Governance
This week's study is on Romans 8:5-8:
Paul is talking about the world view of the Christian versus the world view of someone who is not. "The Spirit" is God's Holy Spirit. "The flesh" is life as it would exist if God were just a nice idea, or was completely unknown to us. As Christians, because we acknowledge God and base our plans for eternity on his gift to us, we have different priorities and a different way of seeing the world than someone who is on their own. We are still influenced by our flesh, but it's not all that we've got to work with.
It's easy to get discouraged as Christians and be convinced that we're living as flesh, and not as spiritual Christians. We sin. We focus for long periods on our careers, or chasing our dreams, indulging addictions, buying nice things, being good citizens, and so on. We might also be consumed with politics, sports, anger and resentment, ambition, and any of a thousand things that can overrun our thoughts. It might have been awhile since we were in a church or said a prayer. But is that really being governed by the flesh?
I think it's possible as a Christian to vacation in the land of the flesh without living their permanently. Much as an American might travel to Russia and sell them top secret documents without it changing the fact that they are an American, doing something stupid or ungodly doesn't remove our Christian 'citizenship.' We still have the spiritual capacity to see our mistakes in the eternal sense and to correct our path.
Someone who is governed by the flesh doesn't know anything but what the flesh can know. They can sense things, use their imagination, study and learn things, but they don't know what God wants, or even that he exists. How is someone completely cut off from God going to please him? How can they follow a lifestyle they have no access to? If someone tells them about God, they lash out in anger and mockery, because all they can perceive is what the flesh can perceive. Can they see it? Can they sense it? Can they reason with the idea? If not, it is nothing to them.
Compare that to the life of even the worst Christian. Imagine doing everything you're not supposed to do. Imagine struggling with sin and choosing to embrace it and let it win. Imagine your love growing cold and self-focused. Aren't you still way better off than someone who never knew about God at all? Even the worst Christian still has moments where they see things from a perspective outside of themselves, outside of the realm of the flesh.
And that's what Paul is getting at here. We are blessed with the ability to see eternity for what it is. We are made aware of the forgiveness of our sins, and of other miracles. We don't choose to enter the spiritual realm by our own efforts, as though it were yet another flesh-powered endeavour. Instead, we are created anew, as dual-homed creatures who can access both worlds. How else could the spirit govern us? And if the spirit governs us, how could our spiritual nature be something we could create or destroy?
And yet, we have the ability to choose which realm we prefer. Do we want to live as foreigners, denying our spiritual citizenship, pretending to be flesh-only? Or do we prefer the spiritual, and look there first when seeking this or that thing? Why live in squalor when you can live as a prince? Why resign yourself to the poverty of your eighty years life expectancy when you can expect countless more in eternity?
Seeing the difference between the two realms allows us to see what we have been given as Christians. It also lets us see which realm we spend our time in the most. Where is worry found? And where is peace found? Where is selfishness the norm? What about selflessness? Which place fears death, and which has already triumphed over it?
If the place we're spending the most time isn't the place we want to be, as Christians we can change. Not only are we blessed with the ability to know the difference, but we can call on God and have him help us to return more fully to the Spirit's governance. If we're even aware enough to have the conversation with him, it means we never completely left.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
Paul is talking about the world view of the Christian versus the world view of someone who is not. "The Spirit" is God's Holy Spirit. "The flesh" is life as it would exist if God were just a nice idea, or was completely unknown to us. As Christians, because we acknowledge God and base our plans for eternity on his gift to us, we have different priorities and a different way of seeing the world than someone who is on their own. We are still influenced by our flesh, but it's not all that we've got to work with.
It's easy to get discouraged as Christians and be convinced that we're living as flesh, and not as spiritual Christians. We sin. We focus for long periods on our careers, or chasing our dreams, indulging addictions, buying nice things, being good citizens, and so on. We might also be consumed with politics, sports, anger and resentment, ambition, and any of a thousand things that can overrun our thoughts. It might have been awhile since we were in a church or said a prayer. But is that really being governed by the flesh?
I think it's possible as a Christian to vacation in the land of the flesh without living their permanently. Much as an American might travel to Russia and sell them top secret documents without it changing the fact that they are an American, doing something stupid or ungodly doesn't remove our Christian 'citizenship.' We still have the spiritual capacity to see our mistakes in the eternal sense and to correct our path.
Someone who is governed by the flesh doesn't know anything but what the flesh can know. They can sense things, use their imagination, study and learn things, but they don't know what God wants, or even that he exists. How is someone completely cut off from God going to please him? How can they follow a lifestyle they have no access to? If someone tells them about God, they lash out in anger and mockery, because all they can perceive is what the flesh can perceive. Can they see it? Can they sense it? Can they reason with the idea? If not, it is nothing to them.
Compare that to the life of even the worst Christian. Imagine doing everything you're not supposed to do. Imagine struggling with sin and choosing to embrace it and let it win. Imagine your love growing cold and self-focused. Aren't you still way better off than someone who never knew about God at all? Even the worst Christian still has moments where they see things from a perspective outside of themselves, outside of the realm of the flesh.
And that's what Paul is getting at here. We are blessed with the ability to see eternity for what it is. We are made aware of the forgiveness of our sins, and of other miracles. We don't choose to enter the spiritual realm by our own efforts, as though it were yet another flesh-powered endeavour. Instead, we are created anew, as dual-homed creatures who can access both worlds. How else could the spirit govern us? And if the spirit governs us, how could our spiritual nature be something we could create or destroy?
And yet, we have the ability to choose which realm we prefer. Do we want to live as foreigners, denying our spiritual citizenship, pretending to be flesh-only? Or do we prefer the spiritual, and look there first when seeking this or that thing? Why live in squalor when you can live as a prince? Why resign yourself to the poverty of your eighty years life expectancy when you can expect countless more in eternity?
Seeing the difference between the two realms allows us to see what we have been given as Christians. It also lets us see which realm we spend our time in the most. Where is worry found? And where is peace found? Where is selfishness the norm? What about selflessness? Which place fears death, and which has already triumphed over it?
If the place we're spending the most time isn't the place we want to be, as Christians we can change. Not only are we blessed with the ability to know the difference, but we can call on God and have him help us to return more fully to the Spirit's governance. If we're even aware enough to have the conversation with him, it means we never completely left.
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