back to the first occurrence in Genesis) “death” is separation and spiritual death is separation from fellowship with God.  A person who has placed their faith (trust, belief and faith) in Jesus Christ has been saved from “eternal death” (hell and eternal damnation) but can still experience a temporary, functional “death” of lost fellowship with God. 

Life and Peace

“Life and peace” are two wonderful words!  Just mentioning them can bring a pleasant reaction in our mentalities.  We all long to enjoy what Christ promised in himself:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”  John 10:10

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27

“Life” here is abundant flowing Spiritual life that comes from connectedness to the source of life – the God who created life, and is Himself life.  Jesus illustrated this reality in John 15:4: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”  Just as a branch cannot continue to live when severed from the vine, so we dry up quickly when we are not connected to the life giving sap source of the True Vine Jesus Christ. 

“Peace” in the biblical context is far more than simply absence of conflict.  This has the idea of a wholeness, a completeness, that knows now want.  This is why Paul was able to say: “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”  (Philippians 4:12)  Paul is able to endure every situation because he has found the wholeness, completeness (that is peace) that is in Christ alone.

Romans 8:7-8

⁷because 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, ⁸and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

WHY?

Children have a wonderful way of asking why?  When they don’t understand something they simply keep asking “why” until they do understand.  Paul is catering to this demand of the human mind because when we understand why something is the case it should better prepare us to make correct choices.  The “carnal mind” is said to be hostile towards God.  “Hostile” here is a strong word that invokes the emotion of hatred.  The fleshly mindset is at odds with God by its very disposition.  Whether that hostility expresses itself as the desire to do horrible, ugly disgusting or hateful things, or it seeks to earn righteousness by its own power, the end reality is that it rejects man’s essential need for Christ’s righteousness in all things.

Not Subject

Even when we try to attain righteousness through the flesh and the law we find that our sin nature is not subject to the Law.  The Sin Nature doesn’t WANT to be subject to the Law of God, even for the purposes of self-righteousness.  This is why every legalist is, at core, a hypocrite.  Even if they can fool others into believing that they never violate God’s standard of perfection we find that they (or we) do so inadvertently.  Then Paul gives the reason why.  Not only is the flesh (the sin nature) simply unwilling to subject itself to God’s righteous standard it is UNABLE to do so.  Even if the desire is there (as it very much was for Paul in Romans 7) the ability (literally – potential power) is simply not there.  The flesh is not “reformable” it must be left at the cross where God dealt with it by identifying us with Jesus Christ.

Those who are in the flesh

Who is “in the flesh”?  Clearly every person who has not trusted Jesus Christ is in the flesh, as there is no other place for them to be.  However, the context of this chapter isn’t talking about believers and unbelievers.  The context has believers squarely in view.  The believer in Jesus Christ can walk by the flesh or by the Spirit.  The consequences of walking in the flesh are plain, and of the UTMOST importance.

cannot please God

This is a statement that could not be understated in importance.  Anything we do while abiding in the flesh.  Anything that we do for selfish reasons does NOT please God at all.  This is quite important as believers are often tempted to try to do the “right thing” to maintain appearances.  We may choose a life that we think is the most sure to please God (like a ministry livelihood, missions, or any sort of social justice) yet if it is not done while walking in the Holy Spirit is it WASTED TIME from the perspective of our own personal spiritual growth.  A person could spend their entire lives feeding the poor, handing out tracts or doing missions in the most dangerous places and never once do a single thing to please God. 

Still about the Relationship

This may start to seem a bit dry, but in the end it is a continuation of everything that Paul has written about so far.  Everything revolves around our fellowship and connectedness to Jesus Christ.  If a man is in fellowship with his wife she will be blessed just talking to him.  If he has been a scoundrel and is not in fellowship with her then no amount of flowers and gifts will win him back into her favor.  Similarly, in our relationship with God only what we do with the life he provides will result in spiritual growth.  This chart by Vern and Randy Peterman illustrates: