Carnally Minded vs. Spiritually Minded

[MessageOfTheCross]

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 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. Romans 8:6-8

1. What does it mean to be "carnally minded"?

2. What does it means to be "spiritually minded"?

3. Paul uses the terms, "the flesh" or "in the flesh," quite often. What does he mean?

 

[Grace777x70]

Great OP. Thank you!

My beliefs so far in this area are:

1) Thinking with our own natural mind based on what we see in this natural world. Living from the world system brought in by the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil by Adam and Eve. It is an un-renewed mind to the truth of the realities that Christ has already done for us in the cross and resurrection and the truth that we were included in His death and resurrection.

2) Spiritually minded is thinking from the perspective of "being in Christ " and "Christ being in us". Keeping our thought life on the Father's good opinion of us because we are in Christ.

Colossians 3:1-4 (NASB)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

[SUP]2 [/SUP] Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

[SUP]3 [/SUP] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

[SUP]4 [/SUP] When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

As we behold Christ as in a mirror - we are transformed outwardly to reflect our true nature joined as one spirit with Him. 2 Cor. 3:17-18. This also is called the renewing of the mind. Rom. 12:2

3) In the flesh means those that have not received the message of Christ.

Romans 8:9-10 (NASB)
[SUP]9 [/SUP] However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

[SUP]10 [/SUP] If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
The understanding of the circumcision of Christ where the heart is cut away from the body of flesh helps to get this truth about being in the spirit and not in the flesh.

Colossians 2:11 (NASB)
[SUP]11 [/SUP] and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;


Romans 2:29 (NASB)
[SUP]29 [/SUP] But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Being "carnally minded" is placing one's faith in something other than Christ and the Cross, i.e., The Finished Work, i.e., The Blood of Jesus.

Being "spiritually minded" is what one must be to successfully "walk after the Spirit." It simply means placing one's Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross, excluding all else, and not allowing anything to take the place of the Cross.

Paul uses the terms, "the flesh" or "in the flesh," quite often. What does he mean? He is speaking of a person's own natural ability, our natural strength, our own efforts, in other words, what we as human being can do.

We cannot do anything within our own strength and power that will gain anything with the Lord, no matter how noble our efforts might be. In other words, the Lord cannot accept our efforts, our ability, our personal power, etc. So to have what we must receive from the Lord, that is, if we are to live as we ought to live, then we will have to depend totally, and I mean totally, on Christ and what Christ has done for us at the Cross.

To help us understand it better, anything we try to do, any way we attempt to go, any effort we attempt to make, other than by Faith in Christ and the Cross, is labeled by the Holy Spirit as "the flesh," which is displeasing to God, and which will never bring victory.

 

[Grace777x70]

Amen......and from the cross we go on to the realization of the reality that we too were raised with Christ in His resurrection after we died on the cross with Him.

This is a great thread and I believe if we can get the revelation of these truths cemented in our hearts and minds - we will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.

Finally a thread that speaks of the life of Christ for us and in and through us. Thank you brother!

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The Holy Spirit will never give victories to the flesh. In other words, He does not strengthen the willpower of the Believer, or our own natural ability, etc. That would only glorify the flesh, which would tend to increase pride in the heart and life of such a person, which the Lord will never do.

The "power" He speaks of giving us (Acts 1:8) is His Power manifested in our lives, as we evidence Faith in Christ and the Cross. Then, and only then, will His Power be manifested. Unfortunately, far too many Christians think that the Holy Spirit makes them stronger. He doesn't!

Concerning this very thing, Paul said, "When I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:10).

Truly, every Christian is weak; they just won't admit it. When we recognize that we are weak, which means that we cant do what needs to be done, and then we correctly place our Faith in Christ and the Cross, then the Holy Spirit will do for us what only He can do.

The Way Of The Spirit
Focus: The Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6)
Object Of Faith: The Cross of Christ (Romans 6:1-14)
Power Source: The Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-2, 11)
Results: Victory (Romans 6:14)

Man's Way
Focus: Works.
Object Of Faith: Performance.
Power Source: Self.
Results: Defeat!

The only way to God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6)...the only way to Jesus Christ is by the Means of the Cross (Luke 14:27). The only way to the Cross is a denial of self (Luke 9:23). If any person tries to come any other way, Jesus says, "they are a thief and a robber" (John 10:1).

1. Jesus Christ is the source of all blessings.
2. The Cross is the means by which all blessings are given.
3. The object of our faith must be Christ and the Cross.
4. That being done, the Holy Spirit will greatly help us.
[SUB][SUP]
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[Hungry]

In Genesis it is stated that we are both flesh and spirit. The animal part of us is flesh. This is our instincts, comfort and reproductive programming. When we allow this programming to lead our actions we are in the flesh.

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Paul also makes it very clear in Romans 8:10 that the physical body, mind / intellect, and the heart (which is evil - Jeremiah 17:9) has been rendered helpless because of the original sin; consequently, the Believer trying to overcome by willpower presents a fruitless task. Only the Holy Spirit can mortify the deeds of the flesh and make us what we ought to be (Romans 8:13). This means we cannot do it ourselves. Once again, He performs all that He does within the confines of the Finished Work of Christ (Romans 8:2).

If a Christian will and their efforts to live for God is in anything except Christ and the Cross, i.e., Finished Work, The Blood of Jesus (Romans 8:2), Satan can override your will and force you to do things you don't want to do and trying not to do (Ephesians 6:12). Jesus said deny yourself and pick up your cross and follow me (Luke 9:23).

Remember our bodies are dead and useless to God. The heart is prone to wander away from God's love and eat from "The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil." The reason why the body is dead is because of the effects of the fall has made us totally incapable of yielding spiritual obedience on a regular basis (Jeremiah 13:23). So there must be a source outside of myself that helps me to enter into sanctification which is the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:13).

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Amen......and from the cross we go on to the realization of the reality that we too were raised with Christ in His resurrection after we died on the cross with Him.

This is a great thread and I believe if we can get the revelation of these truths cemented in our hearts and minds - we will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.

Finally a thread that speaks of the life of Christ for us and in and through us. Thank you brother!

Amen.

The Truth that the Believer must have, is that the Cross and the Resurrection, which speak of the Finished Work of Christ, pertains not only to our initial Salvation experience, but as well to our everyday Victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The Believer must understand the Truth that he was in Christ when Christ died on the Cross, was in Christ when He was buried, was in Christ when he was raised from the dead, and continues to be in Christ as He is now exalted at the Right Hand of the Father (Roman 6:3-5; Ephesians 2:6). Consequently, if Christ defeated Satan, that means the Christian has defeated Satan. If Christ atoned for all sin, then no sin can attach itself to the Believer, that is, if the Believer keeps trusting Christ (John 14:20). If Christ is a Law-keeper, than the Believer is a Law-keeper. If Christ is victorious, then the Believer is victorious.

The Believer must understand this, trust in this, believe this, and act upon it, even on a daily basis. This is what Jesus meant by us taking up the Cross daily and following Him (Luke 9:23).

This is the "Truth" which we must learn, act upon, and continue to act upon, which guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit.

If the Believer does not know and understand this "Truth" to simply tell him to "trust Jesus," will really not help him that much. It is the same as telling him that he must "get in the Altars." Without knowing this Truth, he won't really know why he is in the Altars.

In fact, he will be attempting to trust the Lord to do something for him, which in fact, has already been done. He will be attempting to have Faith in God for something, that's actually already taking place. He will be attempting to ask the Lord for something, which in reality has already been brought about.

 

[Grace777x70]

Amen.

The Truth that the Believer must have, is that the Cross and the Resurrection, which speak of the Finished Work of Christ, pertains not only to our initial Salvation experience, but as well to our everyday Victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The Believer must understand the Truth that he was in Christ when Christ died on the Cross, was in Christ when He was buried, was in Christ when he was raised from the dead, and continues to be in Christ as He is now exalted at the Right Hand of the Father (Roman 6:3-5; Ephesians 2:6). Consequently, if Christ defeated Satan, that means the Christian has defeated Satan. If Christ atoned for all sin, then no sin can attach itself to the Believer, that is, if the Believer keeps trusting Christ (John 14:20). If Christ is a Law-keeper, than the Believer is a Law-keeper. If Christ is victorious, then the Believer is victorious.

The Believer must understand this, trust in this, believe this, and act upon it, even on a daily basis. This is what Jesus meant by us taking up the Cross daily and following Him (Luke 9:23).

This is the "Truth" which we must learn, act upon, and continue to act upon, which guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit.

If the Believer does not know and understand this "Truth" to simply tell him to "trust Jesus," will really not help him that much. It is the same as telling him that he must "get in the Altars." Without knowing this Truth, he won't really know why he is in the Altars.

In fact, he will be attempting to trust the Lord to do something for him, which in fact, has already been done. He will be attempting to have Faith in God for something, that's actually already taking place. He will be attempting to ask the Lord for something, which in reality has already been brought about.

I agree and this occurs as we behold the glory/goodness of the Lord as in a mirror we are transformed from glory/goodness to more glory/goodness of the Lord being manifested in and to us. 2 Cor. 3:17-18.

What do we see when we look into a mirror? We are one with Christ and as we see Him - we see our true self which is the new creation created in righteousness and holiness.

The Holy Spirit transforms as we participate in this work with Him. For it is God who is at work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Would you say "walking by the spirit" is walking in the acknowledgement of what Christ has already done for us on the cross and resurrection and in seeing who we are in Christ now because of our union with Him?

Personally I believe the whole Christian life can be seen in Peter walking on the water. Keeping his eyes on Jesus gave him the ability to walk on the water - above what could be done by our own will-power and flesh in the natural. That one word from Jesus - "Come" - had the life in it to manifest things that are not humanly possible.