This morning we're going to talk
about the carnal mind and the spiritual mind. Now you probably,
most people, you've heard the word carnal. You know there's
a common phrase used in some religious circles and they call
it the carnal Christian. I don't know where that phrase
really, I got to looking at it this week and I can't really
find where that phrase came from. I know the Apostle Paul when
he was addressing the Corinthian church, now you know the Corinthian
church was a church that had a lot of problems. And, but you
think about it, every church here on this earth, every true
church has a lot of problems, because it's made up of us. Sinners
saved by the grace of God. And, you know, it's just like,
just like that old country song, you know, I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden, and that's the way it is. You
know, we're not in heaven, we're not, we're not totally free from
the presence and the influence and the contamination of sin
as we walk in this life. And so when we talk about the
carnal Christian, I don't know what a lot of people I think
have in mind like that is, you know, it has become a very common
practice in religion today, in what is called Christianity,
is to get people down the aisle, especially young people, even
babies almost, to get them down the aisle and get them in the
baptistry. It's almost like a rite of passage.
And it's not a biblical thing to do. My job is not to get you
to come down the aisle and get you in the baptistry. My job
is to preach the gospel to you. And if God changes your heart,
if he gives you the spirit of Christ, You'll come to him, you don't
come to me, you come to him and you'll confess him in believers
baptism, which is the command of the Lord. But that's to believers. But what happens when you get
these little kids, and I've seen it on TV, these preachers baptizing
these kids, they can hardly talk. And I think it's a sad thing.
I really do. Because what happens is there's
no change of heart, there's no real salvation, and they go off
and they go away and they live like the world, as they say,
and they call it the carnal Christian. But that's not what this passage
is talking about. When Paul talked about the Corinthians,
he said, you're acting carnally. The word carnal means fleshly.
In other words, you're acting in a way that you're motivated
and energized by the flesh. And what is the flesh? The flesh
has to do with evil, selfish thoughts, motives, practices,
all of that. And Christians, true Christians
can act that way. But we know they won't stay that
way because the Lord won't let us go. He will not let us fall
away completely. And those who do claim to be
Christians, who fall away completely, the Bible tells us they never
were true Christians to begin with. They just had a profession,
but they had no real heart confession. Well, the Apostle Paul has been
talking here about the work of Christ, which is the only ground
of salvation, the only ground of a right relationship with
God. We talk about his death, his
burial, his resurrection, what is that? His death was the putting
away of the sins of his sheep by the power of his blood. Our
sins imputed, charged, accounted to him. And what he did, he went
to the cross and died, which is the penalty of the sins of
his people, whom God gave him before the foundation of the
world. I saw a little thing on Facebook that said, how did Christianity
get its start? And they always refer back to
the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. You know, what happened
to Christ? Well, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is
the whole crux of Christianity, isn't it? It's the whole basis,
the power of true Christianity, the death, burial, and resurrection
of Christ, which happened around 2,000 years ago. It was an historical
event in time. But I gotta tell you something,
that's not where Christianity got its start. You know where
Christianity got its start? Anybody know? You know. Before the foundation of the
world, God chose a people, gave them to Christ, made him our
surety, and purposed and decreed to send him into the world at
that time, the appointed time and the fullness of the time,
to do that work upon which God based all of his purpose. Christianity is founded upon
the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, but that wasn't where
it got its start. It got its start in salvation,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
according to 2 Timothy chapter 1. And you know, somebody said,
well, who were the first Christians? Well, I personally believe it
was Adam and Eve, but I can tell you for sure it was Abel. because
he came to God pleading the blood of Christ, which blood had not
yet been shed in time, but would be for sure for Abel's sins. And so Christ died to put away
our sins, the sins of Abel, the sins of the last saint who'll
be brought into the kingdom, the last sheep that'll be brought
into the kingdom. And it has to do with his righteousness,
which has been by God imputed, charged to his people. And that
is the ground of our justification. It's not anything we do, it's
not anything done in us, even by the power of God the Holy
Spirit. It's all what Christ did, that's what his death, burial,
and resurrection is about. That righteousness is established,
it's finished. We're gonna talk about that today
in the main message. It's finished, he finished the
work and he entered his rest. And that means that it's all
done. And based upon what all he did, that's our justification
before God. That's the way God forgives us
on a just ground. That's the way God saves us.
That's the way God accepts us and has a right relationship
with us. But now, as the fruit and the result of what Christ
alone did for his people on the cross, he gives his people spiritual
life. His righteousness imputed is
the ground of our justification. That's what Paul said, for what
the law could not do, God sending his own son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin he condemned sin in the flesh. That's
the righteousness established, that's the ground. But it's not
only the ground of our justification, it is the source and the power
of the new birth, spiritual life. We must be born again. And some
of the old writers used to put it this way, when God the Holy
Spirit, when we're born again by the agency of the Holy Spirit,
what he actually does is he applies or imparts, if you will, the
resurrection life of Christ. Because he lives, we live, all
right? Now, when he talks about, look
at verse five. Romans 8, he says, for they that
are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. Now what
you have to understand, and if you don't grasp all this, you'll
never grasp the main message of the Bible. Who is he talking
about? They that are after the flesh,
the things of the flesh. He's talking about unregenerate,
which means they're not been born again, unbelievers. That's who he's talking about.
They're walking in unbelief. They're walking in the darkness
and the deception of the flesh. What is the flesh now? The flesh
has to do, this body, all right, this body that I have, the body
that you inhabit, that your spirit inhabits, or your soul, however
you want to say it. There's nothing inherently sinful
about this fleshly body. Now, we see the effects of sin
on these fleshly bodies as we get sick, as we grow older, as
we get closer to death. You see, gray hair is just an
effect of sin. It's not sinful to have gray
hair. You understand what I'm saying? But it's through this
human body that the sinful flesh acts out Those sinful principles. So what is the flesh? Well, it's
kind of like a metaphor for sin. It has to do with sinful thoughts.
It has to do with sinful actions. It has to do with sinful motives,
sinful goals. And remember Paul in Romans 7,
he said, those things are still so much with me that I can't
get away from them. I can't rise above them. And
he said this, he said, even when I have it in my mind to do good,
evil's present with me. It's, you know, we could understand
if Paul said, well, when I have it in my mind to do evil, evil's
present. Well, of course it is. But he says, when I want to do
good, evil's present. Now, that's our state in this
world, isn't it? And so, when we look at this,
they are after the flesh. That means that their lives are
dedicated to fleshly principles. They mind the thing, their thoughts. their heart, their mind affections. He's talking about one who has
not been given spiritual life. He's talking about one who is
in unbelief. But here's the point. Somebody
would look at that and they'd say, well, they're minding fleshly
things when they get drunk or when they push drugs or when
they murder somebody or rob a bank. Well, those are certainly fleshly
things, aren't they? Those are sinful things. But
if you've got in mind that and nothing more, you're not understanding
the Bible. To walk after and mind the things
of the flesh refers to the most moral, religious, dedicated people
on earth as judged by unregenerate people. This can refer to the
highest religious person you know who doesn't know Christ.
who doesn't believe in Christ, who is not submitted to Christ
as the Lord his righteousness. This can be a pillar of the community
who's trying to do everything right, trying to keep the law.
You remember he said, he's gonna tell us over in Romans 9 about
how the Jews, the Israel, they followed after the law, seeking
to be righteous by their works, but they didn't attain it. Why?
Because they didn't seek it by faith. What is it to seek righteousness
by faith? It's to seek it and find it in
Christ. If you're seeking righteousness by your works, my friend, you're
acting carnally. You're living after the flesh
and minding the things of the flesh, even though you may appear
righteous outwardly. Remember Matthew 7. Lord, Lord,
haven't we preached in your name? Lord, Lord, haven't we done many
wonderful works? Lord, Lord, haven't we cast out
demons? Only to hear him say, depart
from me. I never knew you, you that work
iniquity. What was wrong with their preaching
and their exorcisms and their wonderful, what was wrong? It
didn't measure up to the perfection of righteousness that can only
be found in Christ. And that's our problem. And as
long as we're trying to establish our own righteousness before
God, what are we doing? We're walking after the flesh.
So understand that now. And if you relegate this to only
the immoral, perverted segment of society, you're not getting
the Bible's message. Well, he goes on in verse five,
he says, but they that are after the Spirit. Now that's the Holy
Spirit. They're after and they mind the
things of the Spirit. Now what are the things of the
Spirit? What does the Spirit do? Well, we could go all over
the book on this issue. But he's called the spirit of
conviction. And you can look over in passages
such as John 16, where the Lord, when he was talking to his disciples
and he was teaching them about the work of the spirit. And he
said the spirit will come and he will convict or convince or
convict, that's what the word is, the world. And understand
now, the world there doesn't mean everybody without exception
because he doesn't do this to every individual without exception.
Some die in unbelief, but he's gonna convict the world of sin
because they believe not on me. In other words, he's gonna convince
us that without Christ, it's all sin. Without faith, it's
impossible. What is faith? It's to look to
Christ. It's to rest in Christ. It's to see him as my only way
of salvation, my only way of forgiveness by his blood, my
only way of righteousness is Christ, crucified, buried, and
risen from the dead. And so he's gonna convict you,
if you've been convinced by the Holy Spirit, now see what he's
talking about, the things of the Spirit. What are the things
of the Spirit? He's gonna show you that without Christ, that
the best you can be and the best you can do is relegated to the
category of sin and sin demands death. Do you understand that? Without Christ's blood, without
His righteousness imputed, I'm condemned. Even at my best, Even
when I preach in his name, or cast out demons, or do many wonderful
work in the eyes of men. And then he goes on to say he's
gonna convict you of righteousness, that's justice satisfied. Righteousness, why? Because you're
trying to be the best you can be. No, he convicts you of righteousness
because Christ said it this way, he told his son. Righteousness
because I go to the Father. It's righteousness, not that
you do or I do or are unable to do, but it's righteousness
based upon what he did. He went to the father. Now, how
did he go to the father? I'll tell you how he went to
the father. He went by way of the cross. He went by way of
the grave. He came out of the grave. He
ascended unto the Father in heaven, sat down at the right hand of
the Father. And there he lives to make intercession for his
people. And how does he make intercession? He pleads the merits,
the worthiness, the value of what he alone did as our surety,
our substitute, our redeemer. So what is the things of the
Spirit? He convinces me that I have no
righteousness, but that which I find complete in Christ. Nowhere
else, not in me. If I look inside me, in my thoughts,
and I conclude that there's a righteousness in me, I'm not walking after
the spirit. I'm not minding the things of
the, that's flesh. That's self-righteousness. You
see what I'm saying? And then he says he'll convict
the world of judgment because the prince of this world has
been judged. And what he's talking about there is this. When Christ
died on that cross, he was judged by the father for the sins of
his sheep imputed to him. And he put them away. He satisfied justice completely. And therefore I've already been
judged for all my sins in the person of my surety, in the person
of my Savior. And I'm made righteous in Him.
So to go after the Spirit, walk after the Spirit, mind the things
of the Spirit, is to walk by faith in Christ, looking to Him,
resting in Him, following Him as my whole salvation. Now is
that clear? And he says, look at verse six,
he says, for to be carnally minded is death. Now why is it death? Because it's sinful to be fleshly
minded, even in religion, even in charitable giving, even in
trying to love everybody. If you're fleshly minded, carnally
minded, in other words, without faith in Christ, if you're trying
to be the best you can be, in order to get God to accept you
or bless you. If you think you've earned or
you deserve any part of the blessings and benefits of salvation, that's
death. If you come to church expecting
God to repay you because you've done something you see or the
world sees as good, that's death. Should we be here this morning?
Yes. Why? To give glory to God. In
Christ. To express our faith in Christ. To express to the world that
we have no righteousness of our own, that we're sinners saved
by grace, and if God would give us what we deserve and what we've
earned, it would be death. That's what we're confessing
this morning. I hope you're confessing it with us. That we have no righteousness
but Christ. It's all about him. We're not
here, listen, we don't come here on Mother's Day to brag on you
mothers. I love you mothers, I love my mother, I thank God
for you. But we don't come to church on
that day to brag on you. And if you're walking after money
and things of spirit, you wouldn't want me to brag on you. Father's
Day, we don't come here to brag. Whatever day it is, we're here
to brag on Christ. God forbid that I should glory.
save in the cross of Christ. That's the whole thing. And so
to be carnally minded is death because it's sinful. Anything
that doesn't measure up to the perfection of righteousness found
in the law, which can only be found in Christ, deserves death. Isn't that right? It deserves
death. That's why we have to be washed
in his blood and clothed in his rights. This is why even our
works have to be presented to God through the mediatorial work,
the intercessory work of Christ. We gotta be, listen, we gotta
take a bath in the blood. Now you know I'm not, that's
metaphorical. In other words, everything that
I am that God accepts is because I'm washed in his blood and clothed
in his righteousness. So he says in verse six, but
to be spiritually minded is life and peace. What is it to be spiritually
mine? It's to look to Christ. It's to believe in Him. It's
to rest in Him. He is our life. He is risen. He lives today. He's seated at
the right hand of the Father. What does that mean? Do you know
that's the guarantee of life and eternal life for every sinner
for whom He died on that cross? Did you know that? There'll be
no persons in hell for whom he died. Why? Because to be spiritually
minded is life and peace, peace with God. God reconciled to his
people. On what ground? On the ground
of Christ's righteousness alone, his blood alone. His people reconciled
to him. On what ground? Same ground,
pleading the blood and righteousness of Christ. That's life and peace. Why does he live? Because he
made an end of sin. That's what verse three back
up there says. He condemned sin in the flesh. In other words,
in his human body, which was never contaminated with sin.
He condemned sin by His death. He satisfied justice. And out
of that justice comes righteousness, which brings life. Why do I live
spiritually? Why am I born again by the Spirit?
Why do I have eternal life? It's because of what Christ did
in His death, His burial, His resurrection. He lives and we
serve a risen Savior. We don't serve a dead martyr.
We're not just in the business of morality. Sure, we preach
morality and we should be moral people, but we're more concerned,
listen to me, we're more concerned with what is moral in the eyes
of God than we are then in the eyes of men. And I'll guarantee
if you ever come to a point where you're concerned more with what's
moral in the eyes of God than in the eyes of men, you won't
have any, they won't be able to bring an accusation against
you that's correct. Now they may accuse you, you
know, our Lord was a perfect God-man and he walked this earth. And you know what they called
him, don't you? A wine-bibber. You know what a wine-bibber is?
It's a drunk. They said our sovereign savior
was a drunk. He wasn't a drunk, but they said
he was. They called him a, what is that? Malefactor. Now you know what
a malefactor is? That's a criminal. He wasn't
a criminal, but they called him that. They called him a blasphemer. There wasn't one thought in his
head or one word that came out of his mouth that blasphemed
God. Everything he thought and said
was perfectly in accord with the glory of his Father. You
and I can't say that, but he could. He wasn't a blasphemer,
but they called him that. See, we're more concerned with
what is moral in the eyes of God. And without Christ, it's
all immoral in his eyes, even religion. even what men and women
call human morality. Well, look at verse seven. And
this is the reason that the carnal mind is death, because the carnal
mind is enmity against God. That word enmity is a strong
word. It means hatred. You know, a lot of people may
say, well, I don't agree with your religion. I don't believe
what you're preaching, but I don't really hate God. Well, God says
you do. God says, if you're not for me,
you're what? You're against me. And so there
is absolutely no way that you can say that you are neutral
in this situation. There cannot be any neutrality
here. It is all by God's standard.