Romans 8:5 Those Who Are Living in the Fleshly Nature

 THOSE WHO ARE LOST LIVING IN THE FLESHLY NATURE.

ROMANS 8:5-9

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.

Rivers of Joy Baptist Church Minford, Ohio

January  2012

Pastor-Teacher Charles e Whisnant,

Student of the Word

Romans 8:5 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. (NASB: Lockman)

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. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 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, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

 

FOR: hoi gar:

It will usually be a term of conclusion and you will be forced to read the prior context to understand what is being explained.

 

THOSE WHO ARE (continually) ACCORDING TO (dominated, controlled by), THE FLESH SET THEIR MINDS ON THE THINGS OF THE FLESH

 

Romans 8:12-13, John 3:6; I Corinthians 15:48; 2 Corinthians 10:3; 2 Peter 2:10;

·       For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh (Amplified)

·       Those who live by the corrupt nature have the corrupt nature’s attitude (GWT)

·       Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. (GNT)

·       Those who live following their sinful selves think only about things that their sinful selves want. (NCV)

·       For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh (NET)

·       Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires (NIV)

·       Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires (NJB)

·       Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things (NLT)

·       For if men are controlled by their earthly natures, they give their minds to earthly things (Weymouth)

·       For those who are habitually dominated by the sinful nature put their minds on the things of the sinful nature (Wuest)

A MIND DOMINATED BY THE EVIL FLESH

Are (5607) (ontes)

·       Is in the present tense indicating that this is the general pattern of their life (their lifestyle) or habitual practice.

 

AFTER or ACCORDING TO (2596) (kata) THE FLESH

·       Conveys the root meaning of “down,” which in the present context suggests domination.

·        In this context, the phrase according to refers to basic spiritual nature and indicates ones  fundamental essence, bent, or disposition.

·        In short Paul is describing an unbeliever, devoid of the Spirit. An unbeliever orders his or her behavior in such a way that it is dominated or controlled by the flesh, the Sin nature inherited from Adam which gives the unregenerate their propensity to commit sins.

DO or SET(there)   MIND to (THE THINGS ) (5426) (^{phroneo from phren = literally the diaphragm and thus that which curbs or restrains.} 

• 1.     Figuratively, mind is the supposed seat of all mental and emotional activity) refers to the basic orientation, bent, and thought patterns of the mind, rather than to the mind or intellect itself (that is the Greek word nous).

• 2.     Includes a person’s affections and will as well as his reasoning. 

• 3.     In other words refers not simply to intellectual activity but also to direction and purpose of heart.

• 4.     In particular expresses the idea of thinking or judging in a neutral way. The context indicates the content of what is being thought.

• 5.     It means to give careful consideration to something and thus to set one’s mind on, to be intent on or to have a mental disposition for, to keep on giving serious consideration to something, to ponder, to let one’s mind dwell on, to keep thinking about, to fix one’s attention on. (Colossians 3:2)

• ^6.          "signifies the whole action of the mind, not merely the thinking power, the reasoning, but the set purpose of the mind, and is thus used in a distinctly spiritual sense^{. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson )}

• 7.     Means to employ one’s faculty for thoughtful planning, with emphasis upon the underlying disposition or attitude.

• 8.     leads one through the process of evaluating a situation and, on the basis of our evaluation, adopting an attitude or disposition to act Philippians 2:5

• 9.     Can mean to have an opinion with regard to something, to think or to judge (1 Corinthians 13:11; Acts 28:22).

• 10.  Vine writes that phroneo means...

“to think,” “to form a judgment”; but in the New Testament never merely “to hold an opinion,” always it is contemplated that action will be taken upon the judgment formed, implies moral interest or reflection, not mere unreasoning opinion.