Well, this morning, we're going
to get back in the Book of Romans. We kind of got sidetracked for
a few messages, but we're back into the Book of Romans, as you
can see here. The title of my message this
morning is Walking After the Flesh. We're going to be talking
about what does it mean to walk after the flesh, and what does
it mean to walk after the spirit. And even though Our message will
begin in verse 5 of chapter 8. I'm going to begin reading at
the beginning of this chapter mainly to just kind of refresh
ourself a little bit. It's been a while since we talked
about these first few verses here that we had in chapter 8. So I'm going to begin by reading
Romans 8 beginning at verse 1 now. This is the Apostle Paul speaking
here. He says, there is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the
spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law
of sin and of death. For what the law could not do,
in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, sending him in the likeness of
sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the
flesh, but after the spirit. Verse five, 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 or hostile against God, for it's
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then,
they that are in the flesh cannot please God. I begin the message
by revisiting a couple of previous verses that will lead us into
our message this morning of what it is to walk after the flesh
and what it is to walk after the spirit. Let's begin by looking
at that first verse here in Romans 8, where it says, Therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the spirit. God tells us through
the Apostle Paul here, that there is no condemnation to them that
are in Christ Jesus. And then he describes those who
are not condemned as those who walk not after the flesh, but
after spirit. Now, the reason that they're
not condemned is not due to their walk, but their walk is the fruit
and effect of not being condemned. It's that evidence. and of seeing
their justification, of us seeing our justification before God
based entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ and his righteousness
alone. Let's also look back at verse
two in order to get a little bit more insight on the flesh
and the spirit that we're talking about here. Romans 8, two says,
for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus are that
unchangeable rule or principle of life. that God gives everyone
of his elect when he regenerates them. When we speak of the law
or the spirit of life, that's what we're talking about. And
he says, that law, the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath
made me free from the law of sin and of death. Now, that powerful
principle or that powerful rule of life that God gives every
believer when he regenerates them and converts them, This
spirit has made me free from the law of sin and of death,
that law of sin and death that once had dominion over every
one of God's elect. Once God regenerates one of his
elect, we no longer are dominated by that old sinful principle
in the way of guilt and of condemnation. We have a new principle of life
that now dominates, and it's called the spirit of life. And
we now walk by that spirit as we look to Christ for all of
salvation. We see that we're not guilty and we're not condemned,
all based on the righteousness of Christ and that alone. And
then Paul tells us in Romans 8, 4, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not at the flesh,
but at the spirit. Let's look back at the first
part of 8, 4. where it says that the righteousness
of the law, this is the righteous requirement of God's law fulfilled
by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is that standard which we
all fall short, even as believers. Also look at Romans 10, four.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. The next part of Romans 8, 4,
the last part, says, might be fulfilled in us. How is the righteousness
of the law fulfilled in us? That's a good question. We've
got so many interpretations of that, so many errors concerning
that particular verse. Well, the way it's fulfilled
in us, it is by God, the Holy Spirit, convicting us of sin
and driving us to Christ for all righteousness, salvation,
and eternal life. The righteousness of the law
is not fulfilled in us by God, the Holy Spirit, making us righteous
within. We dealt with that back in Romans
chapter seven. when we talked about the indwelling
sin and the warfare between the flesh and the spirit. The righteousness
of the law being fulfilled in us here is speaking of God revealing
to us and showing us that our only righteousness before him
is Christ's righteousness imputed to us. Always remember that the
righteousness of the law is fulfilled in sinners who continually cry,
like the Apostle Paul in Romans 7, 24, O wretched man that I
am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? And also
in Philippians 3, 3, where it says, for we are the circumcision
which worship God in spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. The evidence of one within whom
the righteousness of the law has been fulfilled is in the
following, Romans 8, 4. who walk not after the flesh,
but after the spirit. To walk after the flesh is to
walk in unbelief, is to walk in darkness, whether in open
rebellion against God or in our participating in self-righteous
religion. To walk after the spirit is to
be led by the spirit. The spirit leads us to the true
Christ, the Lord our righteousness. To walk after the spirit is to
repent of all your self-righteous religion. To walk after the Spirit
is to seek righteousness in life and pardon and salvation, not
based on what we do, but what the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished
in his substitutionary life and death. We look to Christ's righteousness,
not our righteousness, which is nothing but filthy rags, as
Isaiah says in 64 and verse six, But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags. And we all
do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us
away. To walk after the Spirit is to
walk in faith, God-given faith, believing that there is no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus. It is to see that we're justified
before God by grace alone. unmerited favor, is to see that
we're legally acquitted based on what Christ alone accomplished
as our substitute and representative. When Christ died on the cross,
he drank damnation dry. He paid our sin debt in full.
Christ made an end of sin. He put sin away. And where there
is no sin that can be charged against us, there can be no condemnation. I'm still sinful in my experience
as I walk this earth. I'm still a wretched man, but
I'm not condemned. Sin ruins everything that I do,
but I'm not condemned. No condemnation for my past sins,
no condemnation for my present sins, and no condemnation for
future sins and iniquity. For my present sins, there's
just no condemnation. There is therefore no condemnation
to those that are in Christ Jesus. You all who are the people of
God, there is no condemnation. There never has been, there is
not now, and there never can be any condemnation for a child
of God. God's elect were in Christ before
the foundation of the world. We were in him when he lived
perfectly on this earth. We were in him when he suffered
and died on a cross. We were in him when he was buried
and rose again from the dead after accomplishing righteousness
on our behalf. We are in him even now as he
sits on the right hand of God, our father. Rejoice in Christ
and know that our sins are not held against us. Christ took
all of them on himself and bore them away. And if he took them
away, if he borne them away, we're not accountable for them.
Therefore, there's no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus.
Now let's look as we start verse five here in Romans, Romans eight,
Romans five, Romans eight, verse five. For they that are after
the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. To be after the
flesh is to be an unregenerate unbeliever who would be walking
after or courting to the flesh. This is why we must be born again
as Pastor Bill said this morning. John 3 and verse 6 says that
which is born of the flesh is flesh. We are all born in sin
with no spiritual life as we come into this world and our
whole lives before God regenerates and converts us. whether we're
religious and outwardly moral or irreligious and outwardly
rebellious against God. Until God does a work of grace
in us by his spirit, our lives are spent pursuing the desires
of the flesh, fallen unregenerate human nature. Our next part of
Romans eight and verse five says, do mind the things of the flesh.
for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.
All who live according to the flesh set their hearts and their
minds, their affections, in pursuit of natural sinful desires and
are inspired by natural sinful motives, those motives like self-love,
selfishness, self-righteousness, and religious pride. Examples
of this kind of attitude and behavior would range from the
Sodomites who lived to fulfill their sexual lust back in Genesis
13, 13 says, but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before
the Lord exceedingly. And it also applies to the most
dedicated religionists who seek salvation by their works. As
we'll see in the next two verses here, look at Romans 9, 31. But Israel, now this is Paul
speaking here, and when he says, but Israel, he's talking about
the Jews. He's talking about himself by
nature as he was born into this world. He was a Jew, he's an
Israelite. He says, but Israel, which followed after the law
of righteousness, they did everything they could to keep the law. But it says, hath not attained
to the law of righteousness. And in Romans 10, verse three,
for they being ignorant of God's righteousness." He says they
were ignorant of God's righteousness. And going about to establish
their own righteousness. And then it says, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. Walking after the flesh
is the life without the knowledge of the true Christ and the true
God of the Bible. And such were we before God brought
us to faith and repentance. Walk into the flesh is to be
ignorant of Christ's righteousness and the only ground of a sinner's
salvation. And it's to go about to establish
a righteousness of our own. This is a life of the flesh.
To walk after the flesh is to walk in unbelief, no matter how
we appear outwardly to men. To walk after the flesh is to
seek righteousness and acceptance for salvation not based on Christ's
righteousness, but based on your righteousness, those deeds done
by you. Either those deeds that you do
or you think you've been enabled to do by God. That's what it
is to walk after the flesh. Look back at Romans 8 in verse
5, last part of verse 5, but they that are after the spirit,
the things of the spirit. To be after the spirit, on the
other hand, is to be a regenerate believer, one who has faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ, faith that looks to Christ for all
of salvation. To mind the things of the spirit
is to walk by faith in Christ, resting in him for forgiveness.
For all your sins by his blood and his righteousness alone is
to see how our whole justification before God by Christ's righteousness
imputed and charged to our account. This walking after the flesh
only comes in the new birth when the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual
life from Christ. Look at John 3 in verse 6. And that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. All who live according to the
Spirit set their hearts and their minds and their affections in
pursuit of God's glory. in Christ and they are inspired
by spiritual motives like grace and love and gratitude toward
God for what he's done for us by providing that righteousness
for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's look at Colossians 3 beginning
at verse 1. If ye then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affections on things
above, not on things on the earth, for you are dead and your life
is hid in Christ, in God. This is what it means to walk
after the things of the Spirit. Look back at Romans 8 and verse
5 again. But they that are after the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit. To walk after the Spirit is to
walk by faith in Christ. Not seeking to establish our
own righteousness before God, We've been convinced that we
cannot do that, but resting in Christ and His righteousness
for all of our eternal justification before God. To walk after the
Spirit is to not look to your faith, not look to your prayers,
your giving, your worshiping, or anything done by you, in you,
or anything like that that you might do in order to be accepted
by God. If you think there is something
that you do that merits or earns you eternal life, anything that
you do that merits or earns you eternal life, then you're walking
after the flesh. We all are either walking after
the flesh or we're walking after spirit. Believers, those who
have been regenerated and born again by the Spirit of God, they
walk after the Spirit. What does it mean to walk after
the Spirit again? Well, it's to be led by the Spirit. The Spirit leads us to the true
Christ, the Lord, our righteousness. We look to Christ's righteousness,
not our own righteousness. They're nothing but filthy rags. Now let's look at some scripture.
And some of which we've already quoted a little earlier in the
message. We'll look at these scriptures
in order to see a picture of those who walk after the flesh.
Unlike what most of the world, religious world, thinks today,
we're going to look at a picture that reveals those that walk
after the flesh and not after spirit. Look at Romans 10 beginning
at verse 1. This is Paul again talking to
his brethren according to the flesh. natural Israel, a Jew. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. He says
they're lost. For I bear them record that they
have a zeal of God, but it's not according to knowledge. They're
going about doing everything they can to keep the law, but they're missing some knowledge.
And then he says, for they've been ignorant of God's righteousness. this righteousness that we must
have to stand before God at judgment. And he says, because they're
ignorant of God's righteousness, this automatically tells you
that they're going about to establish their own righteousness. And
it says, they have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness
of God, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believe it. These folks, even though they
were outwardly moral and doing everything they could to keep
God's law, they were walking after the flesh and not after
the spirit, and they didn't even know it. And we didn't know it. As we came into this world, went
most of our lives in false religion, doing everything we could to
appease this angry God. And we thought it was what God
wanted and desired of us, but we're walking after the flesh.
Now let's look at verse 6 of Romans 8. It says, for to be
carnally minded, this is to be fleshly minded, is death. But
to be spiritually minded is life and peace. The word carnal is
the same word as flesh, The mind set on and motivated by the flesh,
the flesh that natural, sinful motives, desires and goals, this
mind set on and motivated by the flesh, that mind gives evidence
of being spiritually dead and void of spiritual life. There
is no spiritual, eternal life in the flesh. There is only spiritual,
eternal life in Christ. and those looking to Christ for
all of salvation. This is why one of the main evidences
of the Holy Spirit work within us is that we, according to Philippians
chapter 3 and verse 3, have no confidence in the flesh, but
that we have confidence in Christ and Him alone. The regenerate
sinner has been made to see that there is no hope of salvation.
In any work that he does, and that he may be, or that he may
be unable to do. All of his confidence is in Christ
alone based on Christ's righteousness alone. The mindset on and motivated
by the spirit, those godly motives, desires, and goals that we have
by the spirit is spiritually alive and at peace with God in
Christ. It will end up in eternal life
and glory in Christ. They walk by the rule of the
gospel. of God's grace in Christ, the rule of faith in Him. Look
at Galatians 6, beginning at verse 14, where Paul says, But
God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified and the men are
unto the world. For in Christ neither circumcision
availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature And as many
as walk according to this rule, this rule of having no confidence
in the flesh, this rule of glorying, not glorying in anything save
the cross of Christ. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace on them and mercy and upon the Israel of
God, spiritual Israel. And then in verse seven, Romans
eight and verse seven, It says, because the carnal mind, that
fleshly mind, is enmity, hostile toward God, against God. For
it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. The mind of the flesh, no matter
what form it takes, is enmity against God. This enmity here
is hatred and hostile towards the true and living God. Someone
may argue when you say that this enmity is hatred and hostile
toward a true God. Someone may argue, I don't believe
the gospel or the Bible, but I don't hate God. Well, God says
that you do. According to John 3 beginning
verse 19, where it says, and this is the condemnation that
light has come, this gospel light that reveals Christ. and reveals
the true God and true Christ of the Bible. It's coming to
the world and men love darkness rather than that light because
their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should
be reproved or disapproved of. Also in John chapter 15 and verse
18, This is Christ speaking, if the world hates you, you know
that it hated me before it hated you. That's pretty clear. There is no middle ground between
faith and unbelief. Christ said, he that is not with
me is against me. Look at Matthew 12 and verse
30. Christ says, he that is not with me is against me, and he
that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. This hatred and hostility
that we're talking about is evidence by unbelief, rebellion, and pride. Man by nature will not and cannot
of his own will bow and submit to Christ and his truth. Look
back at Romans 8, 7 again. It says, because a carnal mind
is enmity against God, for it's not subject to the law of God,
Neither indeed can be. As I said earlier, the mind of
the flesh, no matter what form it takes, is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be. Subjection or submission
to the law of God is found only in sinners who have been convicted
by God of their sinfulness and depravity and the impossibility
of salvation by works of law. Look at Romans 3, beginning at
verse 19. Now we know that what thing soever
the law saith, it saith them to under the law, that every
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before
God. Therefore, by the deeds of law, there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of
sin. All those who are in subjection and submission to God's law are
those that have been driven to Christ for salvation. They've been driven to Christ,
his shed blood, and his imputed righteousness for all salvation,
peace, and eternal life. Their mouth has been stopped.
They have been convinced that there is nothing that they can
do, that they can be enabled to do in order to meet that standard
of righteousness that a holy God requires. To be submitted
to God's law is to be submitted to the righteousness of God in
Christ. As we've seen earlier, a picture of those who walk after
the flesh, now let's look at the same example of some mighty
religious people who were not submitted to Christ's righteousness
alone for all of salvation. Look back at Romans 10, beginning
at verse 3. Once again, we're talking about
those Jews, those Israelites, those religious people by nature.
It says, for they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going
about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it.
A sinner who is doing his best to keep the law while thinking
he can be saved by his works may appear to be a friend of
God, but he's not. He is an enemy of God and of
all grace. This God who saves sinners only
by the obedience and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
may appear to be in submission to the law, but he's not. He
stubbornly refuses to bow and submit to Christ's righteousness
alone for all of salvation. And this exposes his sinfulness.
Prior to God revealing the gospel to me, I thought that I was submitted
to God's law. I was doing everything I could
to keep the Ten Commandments. Outwardly, I was like that white
as sepulchre spoken of by Christ in Matthew 23, 27. And God used
this on me mightily when he brought me to see himself and see my
need of salvation by Christ alone. In Matthew 23, 27, Christ speaking
here says, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, these were these
religious people of that day. And you can put any religious
people of this day in this place. It says, for ye are like unto
whited sepulchers. And I tell you what I did back
then, all I could do was picture a pretty cemetery. with all those
tombstones, just pretty white tombstones and that nice grass,
green grass. And it looks so pretty outwardly
as you look at it. And I said, that's me as a Pharisee. And it says, which indeed appear
beautiful outward. But then he says, but are within
full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness. Now, this
opened up that tombstone and that casket,
and that's what we are by nature. That's what God says we are by
nature. He says, even so you also outwardly appear righteous
unto men, you look real good to other men outwardly. He says,
but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity and sin. You see,
I was ignorant of the only righteousness whereby God saves a sinner. Therefore,
I was automatically going about to establish a righteousness
of my own. I was walking after the flesh and not after the spirit. Has God revealed to you your
wretched estate? Has God brought you to the point
of seeing yourself as having no hope of salvation outside
of Christ's righteousness and that imputed and charged your
account? Has God brought you to a point where you have been
able to identify with those Pharisees that we're talking about here
who appear righteous outwardly but within were full of iniquity? Has God caused you, seeing that
you had no hope outside of Christ, has he caused you to flee to
Christ? for refuge from the wrath to come. If you can identify
with these things, then my friend, there's hope for you. There's
hope for you. Now we'll go to verse eight here,
Romans eight. It says, so then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God. While in an unregenerate state
without Christ and without faith in him, Without the powerful
work and indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, it's impossible
to please God. As we read in Hebrews 11 verse
six, it says, but without faith, it's impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he's
a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Even though the elect
standing is sure and certain in Christ, until God sends his
spirit to regenerate us, and bring us to faith and repentance,
we will walk according to the flesh, just as much so as those
who stay in an unregenerate state. See, you can't tell any difference
between a believer and, I mean, you can't tell any difference
between the elect and the non-elect prior to regeneration. We're
in self-righteous religions just like them. Think of yourself
back then when you were in false religion, and you fit in pretty
well. You couldn't tell any difference.
I wouldn't have been able, if I was a believer, tell the difference
between those sitting in those pews out there of God's elect
at that time. He hadn't brought them to faith
and repentance. But once they're brought in faith and repentance,
Then they give evidence. Then we're able to see those
that truly are not walking after flesh anymore, but they're walking
after spirit. No matter how man seeks to improve
himself, no matter how much or how hard he works to please God,
he cannot prior to regeneration, conversion. He has no inherent
power or ability to do so while in the flesh. God has to do a
work of grace in the heart of the center in order for the center
to do those things that are well-pleasing in his sight. Well, in closing,
we still must remember, though, that the elect's standing before
God never changes. There's a difference between
your standing before God and the state that you're in. Your
standing before God never changes. but our state does change. We
once were an unbeliever, an idol worshiper. We didn't know the
true God or the true Christ. We were in that state of unbelief. Your state changes, but our standing
before God never changes. We were put in Christ from eternity
as he stood in our place, assured you to come in time and do all
those things necessary for our salvation. We've never been out
of Christ, we've always been in Christ. As I said earlier,
we come into this world as unregenerate sinners and we stay that way
until God in the day of his power sends his spirit to bring his
elect from that darkness that we're in by nature to the light
of the gospel. And at that time, we see and
understand who God really is. and who Christ is. We see and
understand how God saves a sinner based on Christ's righteousness
alone. And that being imputed and charged to our account, all
our righteousness, anything that we do or are enabled to do is
filthy rag. Well, God reveals the gospel
of his grace to us, causing us to flee to Christ for all of
salvation and final glory. At that time, when God does His
work, the fruit and effect of what Christ accomplished for
us at the cross, we walk not according to the flesh, but we
walk according to the Spirit. Amen.