(continuation of
Meditation 112)
“The mind
of sinful man is death...” (Romans 8:6a**)
Last time we closed with the question: why is it that leaving God’s ways
and disobeying His Word is such a serious matter for God’s reborn children?
The apostle Paul is shockingly blunt when he speaks about our sinful
nature. The Greek word, that has been translated in Romans 8:6a with the mind, indicates
‘that what is on our mind, our thoughts and purposes’.
In our last Meditation we said that if my life is not controlled by
God’s Spirit, my way of thinking and acting will show it. If there is no place
for God’s love in my heart, my lifestyle will display my selfishness and
sinfulness in a small or a big way.
If divine love for God and fellow-man does not fill my heart, God
pronounces my heart as being ‘dead’, because it does not fulfil the requirement of God’s
holy and perfect moral Law.
The New Living Translation renders Romans 8:6a: “If your sinful
nature controls your mind, there is death...”
The apostle Paul challenges the Christians in Rome: “What benefit did
you reap at that time (before your conversion) from the things you are now
ashamed of? Those things result in death!” (Romans 6:21**). Paul points
again to the consequences of sinning in verse 23: “The wages of sin is death.”
Paul urges these Christians not to return to their sinful ways: “If
you live according to the sinful nature, you will die...” (Romans 8:13**)
Again, the apostle Paul reminds the followers of Jesus in Galatia
(modern Turkey) of the devastating consequences of their former sinful
lifestyle: “Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will
harvest the consequences of decay and death.” (Galatians 6:8*)
We mentioned it in our last Meditation: till their dying day, God’s
reborn children have the choice to follow the ways of God’s Spirit and be
controlled by Him, or to return to the ways of their old sinful nature.
“The
sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's Law, nor can it do
so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:7-8**)
We saw in Meditation 110 that the apostle Paul often speaks about
the depraved character of our sinful hearts and its resulting behaviour. Here,
in Romans 8:7-8, the apostle takes us one step further and put our sinfulness
in the context of our relationship with God. Selfish pride and action create deep
down enmity with God. Because of our egoistical and sinful nature, we are
‘naturally’ unable to love God and our fellow-man in a perfect, Christlike way,
as God’s moral Law requires. Consequently, there is no way we could ever by
ourselves please a righteous and holy God.
Here are some other examples from the apostles’ letters that show how
our sinfulness is a burning enmity for God since the fall of man (see Genesis
3):
-- “God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people
who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to
them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts.
From the time the world was created, people
have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his
invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no
excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship
him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of
what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming
to be wise, they became utter fools instead.” (Romans 1:18-22*)
-- “Their closed minds are full of darkness;
they are far away from the life of God because they have shut their minds and
hardened their hearts against him. They don't care anymore about right and
wrong, and they have given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are
filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.” (Ephesians 4:18-19*)
-- “Once you (God’s children) were alienated from God and were
enemies in your minds because of your evil behaviour.” (Colossians 1:21**)
-- “You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there
will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their
money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their
parents, and ungrateful.
They will consider nothing sacred. They will be
unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control;
they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their
friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than
God.
They will act as if they are religious, but
they will reject the power that could make them godly.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5*)
-- “Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards
God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
(James 4:4**)
-- “When you love the world, you show that you do not have the love
of the Father in you. For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure,
the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not
from the Father. They are from this evil world.” (1 John 2:15-16*)
“... but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit
think about things that please the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5*)
We wrote in Meditation 112 that all of those who are reconciled with God
the Father through the sacrifice of God the Son have received God’s Spirit. It
is God’s desire that all His reborn children no longer follow their sinful
nature, but instead learn to follow God’s Spirit and overcome the power of sin.
The apostle Paul encourages the church in Rome: “Let the Lord Jesus
Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil
desires.” (Romans 13:14*)
In the next meditation we will see what it means to be controlled by the
Holy Spirit.
(to be continued)
Translations: *
New Living Translation; ** New International Version
For
more on the question ‘what is sin?’ see Meditations 101 to 103.
For more on ‘salvation’ see Meditations
19 to 26.
For more on ‘Christlike transformation by God’s Spirit’ see Meditations
29 to 34 and 49 to 56 and 105.
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