Calvary Road Baptist Church
“DO YOU MIND?”
Romans 8.5-7
Let me share a bit of history with you, history in Los Angeles before many of you were born and history in contemporary New York City that most of you are unaware of.
Twenty-five to thirty years ago the Los Angeles Police Department had a brilliant but controversial chief named Daryl F. Gates, who had few friends and many enemies. Daryl Gates was the LAPD chief during the entire Rodney King debacle and was also the creator of the D. A. R. E. program.[1] One of Chief Daryl Gates’ assistant chiefs was a professing Christian named Robert L. Vernon. Vernon came under the scrutiny of the Los Angeles City Council as they tried to force Chief Daryl Gates into retirement. The reason? They wanted to make sure Chief Gates’ obvious successor, the Christian named Vernon could never become chief of the LAPD. The reason Assistant Chief Vernon became so prominent in the LAPD was he was an outstanding police officer who stood head and shoulders above everyone else in the department of equal rank and experience. It is likely no one in the department would have challenged him to become the next chief.
Enter city councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, who had always been a vocal opponent of Assistant Chief Vernon, primarily because Vernon was a strong Christian, was openly opposed to abortion and was publicly committed to the Biblical concept of the traditional family. Zev, in case you are too young or disinterested to care, was known during his UCLA days as Zev the red, for his political beliefs and disruptive practices. In an attempt to discredit Assistant Chief Vernon and derail him as the successor to Chief Gates, Councilman Yaroslavsky opened an investigation into allegations that Vernon had forced his Christian views upon other officers, had organized a God squad inside the department that blocked the promotions of non-Christians, and other such things. As you can tell, baseless charges have been in the leftist arsenal of tricks for a long time.
The investigation wrapped up, and their published report concluded that no evidence existed that Assistant Chief Vernon misused his position, forced his Christian convictions on any other officers, headed up any God squad, or anything else of that nature. But no matter. Zev the red had achieved his goal. Because of the attention drawn to him, Assistant Chief Vernon never made the final cut of candidates to succeed Chief Gates as the next chief of police in Los Angeles. Zev the red was as happy as a hog in slop that he prevented a Christian from becoming the LAPD’s chief.
But Zev was never accused by anyone of going halfway on anything. Councilman Zev next called for a Los Angeles city ordinance that would make it illegal for a Christian to talk about his faith in Christ at any time on city property during the workday. He couldn’t talk about the Lord during his lunch hour, on his coffee break, or in passing. Remember, this as a result of the finding that Assistant Chief Vernon had not improperly forced his Christian views on others. Trying to justify the passage of such an ordinance, Zev the red said, “This is what our country was founded upon.” Quite the contrary, Zev. Our country was founded on distinctly Christian principles. As a matter of fact, in the early days of our nation, anyone who publicly espoused the kinds of views held by Zev Yaroslavsky would not be considered fit to hold public office.
Councilman Zev stated that religion had no part in government. None. And he stood in favor of a Christian withholding the expression of his faith while he is on his city job and city property. But that was almost thirty years ago. Where has our culture progressed from then?
I remind you of television personality Joy Behar’s recent ridicule of Vice President Mike Pence’s Christian faith for praying, and for suggesting that people who pray and expect answers to their prayers are mentally ill.[2] It was only when Vice President Pence pushed back, and after tens of thousands of phone calls to the network to protest her comments, that she was compelled to call Vice President Pence and apologize, and then to make her apology to him public.
Do you see, both here in Los Angeles almost thirty years ago, and in New York City only days ago, that there is an effort on the part of infidels to squelch any and all expressions of our faith? These are only two of many examples. I am sure you could cite your examples to illustrate my point.
My question is this: Is it even possible for a Christian to withhold the expression of his or her so-called religious views while he or she is on the job? To answer that question I ask you to turn in your Bible to Romans chapter 8. Once there, I invite you to stand with me to read while I read aloud Romans 8.5-7:
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Three statements are made by Paul, here, that we want to examine:
First, THE CONTRAST OF CONCERNS (8.5)
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.”
As I previously stated, so allow me to reassert now, in this passage we are not going to find out what could be, or what can be, or what might be. This is what be. These are statements of fact about spiritual realities. And this verse does not debate, but declares, the concerns of two entirely different categories of individuals:
First, it is declared that the concerns of the flesh are fleshly. Remember that Paul’s inspired declarations are based upon the understanding that two entirely different spiritual universes occupy the same physical space. Those who are under the condemnation of sin and who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior are described as being “in the flesh.” That is, they are in that domain or spiritual universe which is unconstrained by the will of God or concern for the things of God. Those who have been justified by faith in Christ are variously described as being “in Christ” or as being “in the Spirit.” This group of people exists in a spiritual universe in which the Spirit of God exerts authority and control. Not everything that one who lives “in the flesh” does is wrong and not everything that one does who lives “in the Spirit” is right and proper and good. This is, however, God’s description of our relationship to sin and the flesh versus our relationship to Jesus Christ and the Spirit. All of this said, Paul declares that “they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.” This word “mind” is pregnant with meaning; “to set one’s mind on, to intent on.”[3] In our day we might use the term mindset. One man said about this verb: “It denotes the whole action of the affections and will as well as of the reason.” Another source indicates that this is the word that is often used to describe someone’s declaration of allegiance to a cause, to show which side of a dispute you happen to be on. If this is what Paul has in mind by using this word, and I think he does, then he has declared that those who are after the flesh will show and declare their allegiance to the flesh with their whole being, their whole personality.
And to contrast, it is declared that the concerns of the spiritual are spiritual. When I read “but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” I understand that believers just as certainly “mind” the things of the Spirit as unbelievers “mind” the things of the flesh. This is not something that believers ought to do. This is not something that believers might do. This is something that believers do do. People who know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, people who live in that spiritual universe which is under the authority of the Holy Spirit of God and is dominated and controlled by Him, through their entire being and manifest throughout their entire personality their allegiance to the Spirit of God and the things of the Spirit. There is never any doubt about whose side we’re on. What a tremendous contrast of concerns we have, then, between the children of light and the children of darkness. Our concerns are as far apart as the East is from the West, as up is from down. And this is the way we happen to be.
Second, THE CONTRAST OF CONSEQUENCES
Because we live on a spherical planet that is incredibly large, we think that two people who walk in opposite directions can continue to walk and will eventually meet each other again. This, however, is not true. You see, since we are confined to the surface of this planet, two people who walk away from each other are not strictly walking in opposite directions. There is enough curvature to their direction of travel that they will eventually meet each other. But such is not the case in the spiritual realm. Spiritually speaking, two people who are walking in opposite directions will not ever meet each other. Not ever:
“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
The end of fleshly concerns is death. Understand that the word “carnally” here in verse 6 translates the same Greek word that the word “flesh” translates in verse 5. So the “carnally minded” person of verse 6 is the person in verse 5 who is “after the flesh” and who “minds the things of the flesh.” What can be said about this person’s destiny, about the consequence of living in the realm he lives in, minding the things he minds? His destiny is death. Not just physical death, mind you. No. His destiny is death in its totality. That is ultimate separation. Not annihilation, but separation. For death in God’s Word never refers to the cessation of being. It never refers to the end of existence. It always refers to separation from that which imparts life. Or should I say, separation from Him Who imparts life. John’s Revelation describes this death to which Paul refers here as the lake of fire and brimstone, which the Lord Jesus told His disciples never stops burning.[4] So, there is a consequence to being lost, to being in the flesh, to being after the flesh, to mind the things of the flesh. There is a consequence to being a self-centered, self-oriented, self-pleasing, self-gratifying, self-motivating, self-indulgent, self-satisfying, self-esteem kind of guy or gal. Death. That’s the consequence.
But the end of spiritual concerns is life and peace:
“but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
What a contrast of consequences. Amen? The end of the unsaved person’s concerns is death, but the end of our concerns is both life and peace. Let’s look at peace first. This is not that feeling of inner peace and tranquility. No. This is peace which does not come and go. It’s the peace that exists between the believer and God. Before trusting Christ, you’ll remember, there was spiritual war and conflict between the sinner and God. But after the difference Christ makes, making peace between God and us, there is peace forever more. There is also life. And this does not refer to physical life since many of us in this room will experience physical death should Christ not come before we grow old and die. It refers, rather, to the spiritual life that results from the believer and God being one. As First John puts it, “He that hath the Son hath life.”[5] And as Second Peter puts it, we have “become partakers of the divine nature.”[6] We share God’s eternal, never-ending life with Him. We looked at the contrast of concerns in verse 5. Based on what that verse says, is it possible for the believer not to advocate and side with his Lord? Can those who are after the Spirit not mind the things of the Spirit? No. Not really. At least, not permanently. But by the same token, neither can anyone else. Because the Bible says that they who are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh, we expect unbelievers to advocate that which is anti-Christian and sinful. Do we not? But that’s not all. How can anyone who claims to be a Christian silently journey toward his destiny of life and peace? He can’t. What Zev the red was legislating and what Joy Behar was propagandizing to promote, that God’s people live our lives silently, cannot be complied with. We must testify of the things of God because it is our very nature to do so, even when, unfortunately, it becomes illegal or socially unacceptable. As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 107.2:
“Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.”
Finally, THE CONSIDERATION OF CONFLICT
Having addressed the issue of the two concerns (of both the lost and the saved), and having addressed the issue of the two destinies (of both the lost and the saved), Paul now focuses in on a consideration of the conflict that exists between the carnal mind of the lost person and God:
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
Reflect with me on the reality of this conflict between the mind of flesh and God. With this word “because” Paul takes up a thought that he started in the first part of verse 6.
“For to be carnally minded is death.”
Why is it that to be carnally minded is death? Understand that the destiny of the carnally minded person is not the death of the lake of fire because he is carnally minded. It isn't carnally minded that causes people to go to Hell. That’s not what Paul says in verse 6. People who die and go to Hell go there because they are unredeemed sinners. So, they don’t go to Hell for being carnally minded. But it just so happens that unredeemed sinners are carnally minded. So, everyone who is carnally minded also goes to Hell. But why is it that someone with a carnal mind is also someone who goes to Hell, or to use Paul’s expression in verse 6, experiences death?
“Because the carnal mind is enmity against God.”
This word “enmity” has in mind the concept of hostility and hatred.[7] I’m sure that most lost people don’t feel as though they have a passionate hatred and hostility toward God. But remember, this chapter doesn’t so much tell us about the way things feel as about the way things are. People who are heaven-bound are people who are at peace with their God. But people who are Hell-bound are people who are not at peace with their Creator. There is enmity between them and God, hatred, ill-will, and hostility. And let me tell you, such as have that type of attitude toward God, whether they are conscious of that attitude or not, whether they realize their attitude or not, are not going to heaven when they pass from this life into the next.
Now, reflect with me on the reasons for the conflict between the mind of flesh and God. Why must there be a conflict between the mind of flesh and God? Why is there enmity, hatred, and hostility, instead of peaceful coexistence? The apostle addresses the matter in two ways: First, by way of the unsaved individual’s posture:
“for it (the carnal mind, the fleshly mind) is not subject to the law of God.”
Still using the word “law” to denote authority, Paul informs us that the carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God. There is only one true and living God in this or any other universe. There is only one sovereign. There is only one king. There is only one Whose name is reverend.[8] There is only one Who, by all that is right and good and proper, deserves the adoration, the worship, the service, and the praise of His creation. With this truth in mind, note the posture, if you will, of the unsaved person’s mind, the carnal mind. It is “not subject to the law of God.” That is, the unsaved person’s mind is not subject to the rule or the authority of God. It’s like a baby showing defiance by arching the back, thereby expressing displeasure, and exhibiting a rebellious spirit. Three times in the Bible it is said that at His Name every knee shall bend and every head shall bow.[9] Once in the Old Testament and twice in the New Testament. But the carnal mind says, “Not me. I bow to no one.” That posture, if you will, of defiance, of pride, of refusing to submit to the genuine authority of God over His creation, is both a reason why and an illustration of the enmity that exists between a lost person and God. Then, by way of the unsaved person’s power. Verse 7 concludes
“Neither indeed can be.”
Even if the unsaved person wanted to be in subjection to the authority of God, he could not be. And why not? Because the carnal mind is the mind that has not acknowledged Jesus Christ to be Lord. Can one submit to God without submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ? Can one submit to God without submitting to His Son? No. Until a person knows Jesus Christ he has no access to the power to do right, which comes only from the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.
Romans chapter 8 is our victory chapter. It’s our ground of rejoicing chapter. It’s our shouting and hollering chapter. And throughout Romans 8.1-11 we get to shout and rejoice and praise God for being delivered from sin.
Last time we saw that our deliverance from sin included the wonderful blessing of having no condemnation whatsoever, of having the uncontested and incontrovertible right to stand before God without fear of accusation or reprisal. Today we saw another aspect of our deliverance from sin. We saw that our deliverance from sin extends to the thoughts, the affections, the attitudes, and the loyalties of the believer’s mind. We saw that not only are we now on God’s side as believers, but we cheer for our side, as well.
I don’t mind Zev Yaroslavsky holding the position that he held against Assistant Chief Vernon. I don’t think Chief Vernon minded either. The Bible shows that a person will espouse the position of the spiritual side he happens to be on. His effort to get his ordinance passed should have been resisted, but I understand why he’s doing what he is doing. And I completely understand Joy Behar spouting off and ridiculing the Christian faith and Vice President Pence. It’s to be expected. It is something we learn to deal with. I do not agree with her or like her, but I am neither surprised or particularly troubled when a lost person acts like a lost person. It’s an example of the fleshly mind minding the things of the flesh.
What concerns me, what alarms me, is when a so-called Christian sides with a fleshly minded individual on such an issue. I am thankful I can rejoice in my salvation and my deliverance from sin, not just because I am no longer under condemnation, but also because God has so affected my mind that I now know which side to cheer for. And so do you, if you are born again.
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[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/us/17gates.html 3/14/18
[2] https://news.grabien.com/story-view-blows-anti-christian-comments-says-joy-was-joking 3/13/2018
[3] Bauer, Danker, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, (Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), pages 1065-1066.
[4] Mark 9.44, 46, 48
[5] 1 John 5.12
[6] 2 Peter 1.4
[7] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1980), page 365.
[8] Psalm 111.19
[9] Isaiah 45.23; Romans 14.11; Philippians 2.11-12
Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Please contact him by clicking on the link below. Please do not change the subject within your email message. Thank you.
Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church