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We now come to the section Rom. 8: 5-15. We must spare no pains and use all
legitimate means to seek a true understanding of this important passage. Everything in it
revolves round the "flesh" and the "spirit":--
The flesh.
The spirit.
For they that are after the flesh do but they that are after the spirit, the
mind the things of the flesh;
things of the spirit;
Here (in the passage above) the emphasis is upon the mind.
but to be spiritually minded is life and
For to be carnally minded is death;
peace.
Because the carnal mind is enmity
against God; for it is not subject to
the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Here we have death and enmity over against life and peace.
but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit
But ye are not in the flesh,
of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the spirit
of Christ, he is none of His.
And if Christ be in you, the body is but the spirit is life because of
righteousness.
dead because of sin.
Here we see the distinction between being in the flesh and in the spirit.
But if the spirit of Him that raised
up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
He that raised up Christ from the dead
shall also quicken your mortal bodies,
because of His spirit that dwelleth in
you.
"Jesus" refers to the Lord Himself, "Christ" associates His people with Him,
and the quickening of the mortal body shows the foretaste of the resurrection
enjoyed now, the "spirit of adoption".
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, but if ye through the spirit do mortify
not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For if ye live after the flesh ye shall
die.
Once again the issues of life and death are brought before us.
For ye have not received the spirit
For as many as are led by the spirit
of bondage again to fear.
of God, they are the sons of God.
The flesh is enslaved, but the spirit is the free spirit of sonship.
Before we attempt an exposition of these words, which are full of meaning for us all,
let us see the general disposition of the subject-matter in the structural form.