New Way of Thinking

For he is indeed flesh…Genesis 6:3

The first eight verses of Genesis 6 describe the world in the days of Noah. Verse 5: Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. This is a serious indictment of mankind. Many believe the world is approaching this same level of wickedness.

It appears God lays the cause of man’s wickedness on his flesh—for he is indeed flesh, verse 3. But God already had a remedy for man’s decline: The Seed of the woman, Genesis 3:15. To the source of the temptation of Eve and the fall of Adam, the serpent, God said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed. He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” Of course, the Seed of the woman is Jesus.

It is of this reversal Paul writes to the churches in Rome, especially chapters 6 and 7 along with 8 and 9. God wanted us to know how His remedy works and chose Paul to explain it to us. These chapters require study and consideration.

Here is just a sampling of Paul’s teaching on our flesh. Romans 6:19: I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. Romans 7:5: For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law… Romans 7:18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells… 

Then Paul restates God’s remedy: For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, Romans 8:3. 

Then Paul begins his conclusion to this topic in Romans 8:9: But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  This is you. You are indeed indwelt by God the Spirit. You therefore, are no longer in the flesh. For you have set your mind on the things of the Spirit…Romans 8:5b.