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. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ~ Romans 8:5-8
We all can agree, that Paul is addressing the Church in Rome but It is also not hard to understand that Paul is only addressing the believers within that assembly. However, Paul is also purposely contrasting the believers former way of life and standing as living according to the flesh as (unbelievers) against their new way of life and standing being as those who now live according to the Spirit as (believers). If one carefully follows Paul's argument and flow of thought; verse by verse - you should reach the same conclusion that I have.
Paul begins with making a definite distinction early on in this chapter. He informs the Church in Rome that - the righteous requirement of the Law is fulfilled in those who live not according to the flesh (as speaking regarding believers) - those who have been set free from the Law of sin and death by the Law of the Spirit of Life. However, those who have not been set free from the Law of sin and death by the Law of the Spirit of Life remain as unbelievers. They (these classified as unbelievers) are those who Paul speaks of as living according to the flesh; not believers - because unbelievers are those who have not been set free from the Law of sin and death as of yet.
We know Paul is speaking of unbelievers regarding those of the flesh because he specifically says that the righteous requirement of the Law has not been fulfilled in those who walk according to the flesh in contrast to those who walk according to the Spirit; having been already set free from the Law of sin and death. This truth, automatically makes those who live according to the flesh unbelievers by default. The question that needs to be asked for those who argue that those who set their minds and live according to the flesh could somehow be believers - How can both (those who walk according to the flesh and those who walk according to the Spirit) be considered as being both believers set free from the Law and sin and death but yet one group as living according to the flesh will die spiritually and the other group as living according to the Spirit is described as to have spiritual life and peace? This can't be so; Paul is making a distinction. Those who walk according to the flesh are under condemnation seeing that they have not been set free from the Law of sin and death and those who are walk according to the Spirit are not under condemnation because they are the ones who are "in Christ" as believers according to the plain text.
In the context of Romans 8, Paul is making the argument that believers no longer walk according to the flesh because they have been set from sins power and control or the the Law of sin and death. So those whom Paul speaks of as walking according to the flesh are classified as unbelievers; still being under the power and control of sin.
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Those who Paul speaks of in Romans 8 who are in the flesh:
1) are under condemnation
2) Have not been set free from the Law of sin and death by the Law of the Spirit of Life
3) walk according to the flesh
4) set their mind on the flesh
5) mind is hostile to God
6) does not submit to God's Law
7) Unable to submit to God's Law
8) Unable to please God
9) Do not have the indwelling Spirit
10) Do not belong to God
11) Are debtors to the flesh as to live soley according to the flesh
12) Will die spiritually according to the flesh alone
13) have the spirit of slavery
14) Are not Sons/Children of God
15) Are Unbelievers
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ROMANS 8, WITH COMMENTARY:
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those (believers) who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you (believers) free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh (for those who will and has believed), 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law (perfect obedience) might be fulfilled in us (those who has believed), who walk not according to the flesh (as you once did as an unbeliever) but (now) according to the Spirit (seeing that you now have believed and have been set free from the Law of sin and death). 5For those who live according to the flesh (as you once did as an unbeliever) set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit (now as believers, see vs 4) set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6For to set the mind on the flesh (as unbelievers do) is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit (seeing that you have now come to believe) is life and peace. 7For the mind (that of the unbeliever) that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8Those who are in the flesh (as an unbeliever) cannot please God.
9You (believers) however, are not in the flesh (as regarding your former life as an unbeliever) but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you (to which only a believer can possess). Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him (because he remains still as an unbeliever in the flesh and in sin). 10But if Christ is in you (because you have believed), although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit (within you) is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you (as a believer), he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies (as a believer) through his Spirit who dwells in you (of which only a believer can possess).
12So then, brothers (as believers), we are debtors, not to the flesh (as we use to live by), to live according to the flesh (before believing). 13For if you live according to the flesh (as you once did as a unbeliever) you will die, but if by the Spirit (as a believer) you put to death the deeds of the body (as only a believer can do), you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit (as a believer) of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery (as a believer) to fall back into fear (as an unbeliever), but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons (as a believer), by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit himself (within us as believers) bears witness with our spirit (human spirit) that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
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In addition, many stumble at verse 13 - they say, see; it says if a believer lives according to the flesh he will die. They think, because Paul says "if you live according to the flesh you will die" - that it is possible for a believer to indeed live according to the flesh and perhaps even lose their salvation. However, Paul is definitely by no means implying such a thing. (1) However, in the context of Romans 8; each time when Paul speaks of "living according to the flesh" he always speaks of this "living" as by one who is an unbeliever for it is only an unbeliever who actually does live solely according to the flesh that leads to spiritual death - vs 6 & 13. When Paul speaks of living according to the flesh in Romans 8; this living ends up in spiritual death and condemnation in contrast to those who Paul speaks of as living according to the Spirit; believers who are under no condemnation and have the promise of life - vs 6 (2). According to the context of Romans 8; it is IMPOSSIBLE for a believer to be identified as the one who Paul speaks of as to "live according to the flesh" because this person who Paul describes as "living according to the flesh" - their destiny is spiritual death, which is in stark contrast as to what Paul has already said about those who "live according to the Spirit" - there is NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus. So the individual who lives according to the flesh is an unbeliever for he lives as one who does not possess the Spirit of God! Therefore, when Paul speaks of those who's mind is set or governed by the flesh is hostile to God; he is speaking of the very same unbeliever who lives according to the flesh that will die spiritually unless they too repent and believe the Gospel. The same one who lives according to the flesh is the same individual who set their mind or is governed by the flesh. You cannot separate these two characteristics ascribed exclusively to those of the flesh which only applies to an unbeliever in this context. This is the reason Paul goes on to say that the same individual who's mind is governed by the flesh is also hostile to God; for this person not only does not submit to God's Law but is unable to do so for the simple fact the flesh alone lacks the ability to do so because the mere flesh of man as an unbeliever is without power to which only the Holy Spirit provides. This is why no one solely in the flesh to which they were born can please God. A person must be born again to please God because the result of being born again; this particular person who has been born again now has the ability by way of supernatural power to which the Spirit provides now residing in them to submit to and obey God; an ability that someone without the Spirit or having not been born again does not possess.
By Aaron Fisher
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REGARDING 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-3
Lastly, an important note. The issue regarding 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. Those who try to conflate the BELIEVERS who are considered by the Apostle Paul to be conducting themselves according to the flesh as worldly and immature Christians in Corinthians with the UNBELIEVERS in Romans 8 who's mind is of the flesh and walk according to the flesh - are in grave interpretive error. They attempt to insist that those who are of the flesh as unbelievers in Romans 8:1-9 can "set their mind" on the things of the Spirit, just as easily as a believer can "set their mind" on the things of the flesh regarding Corinthians 3:1-3. This notion is biblically incorrect. Those unbelievers who are of the flesh in Romans 8 are incapable of "setting their mind" on the Spirit because they lack such ability being void of the Holy Spirit; this privilege is ONLY reserved for those who have the Spirit IN THEM (romans 8:9). The believers in Corinthians 3 who are immature as to follow the flesh instead of the Spirit's leading are in disobedience but nonetheless are still believers; not so, with those who are of the flesh in Romans 8 - they remain unbelievers who don't belong to Christ. So to attempt to contrast and conflate the unbelievers who walk according to the flesh and who are considered to be in sin in Romans with the believers who are immature and worldly but nonetheless still saved in Corinthians is a total misunderstanding of both text of scripture - only proving that those who equate these two different text regarding these two different books of scripture (both Romans and Corinthians) are in grave error and don't know how to properly interpret and exegete scripture.
By Aaron Fisher
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