Romans 8:5-8

Romans 8:5–8 KJV 1900

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

THE SPIRIT PULLS THE MIND TO SPIRITUAL THINGS (v. 5-8).

This is one of the most important passages in all of Scripture, for it discusses the human mind:

"As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he"

Proverbs 23:7 KJV 1900

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.

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Where a man keeps his mind and what he thinks about determine who he is and what he does.

If a man keeps his mind and thoughts in the gutter, he becomes part of the filth in the gutter.

If he keeps his mind upon the good, he becomes good.

If he focuses upon achievement and success, he achieves and succeeds.

If his mind is filled with religious thoughts, he becomes religious.

If his thoughts are focused upon God and righteousness, he becomes godly and righteous.

A man becomes and does what he thinks. It is the law of the mind. Scripture says three things about the power of the Spirit and of the human mind.

1. There is the carnal mind vs. the spiritual mind

The carnal mind is the mind of man's flesh or body. The phrase "to be carnally minded" means the mind of the flesh. It is the mind with which man is born, the fleshly mind which he inherits from his parents.

The carnal mind also means something else, something that must be heeded. It means the mind that is given over to the flesh; that focuses upon the flesh and its worldly urges and desires; that gives its attention and pursuits over to the flesh; that savors tasting and partaking of the flesh; that is controlled by one's sinful nature.

There are three directions of thought the carnal mind may take:

a. The carnal mind may focus upon the base, the immoral, the violent, the material, or the physical. This is usually the life style most people think about when a carnal or fleshly person is mentioned. The minds of some are consumed with the lust for sex, power, money, houses, lands, furnishings, recognition, position—concerned and filled with the earthly and the worldly.

b. The carnal mind may focus upon the moral, upright, and cultured life. Some minds are centered upon the welfare and comfort of themselves and of their society. They want themselves and their society to be as refined and educated, as moral and upright, as possible, so they focus their minds upon such commendable ends. And they are commendable purposes, but a person can be refined and well educated and live as independently and as separate from God as the base and immoral person. Most cultured people depend upon their good works and service to make them acceptable to God. Most just think that God will accept them because their lives and efforts have been focused upon building a good life and better society for all. What they fail to see is that God is interested in building a God-centered society and not a world-centered society. God wants the needs of every man to be met, but He wants it to be done from a spiritual basis, not from a human basis. He wants men led to Christ—their minds and lives focused upon God—so that they may have life, life that is both abundant and eternal. Just taking care of the physical needs of man does not meet the spiritual needs of man. It leaves a gaping hole in man's life; for the spirit of man determines how a man lives, either defeated or victorious, either with or apart from God.

c. The carnal mind may also focus upon religion: upon living a religious life of benevolence and good works, of ceremony and ritual. However, note again: a person can be a strict religionist and still live separate from God. He can have his mind set on religion and its welfare instead of God. He can be living for religion instead of for God, carrying out the function of institutional religion instead of the mission of God. He can be depending upon his commitment to religion to make him acceptable to God instead of believing and trusting God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In all of this, note where the religionist's mind is—note where his thoughts are. There is little if any stress upon a personal relationship with God; little stress upon knowing God—really knowing, believing, and understanding Him—little stress upon walking and living in Him. The stress of the carnal religionist is his religion and its rituals and ceremonies, its welfare and projects. Such a focus is fleshly and carnal. It is of the earth, attached to the physical and material institution which passes away and dies. The point is this: a carnal mind does not necessarily mean that a man's thoughts are upon the base, immoral, and vicious. A carnal mind means any mind that does not find its basis in God, any mind that is not focused upon God first. A carnal mind may focus upon a moral, upright, and cultured life but still ignore, neglect, and exempt God. A carnal mind may also focus upon religion and still exempt God. A carnal mind is a mind that finds its basis in this world, that focuses its thoughts upon the physical and material instead of upon God.

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient"

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Romans 1:28 KJV 1900

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

2. There is the spiritual mind. It is the natural mind of man that has been renewed by the Spirit of God.

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God"

Romans 12:2 KJV 1900

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

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The words "spiritually minded" mean to be possessed by the Spirit or to be controlled and dominated by the Spirit. It means that the man who walks after the Spirit minds "the things of the Spirit" day by day. And note: it is the Spirit of God who draws the believer's mind to focus upon spiritual things. The Spirit of God lives within the believer. He is there to work within the believer, both to will and to do God's pleasure; He is there to keep the mind and thoughts of the believer focused upon spiritual things.

a. The believer keeps his mind upon developing spiritual character and fruit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance"

Galatians 5:22–23 KJV 1900

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

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b. The believer keeps his mind upon carrying out the ministry and mission of Christ. "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many"

Matthew 20:28 KJV 1900

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

). "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" ().

"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost"

Luke 19:10 KJV 1900

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

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c. The believer keeps his mind upon knowing, believing, and understanding God.

"Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me"

d. The believer keeps his mind upon being conformed more and more to the image of Christ.

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren"

Romans 8:29 KJV 1900

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

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e. The believer keeps his mind upon casting down imaginations and making every thought obedient to Christ.

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ"

2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV 1900

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

ILLUSTRATION: Do you ever feel that you just cannot conquer the flesh, that you just cannot keep from being carnal? You know the feeling: you want to think pure thoughts, but the more you try, the more tempting things are sent your way. Here is an example of one man's struggle.

James was an avid reader, consuming every book that made the best sellers' list—regardless what kind of material it was. On the rare occasion when he tried to read the Bible, his mind would immediately wander to his most recent thriller. One day he prayed, asking God how he could discipline his mind. As he prayed and thought, this impression came to his mind, an impression that he knew was the tug of the Holy Spirit. "The reason you have such a hard time concentrating on Me is because you are not concentrating on Me." How simple, and yet so profound! What you fill your mind with is what you will think about. Right then and there, James made a new commitment. He would spend more time thinking about the Lord and His Word, whom he would spend eternity with, and less time consuming books that had no eternal value, that drew him further and further into the world. God has given you a choice: fill your mind with the world or fill your mind with Him. What are you thinking about the most?