because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.because the mind of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be:
5 sermons cite this verse
… Why is the phronema of the flesh death? For the mindset of the flesh is hostile to God. it does not submit to God's law. Why not? It cannot. Why can't it? Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. That's just the heaviest verse in the Bible. cannot. You preach to people who are absolutely enslaved. They cannot please God. They are hostile to God by nature. that's why we need justification, that's why we need the Holy Spirit, this is all an explanation for, why did God go to the lengths, of killing his son, good night, the most glorious being in the universe, dies, and pours out the Holy Spirit so that we might fulfill the law. What is wrong with us? Fronema is wrong with us. We have a phronema of the flesh. phronema of the spirit is what we need because the phronema of the flesh is just anti-God and your people are going to say you need to be patiently teaching over the years about their condition because they won't believe it they're going to say I'm not hostile to God my unbelieving kid isn't hostile to God he's not interested you did. …
… You can look that up. Romans chapter eight, verses five to nine, where the apostle Paul talks about, hey, your mind can be set on things. You're not an animal. Animals just respond to stimuli. Humans have this amazing capacity to think, I'm gonna put my thoughts on that. I'm gonna put my mind, I'm gonna set my mind somewhere. and your mind is going to, as you drive through university, all the advertisements all around town, you got the billboards, you got stuff on your phone, the ads are popping up. You can endure all sorts of stimuli coming at you if you have set your mind on an enduring, solid, powerful place, mainly the voice of Jesus in his word. You become ready for the day when you've set your mind and you reset your mind. Now, I know you can't only think about heavenly things all day. Now, you live on earth, you've got a calling here as a student and in your ministry, but in meditation, you can set your mind on the things of God. …
… 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. See, this isn't about big decisions. This is about moment by moment living, moment by moment spiritual response. How many of you in the evening were going to confess yes, we're in church, doom scroll on your phone sometimes in the evening. Okay, see, hands going up everywhere. Yes, I see them. I'm guilty as well. But sometimes we're just kind of vegging. You know, maybe you're perusing Instagram or Facebook or TikTok if you're cool and hip and young. And you're scrolling through all the social media, right? But what tends to happen to our minds and our hearts when we do that? Sometimes it can cause feelings of anxiety, maybe judgment, maybe jealousy. It's like, man, it must be nice. Wish I could go on that trip. …
… because you are after the things of the Spirit. Because the carnal mind is an enmity against God. To be meaty-minded is an enmity or at war against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. There is no way you can have a meaty mind and be subject to the law of God. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. They can sing. They can sing, but they can't please God. They can preach, but they can't please God. They can tithe, but they can't please God. They can go to church, but they can't please God. They can buck and dance, but they can't please God. when you're after the flesh, you can't please God. But ye, ye, ye, you are not in the flesh. You're not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you, if he hangs around you, if he just lay up next to you, if he just holds you in the middle of the night, if he just comforts you in the store. …
… to banish unbelief and resistance. The mind of the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot. And those who are in the flesh cannot please God. So I pray that miracles would be wrought in transforming the mind of the flesh into the mind of the spirit. Guard me from error and make things plain, I pray. in Jesus name amen so my definition of providence is God's purposeful sovereignty the word is not used in the ESV and therefore you can't say I'm using a biblical definition because it has no biblical use and definitions are based on use. I'm distinguishing it from sovereignty because sovereignty is God's authority and power to do what he wills. And that doesn't tell you what he wills or why he wills it. And providence does, at least in my definition. So purposeful sovereignty means that providence is God's sovereignty going somewhere with an ultimate purpose and extending in a certain degree into people's lives and the universe. So answering those two questions is what we're about tonight. How far does it extend and what's he up to in the universe? Why did he make it? Why does he run it the way he does? Here's Westminster Catechism question 11. What are God's works of providence? Answer. God's works of providence are his most holy, wise, powerful, preserving and governing, preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions. So the words holy and wise connotes he's going somewhere, he's doing a …