Things of the Flesh

Good Morning,

Romans 8:5-8 (NSRV)
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law--indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Where, exactly, is your mind today? On what things is your mind set upon? What thoughts occupy your mind most?

These questions are sometimes difficult to answer for many of us. No, not that we can't figure out the answers, but the fact that we don't like the answers we find. We don't care for the honest answers because, if we will be truthful, our minds are set on "the things of the flesh" that we read of today. This is true even though we know that we ought to have our minds set on Spiritual things and the things of God rather than those "things of the flesh."

I once had a conversation with someone about various "things of the flesh" and that person said something like, "Well, as long as I'm not hurting anyone and if it gives me pleasure, then what harm is there?" We took the conversation further and spoke about actions which eventuated out of the thoughts in the mind and the comment was, "God wouldn't have made these things feel so good if He didn't want us to do them." You see where this goes, don't you? Our thoughts of a carnal, earthly nature, and the actions that occur because of those thoughts, may, indeed, not be "hurting" anyone and they truly may bring a great deal of pleasure. I can't argue that. But, what I can argue is that these earthly thoughts of fleshly matters are against what God would have in our minds.

The fact is, my friend is right...if we think only in the mind set of our physical and give no thought to the Spiritual.

Clearly, we read today a simple and straight forward reasoning about where our minds ought to be. "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law." Our minds can be in only one place at any one time, you see. The human brain can't maintain two divergent thoughts simultaneously. That's a fact. Paul says that if our minds are thinking about the flesh, then that mind is hostile to God because it will not submit to God's laws. Nothing difficult about understanding that, is there? We go on to read, "...and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Now here's where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. When we think in ways that are of the flesh...only about our human pleasures and desires...then we simply cannot please God because our minds are not on Him and what we should be doing in service to Him and for Him.

I guess we'll have this argument about "flesh" vs "Spirit" until Jesus comes back and makes things right on this planet. There will always be those who will justify thoughts and actions with the "it doesn't hurt anyone" argument and claim "it's really no big deal anyway." It is a big deal. These are the arguments and thoughts that come from the enemy so as to keep our minds away from, and off of, those Spiritual things of God. We cannot be effective in doing God's work when we are submitting to our carnal nature.

If we wish to be productive children of God, then we've got to be able to get control of our minds and the thoughts therein, which will lead to control over our overt actions and those sinful acts we commit. Yes, mind over matter, I guess we'd have to say. When our minds are occupied with Spiritual things, then we will tend much more to do those things which will glorify God and expand His kingdom.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David