I posted this some years ago, and here it is again . . .
Mind of the Spirit / Mind of the Flesh
The question was recently asked, “What is the soul?”, and, along with this, “What is it that gets regenerated when someone is born again?”
I am hoping this study may contribute towards answering these questions.
To begin with, we’ll look at Romans 7:14-25.
I’m going to attempt to visually diagram the statements that Paul makes in this passage, to try to better portray the roles and relationships he outlines.
(14) For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Paul begins with a contrast between two things, “I”, and “the Law”. “The Law is spiritual”, but “I am carnal” (of flesh, that is, non-spiritual).
So we have two different elements, the spiritual Law, and the non-spiritual flesh “me”. And the flesh-me, rather than relating to the spiritual law, has been “sold under sin”.
(15) For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
My actions are a mystery to me. On the one hand, there are things I intend to do, what “I will to do”, but that’s not what I do. Instead, I do the things “I hate” to do.
While I am “carnal, sold under sin”, and what I do is what “I hate”, just the same, this is not what I want to do, what I intend to do. So I am conflicted, and I do not reflect a unified nature.
(16) If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
Because I hate those things that the carnal “me” does, I demonstrate my agreement with the Law. The “Law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Even so, the “I will to do” part aligns with the spiritual law, not the fleshly “sold under sin”, that does “what I hate.”
I agree with the Law, that it is good, and I want to do what is good. Then again, I am carnal, sold under sin, doing what I hate.
(17) But now, it is no longer I who do it,
And now Paul begins to show the solution to this equation. “It is no long I who does ‘what I hate’”. “I” who “will to do” that which agrees with the Law, am not the person who does “what I hate”. Paul puts a dividing line between these.
“I will to do” who agrees with the Law is in fact different from “carnal sold under sin”. I am “I will to do”, while “carnal sold under sin” is committing the evil that I hate.
However, this is not the entire picture, as anyone can guess!
Find more in the PDF if you wish.
Much love!
Mind of the Spirit / Mind of the Flesh
The question was recently asked, “What is the soul?”, and, along with this, “What is it that gets regenerated when someone is born again?”
I am hoping this study may contribute towards answering these questions.
To begin with, we’ll look at Romans 7:14-25.
I’m going to attempt to visually diagram the statements that Paul makes in this passage, to try to better portray the roles and relationships he outlines.
(14) For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Paul begins with a contrast between two things, “I”, and “the Law”. “The Law is spiritual”, but “I am carnal” (of flesh, that is, non-spiritual).
So we have two different elements, the spiritual Law, and the non-spiritual flesh “me”. And the flesh-me, rather than relating to the spiritual law, has been “sold under sin”.
(15) For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
My actions are a mystery to me. On the one hand, there are things I intend to do, what “I will to do”, but that’s not what I do. Instead, I do the things “I hate” to do.
While I am “carnal, sold under sin”, and what I do is what “I hate”, just the same, this is not what I want to do, what I intend to do. So I am conflicted, and I do not reflect a unified nature.
(16) If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
Because I hate those things that the carnal “me” does, I demonstrate my agreement with the Law. The “Law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” Even so, the “I will to do” part aligns with the spiritual law, not the fleshly “sold under sin”, that does “what I hate.”
I agree with the Law, that it is good, and I want to do what is good. Then again, I am carnal, sold under sin, doing what I hate.
(17) But now, it is no longer I who do it,
And now Paul begins to show the solution to this equation. “It is no long I who does ‘what I hate’”. “I” who “will to do” that which agrees with the Law, am not the person who does “what I hate”. Paul puts a dividing line between these.
“I will to do” who agrees with the Law is in fact different from “carnal sold under sin”. I am “I will to do”, while “carnal sold under sin” is committing the evil that I hate.
However, this is not the entire picture, as anyone can guess!
Find more in the PDF if you wish.
Much love!
