Okay, we'll come back to Romans
chapter 8. We'll try to look at verse 5, down through verse
10 or 11, thereabouts. In these verses, the whole human
race is made up of two distinct groups, and that's what we read
here a description of. Those who were justified in Christ,
made righteous in Christ, made alive by the quickening Spirit,
the Holy Spirit, And the other side of that coin, those who
were made alive in Christ, those who were justified in Christ,
and those who were dead in sin without Christ, without hope,
without God, without righteousness. In other words, there is a distinction
among all men and all mankind of those who were found in Christ,
justified in Christ, those who were lost, and those who were
dead in sin. In these next verses, Paul described
these two distinct groups of sinners. Those who were saved
sinners and those who were lost sinners. Notice again verse 5. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh. Now look at verse 6. For to be
carnally minded is death, Verse 7, 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. Now we'll look at the negative
side and a true description that the Lord gives of those who are
lost and dead in their sin. Those who live before and after
the flesh mind only the things of the flesh. They serve the
flesh, they walk in the flesh, they cannot please God or satisfy
the holy law of God. It is impossible for this human,
wicked, sinful flesh to satisfy the holy law of God. As it says
there in verse 8, they who are in the flesh cannot please God. Therefore, any and all efforts,
any and all efforts to please God by the deeds of the sinful
flesh are nothing more than vain attempts to satisfy God's holy
law. Vain attempts. It cannot be done. All of our righteousnesses that
this Flesh produces is nothing but filthy rags. We know by the
deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified. We are not accepted
before God by our deeds, our efforts, our good works, not
whatsoever. By the deeds of the flesh no
sinner has ever been justified. No sinner has ever been justified
before God by the deeds of the flesh. Because, as we studied
in Romans chapter 3, you don't need to turn there, you're familiar
with this. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one. Not one. Does that include you? Yep, that includes everyone. There is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God. They're all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that
doeth good. No, not one. They who are in the flesh cannot
please God. Notice what it says now. We're
picking up one side of the equation here, verse 6. It describes those
who do mind the things of the flesh. Look at verse six. For
to be carnally minded is death, death. Seeking salvation by the
deeds of the flesh, by the righteousness of the flesh is death, death. For to be carnally minded, fleshly
minded, or the marginal reference has the minding of the flesh
is nothing but, and it leads to eternal death and condemnation. Because, look back at Romans
chapter 7 verse 5. All the flesh produces is fruit
unto death. Remember Romans 7 verse 5. For
when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, the passions
of sin, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring
forth fruit Fruit unto death. All the flesh produces is sin
and the wages of sin is death. death seeking salvation by the
deeds of the flesh bring nothing from God but the wrath of God
not the favor of God not the merit of God not the mercy of
God seeking salvation by the deeds of the flesh bring nothing
but wrath now look at verse 7 Romans 8 verse 7 the carnal mind is
enmity against God, for it is not subject or submissive to
the law of God, neither indeed can be. It has no ability to
honor the law of God. Now still talking about those
who live after the flesh, talking about those who are lost sinners. Because the carnal mind is enmity,
enmity against God. That is the natural mind, the
natural thinking of a fallen man who loves darkness and hates
the light. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. Now remember the first time I
looked that word enmity up, And it's a very strong, strong word. It means deep-rooted, deep-seated
hatred against God. That's all the carnal mind thinks
about is rebellion against God. rebellion against the true and
living God. Every fallen sinful man loves
the idol God that he has whittled out with his own imagination.
But no man left to himself has any love or submission unto the
true and living God left to himself. Because a carnal mind Let me
just read this to you over here. We're going to look at it later
in our message. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2, Verse
14, where it says here, "...the natural man, or the carnal mind,
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned, spiritually understood." The carnal mind will not surrender,
will not submit to God, nor to the will of God, nor to the law
of God, nor to God's way of salvation, that is, left to himself. No
man can. You remember John 6, 44. No man
can. That is, has the ability to.
No man can come to me. That's what the Lord said. No
man can come to me except the Father which sent me. Draw him. The preaching of the cross of
the Lord Jesus Christ, that particular redemption and definite atonement,
the preaching of the cross to those who are perishing is mere
nonsense and foolishness. There is a way, the wise man
said in Proverbs 14, there is a way which seems right unto
man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Now that's
a very grim picture, is it not? But that is a true description
of what God says of those who are seeking salvation by the
deeds of the flesh. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh. For to be carnally minded is
death, the carnal mind is enmity against God. So then they that
are in the flesh cannot please God. Now here's the other side
of the equation. This is what God has made us
by His grace. By nature, we're no different.
We're carnal, fleshly, sinful, guilty creatures, totally depraved
creatures before God. Who has made you to differ from
another? What do you have that you did not receive? It's only
by the grace of God that we can say, as it says up here in verse
five, The middle part of verse five, here's that first B-U-T,
but, but, they that are after the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit. Now remember what our Lord taught
in John chapter three, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. That's all that ever will be.
That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Now, the flesh does
not, get any better. Matter of fact, we realize more
just how totally depraved we are. But they that are after
the Spirit, the things of the Spirit of God. Now the Lord is
talking about those who have been born of the Spirit of God,
those who have been begotten by the Word of Truth. Of His
own will begat He us with the Word of Truth. The Lord And by
the Lord's grace, and by the Lord's sovereign choice, there
are some who are blessed to mind the things of the Spirit of God,
or to be spiritually minded. But they that are after the Spirit,
being born of the Spirit of God, do mind the things of the Spirit,
they have a new heart, a new mind, new affections, because
they've been born again by the Spirit of God, and made new creatures
in Christ. This only happened by the sovereign
will and power of God. We read in Psalm 110, thy people
shall be willing in the day of God's power. If any man be in
Christ, he's a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things have become new. We're only partakers of the divine
nature by the new birth. That's why we must be, our Lord
said, except a man born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God. Except a man born again by the spirit of God, he cannot
enter in. to the kingdom of God. The new
birth is absolutely necessary in salvation. But they that are
after the Spirit, born of the Spirit, they seek the things
of the Spirit of God. They set their affection on things
above, not on the things of this earth. Now, let me just read
this to you. You don't need to turn, it's
a very familiar scripture to you. Over here in Philippians,
or rather Colossians chapter three, Verse 1, Colossians 3,
1. If you then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection, your affection,
your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth, for
you are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. That's a fit description of those
who have been made partakers of a divine nature. They set
their affection on things above. They are dead to the law through
the body of Christ. Turn back over to Romans chapter
6. Romans chapter 6. verse 6, Knowing this, that our
old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, he that
is dead is freed from sin, look at verse 11, likewise reckon
yourselves also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but
alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Let not sin therefore
reign in your mortal body, that you should obey the lust thereof,
neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness
unto God. For sin shall not have dominion
over you, you're not under the law, but thank God we're under
grace." Under grace. To be spiritually minded is life
and peace. Look at verse 6. But to be spiritually minded,
The carnal mind is death, but to be spiritually minded, that
is to have the mind of Christ, the mind of Christ is to honor
God and to glorify God. To be spiritually minded or the
minding of the spirit is life, salvation, and peace. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ as he made peace for us with his own blood. We have peace with God. Now, look down at verse nine. He says, those who were made
new creatures in Christ, they have the mind of Christ, they
have life and salvation in Christ, they have peace with God through
Christ. Look at verse nine, Romans 8
verse nine. But you're not in the flesh,
but in the spirit, if so be the Spirit of God dwells in you."
Now, no man can call Jesus Christ Lord but by the Spirit of God. We read that in Scripture. Now,
if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of His. None of His. Now, only those
found in Christ can please God. He said, but you're not in the
flesh. Now I'll get to that in just a minute. Only those believers
found in Christ are pleasing to God. No carnal fleshly man
can be, because as it says there in Romans 7 verse 18, for I know
that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is present with
me, but how to perform that which good, I can't do it. I can't do it. In the flesh dwelleth
no good thing. Only those who are pleasing to
God are those who are in Christ. When God speaks from heaven,
when the Lord Jesus Christ said to John, suffer us to fulfill
all righteousness, and the Father speaks from heaven and said,
this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased, God is only
well pleased and always well pleased with those who are in
the Lord Jesus Christ. For without faith, it is impossible
to please God. We are indeed accepted in the
beloved. You're not in the flesh. That
is, we're not seeking salvation by the flesh. But in the Spirit,
if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Now, what
does Paul mean here when he says that you're not in the flesh?
Now, I'm looking at you, and I see flesh. You're looking at
me, and I see flesh. Now what does he mean when he
says you're not in the flesh? Well he does not mean that we
have dropped this robe of flesh. Someday we will. We still have
the passions and desires of the flesh to deal with each day.
The old sinful nature is not eradicated. We still live in
the flesh. So it does not mean that we no
longer have this sinful flesh, it means that we have to deal
with this sinful flesh every day. It does mean that the believer
resting in Christ has peace with God in Christ and are indwelt
by the abiding presence of God the Holy Spirit that is constantly
bearing witness to our heart to the honor and glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now look right down in the same
chapter, Roman chapter 8, Verse 14, for as many as be led by
the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Now, where does
the Spirit of God lead us unto? You remember our Lord said, when
he the Spirit of truth has come, he'll take the things of mine
and show them unto you. The chief office of God the Holy
Spirit is to magnify Christ and to point us to the Lord Jesus
Christ. for as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Verse 15, for you've
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received
the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father, dear Father. The Spirit itself, or Himself,
is a better word, the Spirit Himself beareth witness with
our spirit, that we are children of God, and as children and heirs
of God, and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer
with Him, that we may be also glorified together with Him. Now look back at verse 9, but
you're not in the flesh. That is, we're not seeking salvation
by the deeds of the flesh, but rather in the Spirit, being born
of the Spirit of God. If so be the Spirit of God dwells
in you. Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he's none of His. You see, Christ in you is
a hope of glory. The mind of Christ, that is,
if any men have not the spirit of Christ, he's none of his.
That is, he's not the bought property of Christ. Remember
our Lord said this, for you are bought with a price, therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God. We are bought with a price. And that price is his own blood,
his own blood. If any man have not Christ in
you, the hope of glory, it's just evident that he is none
of his, or you do not belong to the Lord, being redeemed. You were not redeemed with his
blood. You were not chosen by his grace,
or redeemed by his blood, nor regenerated by the Spirit, the
Spirit of Christ. That's a sad thing to think about,
is it not? Those who have not the Spirit
of Christ were not chosen by His grace, were not redeemed
by His blood, were not regenerated by the Spirit of God. They're
not the sons of God. Now, behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons
of God. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ, he's born of God. Now, look at verse 10 very carefully. and if Christ be in you now that
salvation Christ in you is the hope of glory and if Christ be
in you or we could read it this way since Christ be in you the
body that is this body of that we live in this old wretched
man that we have if Christ be in you we have life and salvation
the body is just a body of death the body is dead Because of one
reason, S-I-N, sin. The only reason this old flesh
is gonna rot, decay, and die is because of sin. The body is
dead because of sin. Now, here's this word again,
but, but, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Now, who's righteousness there?
Is he talking about? It's not your morality, is it? Now this whole book of Romans
is set forth this blessed fact that believers have a justifying
righteousness that's freely imputed, reckoned, and given to them through
the Lord Jesus Christ. And if Christ be in you, the
body is dead because of sin, But the Spirit is life because
of righteousness. Christ our righteousness. The body of this flesh is marked
out for death. We read in the Word that when
sin is finished it brings forth death. All flesh is grass. This was the result of Adam's
sin. That's what we call original
sin. You remember Romans 5.12, by
one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death
passed upon all men in whom all have sinned. But since Christ
dwells in you, Christ the hope of glory dwells in you. You have
spiritual and eternal life in Christ. He that hath the Son
hath life. Because of Christ our righteousness
being established in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. Look back
up to Romans 8 verse 4. that the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us." Now, how is that going to be
done? Only by the obedience of Christ, only by His faithfulness
unto death, only by His blood atonement unto death, that the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. You remember back in Romans chapter
4, if you want to look back over there for just a minute, Romans
chapter 4, Look at verse 3, for what saith
the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is reward,
not reckoning of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh
not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith
is counted for righteousness. Even as David also described
the blessedness of the man to whom God imputed righteousness
without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are
forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. We have redemption in Christ,
all of our sin put away, and we have righteousness in Christ.
His righteousness justifies us before God. Must have both. Must
have our sin put away and must have righteousness charged to
our account. And that's what we have in the
Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is called
the Lord our righteousness. Now look at verse 11. And here's
another, B-U-T. But if or sense the Spirit of
Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you." And that
is what every believer has. They have the indwelling of God
the Holy Spirit. Those who have the indwelling
of God the Holy Spirit constantly look to the Lord Jesus Christ
for all righteousness and all salvation. If you look somewhere
else It's obvious that the Spirit of Christ doesn't dwell in you.
If you look back to an experience, back to a feeling, back to a
time, back to a place, then the Spirit of God doesn't dwell in
you. Those who have the abiding presence of God the Holy Spirit
are always sweetly forced to look to Christ alone for all
of salvation. But if the Spirit of Him that
raised up the Lord Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you. Now here he is talking
about the resurrection. The Lord Jesus Christ redeemed
us body, soul, and spirit. Christ's resurrection, His resurrection
is a guarantee of our resurrection. You remember Romans 4 25. He
was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. Our Lord said because I live
you shall live also." You remember He declared to be the Son of
God by the resurrection from the dead. I love that verse in
Revelation 118, the Lord said, I'm He that liveth and was dead,
behold I'm alive forevermore and have the keys of hell and
death. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
first fruit from the dead And his resurrection is a guarantee
of the whole harvest of his elect will be raised from the dead. Shall also quicken your mortal
body. One day in the glorious resurrection,
this body that went back to the dust will be raised up and fashioned
like unto his glorious body. Now that's a glorious thought
to think about, is it not? The resurrection of our body?
We have been already quickened in our spirit and made alive,
we've had a spiritual resurrection, but there is going to be also
a bodily resurrection. Now listen to this scripture,
Philippians 3.20. who shall change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working
whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." It
takes the power of Almighty God to raise up a dead sinner, to
quicken him, to make him a new creature in Christ. What kind
of power is it going to take to raise up our dead body that's
nothing but dust, and make a glorious body like unto His body? That's power, is it not? That's
the power of God. The Lord redeemed us, body, soul,
and spirit. I'm going to quit with the reading
of this scripture. 1 Thessalonians 5, 23 and 24. Listen. The very God of peace
sanctify you wholly. And that word there means completely.
W-H-O-L-L-Y. Completely. And I pray God your
whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's verse 23. Verse 24 says
this, faithful is he that called you who will also do it. Now who's going to do it? This
flesh? You're going to raise yourself
up? This dead, here's this dead, nothing but rotten flesh dust. You're going to raise yourself
up from the dead? You say, well, that's impossible. Exactly. It
takes, there is going to be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. What
does it take? It takes the power of Almighty
God. What kind of power does it take to raise up one who is
spiritually dead? Same power. That's why we preach
that salvation is of the Lord. Resurrection is of the Lord.
Righteousness is of the Lord. Okay, we'll pick up there next
time.