"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."
Romans 8:6
Part 1
“For to be carnally minded.”
This is a spiritually, dangerous place to be. The English word “carnal” comes from the Latin, caro,[1] meaning “flesh.” We use many words that are close relatives: “carnage, carnivorous…carrion,” and “carnival.” Even the flowers that the English called “carnations,” were given that name because they were thought to be the color of the European’s flesh, and they didn’t have a word for “pink” back then. Carnal took on the meaning of anything that concerns the “flesh” or the “physical.” It is the opposite of spiritual things and therefore represents all sorts of sin.
To be “carnally minded,” or “minding the flesh” is man’s condition without God. This man or woman is continually pursuing the things that appeal to “the flesh.” Paul is talking about the flesh as opposed to God, and the sinful gratification of the flesh. He is not talking about the normal physical needs of the human body.
“The flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God” [2] (Thayer).
“Is death.”
“For to be carnally minded – That is, to mind the things of the flesh. [This] Is death – The sure mark of spiritual death, and the way to death everlasting”[3] (John Wesley).
Those who are “carnally minded” “do mind the things of the flesh” (Romans 8:4a). This is “because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). And this means that “they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). Why? Because they are dead!
To be carnally minded,
“is death — not only ‘ends in’ [death]…, but even now ‘is’ [dead]; carrying death into its bosom, so that such are ‘dead while they live’”[4] (JFB).
This is a state of the “perpetual down-pull of sin”[5] (Meyer).
“But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth” (1 Timothy 5:6).
“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).
“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:5).
The only hope and help for the spiritually dead man or woman is a personal relationship with the Prince of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ. Please come back tomorrow as we look at the end of this verse (the next two days will be better than the beginning!).
Quote: “Christians can never sin cheaply; they pay a heavy price for iniquity. Transgression destroys peace of mind, obscures fellowship with Jesus, hinders prayer, brings darkness over the soul; therefore, be not the serf and bondman of sin”[6] (Spurgeon).
[1] “Carnal” defined by World Wide Words. Downloaded: Tuesday, July 14, 2020.
From: https://www.worldwidewords.org/topicalwords/tw-car2.htm.
[2] J.H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] John Wesley. John Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[4] Jamison, Fausset, and Brown. Jamison-Fausset-Brown’s Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[5] F.B. Meyer. Through the Bible Day by Day, the electronic version in eSword.
[6] Spurgeon’s quote, Downloaded: Monday, June 29, 2020.
From: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/20-powerful-quotes-from-charles-spurgeon.html.