Grace Changes One's Nature

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

  

It is important to be sure you believe what the Bible teaches on all that it reveals and presents – this is true of what it has to teach about our fallen natures in Adam and our renewed natures in Christ.

Now the first point to be made about the text is that it is descriptive.  There are no commands, admonitions for injunctions given to the readers.   This is important because what Paul is describing is the contrast between the basic nature of unbelievers and believers. 

A believer is someone who by the work of the Holy Spirit is now enabled to fulfill the requirements of the Law.  There is within your inner life as a believer the desire to obey God’s commands for God’s glory.  This is now the governing inclination or disposition of the believer in Jesus Christ.  This is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit engrafting you into Jesus Christ, changing your basic nature from one of self-centeredness to God-centeredness and remaining resident within your life to give you divine aid and power to love God and obey his commands.  This is a gracious supernatural work of God.

This is what Paul means when he says in verse 4:  “That the righteous requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk or live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”  The believer is in the most central and basic place in his or her nature no longer governed by one’s relationship to Adam or what is called the flesh but governed by one’s relationship now to Jesus Christ that is marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit. This is what Paul means when he describes the believer as no longer being in the flesh but in the Spirit.  Therefore, the believer is now able from a heart of faith, motivated by love and with the view to the glory of God to obey God’s commands.  This means more than parroting the commands of God, or obeying them externally.  Many can do that.  What this means is that the believer by virtue of the presence, work and influence of the Holy Spirit is able to obey God’s commands with the right motivation.  This is no small thing!

Now Paul expands on what he means by this in verse 5 by setting up the contrast between the nature of the unbeliever and the nature of the believer.

The Unbeliever:                                   The Believer:

Lives according to the flesh                Lives according to the Spirit

Minds the things of the flesh               Minds the things of the Spirit

Is in the flesh                                              Is in he Spirit

"For those who are according to the flesh have their minds on the things of the flesh and those who are according to the Spirit have their minds on the things of the Spirit."  The emphasis in verses 5-8 falls on the nature of the unbeliever.  Then in verses 9-11 the emphasis is on the nature of the believer.  Yet Paul stresses the nature of the unbeliever by making this contrast between the two. 

The flesh is defined by John Murray as “human nature corrupted, directed and controlled by sin.”  Sin is the extreme self-centered focus we now have that marks our rebellion and enmity with God.  

The unbeliever is described as first walking according to the flesh.  This description points to the lifestyle, conduct or behavior of the unbeliever.  The lifestyle or conduct of the unbeliever conforms to the dictates of the flesh. 

This is the case because the unbeliever thinks of the things of the flesh.  They have their minds on the things of the flesh.  In other words their thoughts, interests, affections, purposes, agendas are governed by their absorption with the flesh.  This is their ruling disposition – the mind of the flesh.  In contrast the believer who lives according to the Spirit is taken up with the things of the Spirit – they have their thoughts, interests, affections, purposes, agendas governed by their absorption with the Spirit. In other words the believer walks according to the Spirit because one has one’s mind on the things of the Spirit.  This is their ruling disposition and inclination – the mind of the Spirit.   This is the internal functioning, frame of heart and mind of both the unbeliever and believer.  This is their inward attitudinal leaning and orientation.  The contrast is sharp. The saving grace of God in Christ not only secures for us a righteous standing with the Father but by the Spirit's inward work the believer is given a new nature and with it a new disposition that finds God and the things of God pleasing to the affections.