What do you see? Romans 8:5-8

Posted by anointedplace on May 11, 2012 · 1 Comment 

Romans 8:⁵ For ^(K)those who live according to the flesh set their minds on ^(L)the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on ^(M)the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set ^(N)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 ^(O)hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; ^(P)indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

I’m going to tell of a situation that I find myself in often.  I work in a environment in which there is an abundance of unbelievers.  This group includes atheists and agnostics.  There are also so who are just trying to find their way.  By some standards, they are all pretty “good” people.  Some of them are very moral and hold just high standards of ethics.  But one question that comes up from them is this…

“If there is a God and if he is so good, why is the world so bad?  Why doesn’t he just fix everything?”

My usual response would be that, its not God who made the world what it is but humanity.  I would then point to Romans 1:18-32, as it lays out humanities casting off God for their own gods.   The Heavenly Father‘s wrath is shown in his lack of interest thus giving them all over to their desires.

You would think that was that and there would be no more to add.  One evening I was really thinking about that question and what it was saying and suggesting.  The question is about God, his power, our power and our abilities.  The question makes God responsible for all of our actions, all of them.   When I say all of our actions, I’m including our in-actions as well.  Just as God includes our sins of commissions and omissions as even the things we should do but don’t are sins to God.

James 4:^17 (A)So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

The question says that we cannot be trusted to do the right thing on our own.  We need God or someone to make us do the right thing because we can’t on our own.  If God would just make all humans be good and holy the world would be great.  The question implies that God can fix the world if he would just force us to be holy because when we say that we are good, we are really not.  Even the best of us need some supreme being to force righteousness on us.  The question supports Romans 8:5-8 as we are of the flesh and cannot do what is right nor do anything to please God nor do what is needed to change the world.  The question cries for a salvation that only God can bring to us.  The question says that we need God because on our own, we ended up with the world as we know it.

Ephesians 2

^1(A)And you were ^(B)dead in the trespasses and sins ^2 (C)in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following ^(D)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in^(E)the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in ^(F)the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[a] and the mind, and ^(G)were by nature ^(H)children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^[b] 4 But^[c] God, being ^(I)rich in mercy, ^(J)because of the great love with which he loved us,⁵ even ^(K)when we were dead in our trespasses, ^(L)made us alive together with Christ—^(M)by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and ^(N)seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable ^(O)riches of his grace in^(P)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For ^(Q)by grace you have been saved ^(R)through faith. And this is ^(S)not your own doing; ^(T)it is the gift of God, ^9 (U)not a result of works, ^(V)so that no one may boast.¹⁰ For ^(W)we are his workmanship, ^(X)created in Christ Jesus ^(Y)for good works, ^(Z)which God prepared beforehand, ^(AA)that we should walk in them.

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