Romans 8:5-8

5 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. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 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. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Paul has just told us something really important:

Those who are in Christ now live according to the Law of the Spirit, and that Spirit makes it possible for us to live obedient, faithful lives, pleasing to God.

Romans is a long, unrolling argument. The further you get into it, the more you look back and understand what Paul has been previously saying.

· In chapter one, Paul told us that the nations—the pagans, the Gentiles—
were totally lost, living with darkened hearts and futile thoughts;
· In chapter two, Paul told us that Israel wasn’t any better—even though
the Israelites knew the Law they were unable to keep it;

Now, Paul explains why both Jews and Gentiles were completely unable to live obediently—because their minds were totally given over to a worldly point of view.

“Verses 5–9 teach that the flesh is necessarily in opposition to God, turning every person into a rebel against God and His law and reaping death in consequence.” —Douglas Moo

Our theme for this Romans series is:

Do not conform. Be transformed.

We’ve taken this theme from what Paul says in Romans 12:2:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The reason Paul is insisting that the Jesus-people do not think according to the world’s pattern is because that way of thinking leads to death!

What would it look like for you to think with a renewed mind today?