"The Spirit of Life" (Part 2)

In Romans 8:5-8 Paul identifies the mind as a significant area of difference between the believer and unbeliever.

Mind your own business!

“Never mind!”

Encouragement for the New Life

Assurance - though you will continue to experience this… (ch. 7), you will also experience this… (ch. 8).

Spirit (Romans 5:5) - 21 times in ch 8/34 time in Romans.

In Romans 8:1-4, Paul identifies the believer as set free from condemnation to life in the Spirit.

So, there will be a contrast/difference (as in Psalm 1).

Here (Romans 8:5-8), he identifies a significant area of difference

What is the main area of difference? (v. 5-6)

Verse 5

“live”/ “are” (NASB) - to be

“according to” - with respect to, in relation to

“set their minds on” - one Greek word, once in verse 5, twice in verse 6, and once again in verse 7; “to give careful consideration to something, set one’s mind on, be intent on” (BDAG), “to exercise the mind” (Strong’s), basically it means to think or meditate; it is active, so the subject is doing it, which in this verse is “those who are according to...” (Romans 12:3, Romans 14:6, Philippians 2:2, Philippians 2:5, Colossians 3:2)

Romans 12:3 ESV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Romans 14:6 ESV

The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

Philippians 2:2 ESV

complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Philippians 2:5 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

Colossians 3:2 ESV

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

So this defines for us what it means to be of the flesh/Spirit - to think/meditate on...

This further defines the “walk” of verse 4.

There is a contrast of thinking - to be in according with… is to think/meditate on…

Verse 6

There’s no verb in this verse.

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (NASB).

“mind set on” - way of thinking, which is fluid

Which give us the kind of contrast we’re talking about here. It is this serious. It is this stark.

It is the difference between something very dark and something very bright.

“death” - what sin produces, the natural result of sin (Romans 5:12)

“life” - what the Holy Spirit produce or gives to us (v. 2)

“peace” - “a state of concord… harmony” (BDAG) with God (Romans 5:1)

old and new - sinful thinking and spiritual thinking

It categorizes two very different way of thinking.

Do you agree? Do you believe that the one is bad and the other is good? Do you want the one and not the other?

This is motivation for choosing our thinking.

So, the believer has to very different options for living, which is really two very different options for thinking.

What is the reason for the difference? (v. 7-8)

Verse 7

Continuing to contrast these two ways of thinking...

“hostile” - enmity, not neutral, but opposing

Expanded/explained - “it does [not] submit” - obey

“God’s law” - what God wants

Why? “it cannot” - unable

The old man cannot… but the new man can - THIS is the reason for the difference.

This is why… (v. 8)

Verse 8

“in the flesh” - we will learn more about this (v. 9), this is not a believer, though they may be at times “according to the flesh” (v. 5).

The unbeliever is in the flesh. The believer is in Christ, but they still have the flesh (Romans 7:25).

“please” - do or be what God wants, opposite of “hostile to God” (v. 7)

They do this… they cannot do this…

This is true of those who are only of the flesh - unbelievers.

This is why there is such hostility to God in the world (1 Corinthians 2:14).

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

The Holy Spirit must intervene (Titus 3:5).

Titus 3:5 ESV

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

That is what has happened to the believer (Romans 5:5).

Romans 5:5 ESV

and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

So, believers are both (Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:25).

Galatians 5:16 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:25 ESV

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Pleasing God is impossible for the unbeliever, because they are only flesh.

By contrast, pleasing God is possible for the believer, because they have the Spirit in addition to the flesh.

However, pleasing God is not automatic for the believer. Remember Paul’s testimony from chapter 7 (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

1 Thessalonians 4:1 ESV

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

Choose your thinking.

Benediction: Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

Scripture Reading: Psalm 1