Dr. Cecil A. Fayard - 2001 Sermons
Sunday, July 22, 2001   

Romans 8:3 tells us that what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, such as justify, grace has done for us:

1. The law condemns- grace has no condemnation (verse 1)
2. The law curses man- grace frees man from the curse (Galatians 3:13).
3. The law brings us into captivity- grace sets us free from wrath (5:9).

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE IN THE FLESH
   1. They mind the things of the flesh. Verse 5a, "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh."
      
      1. "Mind" is in the Greek present tense of the verb meaning "to do it habitually."
         
         1. This is the bent of the lost man. This is the way he thinks, moves, and acts.
            
         2. The Greek word phroneo used here for mind includes the passions as well as the will and reasoning of the unregenerate.
            
         3. The lost indulge the flesh and its desires (11 Peter 2:10).
            
         4. Philippians 3:19 tells us that the end of the unbeliever is destruction.
            
            1. Their God is their appetite.
               
            2. They set their minds on earthly, worldly things.
               
      2. Without the work of the Holy Spirit, men continue to "mind the things of the flesh."
         
         1. Those who walk according to the flesh, the lost, allow their lives to be controlled by their sinful human nature.
            
         2. They talk about worldly things; they engage in worldly pleasures; they glory in their worldly lives.

   2. They are dead to spiritual things. Vs 6a, "For to be carnally minded is death."
      
      1. Paul does not say this leads to death; he says it is death.
         
         1. The lost person is dead spiritually; and because they are spiritually dead, they mind the things of the flesh. These are the things they think about and do. It is not the doing of these things that is death; it is because they are dead they do these things.
            
         2. All unbelievers are "dead in trespasses and sins..." We who are saved were once in this condition (Ephesians 2:1).
            
      2. The lost man is dead to the things of God; they do not deeply interest him (I Corinthians 2:14).
         
         1. The lost man is alive on the physical side but dead on the spiritual side (I Timothy 5:6).
            
         2. The lost person is dead, a spiritual corpse completely unable to respond to the things of God or to God Himself.

   3. They are at enmity against God. Verse 7, "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God..."
      
      1. All of the lost are at enmity with God, they are hostile toward God.
         
         1. The religious lost man and the atheist are enemies of God.
            
         2. The outwardly moral lost man and the outwardly icked lost man is against God.
            
         3. The unsaved man cannot be righteous because he has no righteousness. All of his righteousness are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).
            
      2. "For it [the carnal mind] is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."
         
         1. Unbelievers cannot please God because they are not His. They are not empowered by Him; they do not know Him.
            
         2. They cannot please God because their motivation is wrong.
            
            1. Many folks get all upset when things do not go their way at church. When they do not get recognition, do not get the praise, they are upset because their motivation for service are self-centered.
               
            2. Any works we do in the flesh will not, cannot please God.

   4. They cannot please God. Vs 8, Unsaved friend, you cannot please God. Do all you want in the name of religion, you cannot please God.

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAVED, THOSE IN THE SPIRIT
   1. They mind the things of the Spirit. Verse 5b, "They that are after the Spirit [mind] the things of the Spirit.
      
      1. The saved set their minds on spiritual things.
         
         1. Those who belong to the Father are concerned about godly things.
            
         2. They long for the things of God (Psalms 42:1-2).
            
         3. As a habit of life yet not sinless perfection, the child of God prefers the things of God.
            
      2. What do you prefer? The worldly crowd or the godly crowd? The church house or the honky tonk?

   2. They have life and peace. Vs 6b, "To be spiritually minded is life and peace."
      
      1. Those who have a spiritual mind have been born again; they have life eternal.
         
         1. The Christian has his mind set on spiritual matters.
            
         2. The Christian has a divine nature that leads us in the spiritual life.
            
         3. The Christian is not perfect, but he does have eternal life and things are different than they were (II Corinthians 5:17).
            
      2. The saved man has peace.
         
         1. Isaiah 26:3, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee......"
            
         2. At one time the saved were enemies of God (Romans 5:10); but now through the blood, we are at peace. He made peace for us through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20).
            
         3. Because we have peace with God through the blood (Romans 5:1), the peace of God will keep our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).

   3. They are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Verse 9, "But ye are not in 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."
      
      1. "Dwell in you"-- to make one's home. The Holy Spirit lives in the believer, every believer.
         
      2. The believer has the Holy Spirit; the unbeliever does not.
         
      3. The believer will give evidence of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

   4. They are righteous. Verse 10, And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
      
      1. The body is bound to die because of sin.
         
      2. The Spirit is alive because of righteousness (Romans 3:21-22).

   5. They will be resurrected. Verse 11, But if the Spirit of him that raised up 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 dwelleth in you.
      
      1. The Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead.
         
      2. Just as life was given to Christ's mortal body at the resurrection, our bodies will be raised incorruptible in the moment in the twinkling of an eye.
         
      3. The Spirit that gives spiritual life will give resurrection to our mortal bodies (John 6:63). (Mortal- subject to death).

3. VERSES 12-13, BELIEVERS ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO THE FLESH
   1. Verse 12, We are under no obligation to the flesh. We are not to be ruled by it.
      
      1. Because of salvation, the flesh does not rule over us.
         
      2. Victory is ours.

   2. Verse 13, This verse is not teaching loss of salvation (Romans 8: 1).
      
      1. The person who lives as a habit for the flesh and by the flesh has never been saved and is dead spiritually.
         
      2. If the unregenerate man is not saved, he must die the second death, eternal separation from God (Revelations 20:14).
         
      3. The believer has the Holy Spirit and through him we can: "mortify the deeds of the body"
         
         1. We, believers, have power to live godly.
            
         2. When sinful desires creep in, we are to put them to death!