The Thinking of the Flesh

Romans 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, ^(NASB:

THE THINKING OF THE FLESH – DEATH

Having Your Mindset Adjusted

 

The Mind of Christ (6-13)

Charles e Whisnant, Pastor-Teacher, Preacher, Student of the Word

January 22 2012

 

For to be carnally⁴⁵⁶¹ minded⁵⁴²⁷ is death²²⁸⁸ but to be spiritually⁴¹⁵¹ minded is life²²²² and peace¹⁵¹⁵

"Mind set"...
 

·        Expresses a state of mind. The idea is not just that seeking the things of the flesh leads to death, but that an unspiritual mind, which reveals itself in the desire and pursuit of unspiritual objectives, is death. Death, of course, means spiritual death, the absence and the opposite of spiritual life. It includes alienation from God, unholiness, and misery.

·        On the other hand, the “mind controlled by the Spirit” is that state of mind which is produced by the Spirit and which reveals itself in the desire and pursuit of the things of the Spirit. This state of mind is life and peace.

• It is not that we can be opposed to God, but that we ourself is opposed to Him!
• We are not at enmity, but enmity itself!                    We are not black, but blackness!
• We are not corrupt, but corruption!                     We are not rebellious, we are rebellion!
• We are not wicked, we are wickedness itself!        We are not just deceitful, we are deceit!

The fleshly walk does not submit to the Holy Spirit. The fleshly walk does not and cannot please God

Flesh ^{(4561) (sarx )}

·        in the context of this verse refers to the evil nature present in every man ever born, for all have been born into the line of Adam (and even those who are born again or regenerated by the Spirit possess the fallen flesh, with which we must daily contend).

·        The picture Paul paints is of a mind "possessed" by and thus controlled or dominated by the evil, "anti-god" flesh  and this picture is a description of all who are yet unsaved. Paul is saying that this means that one’s life (that of the unsaved person) is determined and directed by the values of this evil world system which intractably set against and in total rebellion toward God. Controlled by such an "anti-god" mindset is the only way an unsaved person is able to walk - according to the flesh. 

Death ^{(2288) (thanatos)}

^·             In short, if one's mind is not Christ-centered and instead his or her interest is constantly (emphasize that this is one's lifestyle, one's habitual practice) being placed upon carnal or fleshly desires, the results (no spiritual "life and peace") are the symptoms of spiritual death

BUT THE MIND SET ON THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE: ^{to de phronema tou pneumatos zoe kai eirene:  Romans 5:1;10; 14:17; John 14:6,27; Galatitans 5:22} 

THE THINKING OF THE SPIRIT - LIFE AND PEACE

Set on the Spirit – 

 

·        More literally = “the mind possessed by the Spirit”.

·        This describes a mind which is controlled by or dominated by the Holy Spirit (Compare - "do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with [controlled by = command to allow this to occur continually = present imperative] the Spirit" Ephesians 5:18.

Such a person with such a "mindset" is the one who possesses the life that God is, and the peace that He Alone graciously gives

Life _{(2198) (zoe [}) zo

·        Life, in Scripture, denotes a fully satisfied existence, in which all the faculties find their full exercise and their true occupation. Man's spirit, becomes the abode and organ of the Divine Spirit, realizes this life with a growing perfection to eternal life. 

Peace ^{(1515) (eirene}

·        in its verb form means “to bind together that which has been separated” thus in the present context describes the believing sinner, bound together with God and His life after having been separated by sin.