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Have you been to Sinai? (Romans 8:15)

A quote from Geoff Thomas on Roman 8:15 concerning ‘the Spirit of bondage’:

In Scotland, there might be a question asked by an elder when somebody was being interviewed for membership in the church. Not my question of why God should let you into heaven but rather this unusually phrased question: “Have you been to Sinai?” That was the question they asked.  “Have you been to Sinai?”  The elder was not, of course, asking had they been to the peninsula of Sinai in the Middle East on a Holy Land bus tour, but had they been to the place where God made them feel the power of his law, touching their conscience with the searching inward probing of the Ten Commandments, and making them feel they were fearful slaves to sin. Have you understood that by the works and deeds of law-keeping no one can be saved, and you are no exception?  Then, what is left for you to do? You can only flee for salvation to the one who perfectly did all that God’s law required in order to take him as your Saviour.

  • Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

 

God Works the Good Things for Good

  • Romans 8:28 ¶ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I’ve just finished reading Thomas Watson’s classic, All Things for Good, which is an exposition of Romans 8:28.  It’s difficult to review books by the Puritans (they did, after all, write entire books based on one verse of Scripture). It’s easier to quote them.

This is my second time reading the book. The first time was several years ago. I remember vividly the first time I read the book being struck by Watson’s first point – the best things work for good to the godly. In my experience, as Christians cite Romans 8:28, we always tend to focus on how God works the bad things for good. This focus is understandable. This is one of our great assurances in the Christian life. Joseph’s slavery and imprisonment leads to the salvation of his family. Christ’s cross leads to the salvation of his people. Our suffering leads to glory. His strength is made perfect in weakness. Amen.

Yet, if we focus solely on the negative side of the verse, the bad things, we might forget the point – that God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. All things, of course, includes the good along with the bad.

It is easy, I think, in focusing on the bad things, to imply, albeit unintentionally, that the good things don’t really matter. We, perhaps, tend to think that we can’t spiritually flourish during the good times – it’s really only the bad things that will work for our good ultimately. But this, of course, is not true. There is a time for fasting, but also a time for feasting (more on this to come in a future post). We tend to think that God only moves in the fast – but the truth is he also moves in the feast.

Watson puts his finger on this – if he works the bad things for good, how much more will he work the good things for good?:

If the cross has so much good in it, what has the crown? If such precious clusters grow in Golgotha, how delicious is the fruit which grows in Canaan? If there be any sweetness in the waters of Marah, what is there in the wine of Paradise? If God’s rod has honey at the end of it, what has His golden sceptre? If the bread of affliction tastes so savoury, what is manna? what is the heavenly ambrosia? If God’s blow and stroke work for good, what shall the smiles of His face do? If temptations and sufferings have matter of joy in them, what shall glory have? If there be so much good out of evil, what then is that good where there shall be no evil? If God’s chastening mercies are so great, what will his crowning mercies be? Wherefore comfort one another with these words (p. 63).

That’s good news. He works all things for good to those who love him. The bad is for good and the good is for good. Why then is your soul cast down?

What Do You Owe To Your Body?

FYI this is mainly a note to self. It’s just a line of thought that went through my mind today. It’s not polished. It’s completely raw, but I didn’t want to lose it:

  • Romans 8:12 ¶ So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Whether you take ‘flesh’ in Romans 8:12 to be ‘body’ or ‘sinful nature’ one point is clear: We don’t owe it, whatever it is, anything. If it’s the body, think of it this way – you owe it to yourself to have a treat. You owe it to yourself to take a break. You owe it to yourself to have some physical pleasure. If it’s the sinful nature – you owe it to yourself to gratify your desires, no matter how destructive they may be (for you, and/or for others).

What has your flesh ever given you? Why do you act as if you owe it something? My body is constantly letting me down, especially as I get older. And my sinful nature has never given me anything good. But I live as if I inhabit my own personal sacred cow.

We pamper our bodies, we clean them up real nice, we try to make them look presentable, we go to the spa, get facials, spray tans – your body only deserves the best. Why? So that you can be a god? So that others will admire you? So that you can win approval? You owe your body nothing. But you owe Christ everything. Make him look glorious by turning away from your self-centeredness. Do that and you’ll find life.

 

Snippets: The Mindset of the Spirit (Rom. 8:5-6)

  • Romans 8:4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set 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 hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

1. Translation Issues
Romans 8:5, for the student of Greek, can be either a nightmare or a dream. I have just enough knowledge and ability in Greek to be dangerous, but even I can see that the translators have caused quite a bit of confusion through their work on this text. The phrase in question, which is used twice, is, as the ESV puts it, along with the NASB, ‘set their mind…’ Those of the flesh ‘set their mind’ on the flesh, those of the Spirit ‘set their mind’ on the Spirit. The KJV translates this phrase, instead of ‘set the mind,’ ‘being carnally minded’ and ‘spiritually minded.’

The obvious issue with these translations is that the quoted phrase includes a genitive definite article, and a genitive definite article expresses ownership. Thus the NET Bible translates the phrase more literally: ‘For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace.’ And I would offer up the translation, which I’m sure is not original:

  • ‘The mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.’

The issue in Romans 8:6, then, is not simply what the mind is set on, but what the actual paradigm of the mind is. What’s your basic point of view? What governs your way of thinking? The way you answer this will determine whether or not you are a Christian.

2. The Mindset of the Spirit vs. The Mindset of the Flesh
Those who are ‘of the flesh’ have a certain way of thinking which is opposed to the ‘mindset of the Spirit.’ Therefore we have to ask, What is the mindset of the Spirit?

The Mindset of the Spirit is a Gospel Mindset

For instance,

  • John 16:14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you
  • Or consider the great outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. What does He do, what is His work? He causes men to praise God. He causes Peter to preach a sermon all about Christ and his gospel. He causes men to believe the gospel.
  • Or consider 2 Corinthians 3. The work of the Spirit is to enable us to behold the glory of Christ in the gospel and thereby be conformed to Christ’s image.

The work of the Spirit is to cause us to believe the gospel and be transformed accordingly into the image of Christ. Particularly relevant here are the great texts of the New Testament that point to Christ humbling himself, serving others, giving himself as a sacrifice, and offering, and granting, forgiveness to his enemies.

This was the mindset of Christ, and it is likewise the mindset of the Spirit. Is it yours? This is the real test:
Is your mindset built upon, centered upon, humility, selflessness, service, self-sacrifice, showing mercy to those who do not deserve it, making peace? Is your mindset that of the blessed man in the beatitudes – poor in spirit (humble), mourning (hating your own sin, lamenting the fallenness of the world), meek (forgiving others and repaying evil with good), etc?

The mindset of the flesh is ‘me first.’ It is a mindset of pride, of counting myself as the greatest, of looking out for my own needs, of begrudging those who don’t line up with my wants. It is the mindset of hostility, enmity, anger, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, and the like. That’s the way of the world in a nutshell.

If you would have the mindset of the Spirit you must possess the Spirit. The new birth is essential. Man will not naturally humble himself. He will not be inclined to put others before himself, to sacrifice, to serve, to forgive.

So which mindset is yours? If you would have the mind of the Spirit you must know the gospel, exult in it, meditate upon it, and return to it over and over. It must be the controlling paradigm of your thoughts.

One of my old professors likes to paraphrase John Owen’s comments about this verse (from The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded):

  • ‘What are you thinking about when you’re not thinking about anything at all?’

And to paraphrase Matthew Henry, we could say,

  • On what do you dwell with the most satisfaction?

What’s the default mode of your mind? What thrills you? What excites you? Is it, ‘Me, me, me,’ ad infinitum? Is it MY likes, MY desires, MY interests? MY team? What can I buy next? What TV show can I watch? What game can I play? Or is it, How can I glorify my Savior? Who can I serve today? Where can I bring peace? Where can I show mercy?  Who can I encourage with gospel encouragement?

This is the work of the Spirit in justification – to make us believe this gospel, and in sanctification – to conform us to this gospel from the inside out. To have the mindset of the Spirit is to have a gospel mindset, and a gospel mindset leads to life and peace.