In this sermon, Pastor Steve Hopkins explores the difference between life in the flesh and life in the Spirit. He emphasizes that every person falls into one of these two categories and that their mindset and priorities reflect which category they are in. Those who are after the flesh are preoccupied with worldly pursuits and have no spiritual affections, while those who are after the Spirit have their minds set on the things of God. The consequences of living in the flesh are eternal death and condemnation, while those in the Spirit experience eternal life and justification before God. Hopkins encourages those who desire to be spiritually minded to press on and pursue a deeper relationship with Christ.

Welcome back to Burnet Bible Church. Join us this week as Pastor Hopkins continues his sermon series through the book of Romans. Before we open our Bibles to Romans once again, the eighth chapter, and stand for the reading, let me just, I had done this for several weeks and then backed off for many, many weeks from this, but I wanted to once again talk on a parenting issue just for a couple of minutes. Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 4 gives us fathers an admonition. He speaks directly to fathers.

He says, fathers provoke not, provoke not your children to wrath. And then he tells us in the positive what to do to Raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And something that I've been thinking about is how anger, discipline and anger is so destructive for children. When we discipline not in love, but in anger and in wrath.

How that is perceived by the child and taken by the child. And the effect that that has on the child rather than a nurturing instruction in the things of God after the example of our Father in heaven tends to be very destructive for the life of the child. If you want an angry son, discipline and anger. Give them that example. If you want a son who is respectful of your authority, discipline, and love.

In Hebrews chapter 12, we're told that our Father in Heaven chastens us for our prophet. That should be our guide. I'm doing this for you. This is something that I'm doing for you. This is something that has your interest in my mind.

And that's all. Let's stand, if you would, for the reading of the word of the Lord, Romans chapter eight, verses four through seven. Lord willing, we'll be dealing with chapter 8 verses 5 through 7 and we're going to be dealing with verse 5 alone this afternoon. That's all we'll have time for. So let's read together verses 5, 6, and 7 of Romans 8.

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh But they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit for to be carnally minded is death But to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Let's pray. Our gracious Father in Heaven, We have prayed for revival in our land for many years, and we know, God, that revival comes only by a work of Your Spirit, and through the preaching of Your Word, and at your command and decree. And God, we pray this afternoon that you might be pleased to plant the seeds of revival in the hearts of your people assembled here this afternoon. We pray that you would work by your Spirit through your word, and as the psalmist said, Lord, revive us again that we may rejoice in you for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. Let's be seated.

I would ask the congregation to hone in on verse 5 this afternoon, because that's as far as we're going to get today. And it's my prayer that everyone here really gets this, Because it's so important to understand. And it's my prayer that no one here this afternoon in this meeting place walks away and says, you know, I'm not really sure what Steve was trying to get across. I hope nobody leaves here and goes, you know, I really wonder what Steve was trying to get across today in his sermon. So I'm gonna ask you to focus your attention on verse five and if you're taking notes this afternoon, I hope you are, Here's what I want you to walk away with today.

There are two categories of people in the world and only two. There are those who are after the flesh, who mind the things of the flesh, and there are those that are in that category who are after the Spirit, and who mind the things of the Spirit. And everyone here today, and everyone outside of this building today, is in one category or the other. Every one of us is in one camp or the other. And every one of us is in one state or the other.

The apostle here is contrasting life in the flesh and life in the Spirit. Life in the flesh and life in the Spirit. And every one of us is either living a life in the flesh or life in the Spirit. There's no middle ground. No one out there in the world today is in some middle ground.

When I preach on the streets, I try to make it very clear how often the Scripture talks about two. There's only two. There's only two. There's only two fathers. You're either of your Father in heaven or you're of your Father the devil.

There's only two eternal destinations, either heaven or hell. There's only two ways, that way that is the straight way through the straight gate that leads to life, and that narrow way that leads to life, and the broad way that leads to destruction. There's only two. We're all in one of the two categories, on one of the two roads, in one of the two camps. The apostle here is contrasting life in the flesh and life in the Spirit.

When the Apostle Paul talks about life in the flesh and life in the Spirit, he's talking about life outside of Christ and life in Christ. He's setting forth the contrast between the lives of unsaved people and saved people. People who are on their way to hell and people who are on their way to heaven. Because that's all there is. All there is, when this is all over with, is eternal life and eternal death.

That's it, just the two. We are either living our life in the flesh or life in the spirit. Life outside of Christ or life in Christ. We're either unsaved or we're saved. We're either regenerate or we are unregenerate.

The Apostle Paul is contrasting the lives of those who are alive in Christ with the lives of Those who are still dead in trespasses and sins, dead in Adam. Those who have been born of the Spirit with those who remain in the graveyard of spiritual death. Paul says there are two and only two categories of people on earth. As we go forward, which category are you in? Because he's going to give some descriptions here to help us.

Those who are after the flesh and those who are after the Spirit. These are the categories. Those who live according to the flesh and those who live according to the Spirit. Those who are governed by the flesh, governed by the corrupted nature that they inherited from their first parents, and those who are governed by the Spirit of God because they're indwelt by the Spirit of God, and are in a state of spiritual life. They, again, are only two categories of people.

Two camps, two categories, two states of existence. Those who are still living in the natural and regenerate state in which they are born in Adam, and those who have been raised from death to life in Christ by the operation of the Holy Spirit in regeneration." And Paul says in our text before us, those who are after the flesh live according to the flesh Because they are still in the flesh, that is still living in the fallen state of nature, every one of us inherited from our first parents. Those who are after the Spirit, in the Spirit, indwelt by the Spirit of God in Christ are living in the state of justification before God, which we've been talking about over and over again in our previous sessions. They're in the state of justification before God. There is nothing that is going to remove them in this life from that state of justification.

They are positionally safe before God. You're positionally safe who are in Christ Jesus and thereby live and walk after the Spirit. On the other hand, those who are after the flesh, live according to the flesh, are outside of Christ unregenerate, unsaved, and still living in the state of condemnation. The regenerate, no sense of condemnation hanging over our heads. For Christ's sake, he bore the condemnation that was due us.

He went to the cross, he was condemned in our place, our sin was laid on him, He was condemned instead of us. God's wrath was satisfied against us, was appeased, His justice was satisfied. Nothing's gonna remove us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. We are positionally safe. Those outside of Christ are not positionally safe, but should be very afraid.

They've never been born of the Spirit. They are still in that state of the flesh, of carnality in the flesh in which they were born. They're unsaved and their final destination is the second death in hell where they will endure the wrath of God under God's just sentence of condemnation for all eternity. Not so with us because the just sentence of our condemnation was laid on Christ and he was condemned at our place. Whose trust is in him, who are in Christ Jesus.

While those who are after the Spirit are those in Christ. Born of the Spirit, saved people. Our final destination is heaven, where we will enjoy the brightness of God's glory, amen? Forever, in the everlasting pleasure and blessedness of Christ's presence and favor, forever and ever. But notice here, the apostle describes each of these two categories of people by the things they mined here on earth.

He's going to get into our minds here. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. They that are after the Spirit, they mind the things of the Spirit. The apostle is speaking here of a mindset. And again, there's only two.

You've got one mindset or the other. There's nobody that's on some sort of middle road in between the two. Every one of us here this day, this afternoon, should be asking ourselves right now, what is my mindset? That is, what is my mind set on in this life? What am I thinking about continually?

What is it that captivates my thoughts and dominates my thoughts? What are the things that my mind is continually set on? Second Peter 1.10, the apostle Paul says, Brethren, he's speaking to Christians, he says, be diligent to make your calling and election sure. Brothers, In other words, you're all professors of Christ, you're all professors of Christ, but listen, brothers, make your calling and election sure. There's nothing more important than you could do today than to make your calling and election sure.

So this is a question everyone on the planet should be concerned with. What things dominate my thought life? They that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh. They that are after the spirit mind the things of the spirit. Again there's only two kinds of people on earth, two categories of people.

Every person in this room and every person outside this room is in one camp or the other, in one category or the other. You're in it. Which one are you in? And if we honestly apply the passage to ourselves, the reason it's here is so that we can kind of get some sort of a good feel as to which camp we're in and maybe even be assured more of it. Is your mind set on the things of the flesh or the things of the spirit, the earthly things and temporal things or the things of God and eternal things.

I'm not asking whether you ever think about any of those things. We're not talking about the evil, wicked things right now. We're just talking about the things of this life, the temporal things of this life, of course we are concerned with those things. But what is it that Eric said earlier, it prioritizes. Where is your priority?

What's in first place? What dominates your thoughts? Where is your thinking continually going after? What direction is it? What are your hearts set on in this life?

What things are you continually occupied with in this life? What is my mind set on? What things dominate my life? When we are in the state of flesh and corruption of nature, our minds are fixated on the things of the world. When we are regenerated, born of God, with new life from above, there is a radical change that takes place, both positionally and experientially.

And we already talked about positionally, right? You're in Christ or you're not. But there's also a life that is lived in the flesh and a life that is lived in the Spirit. When we are born again, we're no longer the people we once were. We're now, as I said earlier, in a state of justification before God.

Think about that for a moment. We're in a state of justification before God, declared just in His sight. And because we are in a different state, We are now in a different state of mind. Because we're in a different state, we're now in a different state of mind. Spiritual mindedness marks the lives of those who are alive in Christ and in the Spirit.

Worldly mindedness marks the lives of those who are still living in the graveyard of spiritual death. Where's your mind? What is your mind set on? Those who are in the flesh live according to the flesh and their minds are set on the things of the flesh. Their goals, their interests, their affections are carnal and fleshly, not spiritual and eternal.

Their thoughts are fixated. They're fixed on things below and not things above. On earthly things, not heavenly things. Paul says in Philippians chapter three, he talks about whose God is their belly, whose glory is their shame." And then he throws this in there, who mind earthly things. Again, it's not that we don't think about the things of earth, but we aren't consumed with them.

In the unregenerate state, the things of this life, and they're consumed with the thoughts of the things of this life, and the pursuit of the things of this life, it consumes their thoughts. Remember Jesus said, don't take no thought tomorrow, what you'll eat or what you'll drink, what you'll put on. You know, your heavenly Father knows the things you need. He wasn't saying don't think about them ever or don't work so you can have food and clothes. Don't let these things consume your thoughts.

Don't be preoccupied with the things of earth. Put the kingdom of God first and everything else will fall into place. Get your priorities straight. The unregenerate man has a preoccupation with earthly and temporal things. He has no sight beyond this life.

All his ambitions and goals and pursuits are wrapped up in this world. And his thoughts on the things of this world. Psalm 10 and verse 4 says God is not in all his thoughts and what it means is God is not in any of his thoughts. He's not really in his thoughts. He just he can go throughout the whole.

He may be in church on Sunday but he can go the whole week and never think about God or the things of God and be very content to do so. He has no interest in the things of God because he does not know God. He is dominated and governed by the flesh because he's still in the flesh. He has no spiritual affections because he has no spiritual life. Sunday mornings are an interruption to the life he loves.

He can't wait for Monday morning to dawn so he can get back to the things that really interest him. The things of God are just a bore. It's just boring. He can watch ten hours of movie, but he yawns through a half hour of preaching. He's only interested in the things of this world.

You know, we've got a conference coming up. Why go to the conference? Why would anybody want to go to the conference? Or if you're going to the conference, why are you going? You know, I ask my sons and daughters this many times, why are you going to the conference?

Is there a spiritual reason? I understand we want to see our friends, that's great, but is there a spiritual aspect to it? You know what? I get fed, there's lots of preaching and lots of teaching, I get fed and I wanna go and get fed. But the worldly, the man who is in the flesh, not in Christ, His thoughts are dominated with worldly thoughts and worldly aspirations and fleshly pursuits.

He doesn't spend time alone with God because he has no relationship with God. Why would you want to spend time with someone you don't know? We spend time with those we love. We avoid those we have no affection for. We'll set aside many things to be with those we love.

There are those whose minds are set on the things of the flesh and those whose minds are set on the things of the spirit, those who are spiritually minded, those who are carnally minded. And every person in this room and every person in the world today is in one state or condition or the other. We're either in the state of corruption in which we were born in Adam or we're in Christ. We're either in the flesh or we're in the spirit. And The focus of our lives says a lot about the state that we are in.

Every person who's ever lived or ever will live is in one of these states or the other. And every person who has ever died or ever will die has died in one of these states and conditions or the other. Think of the finality of that. Death is final and when you die, you die in one state and condition or the other. All there is in this world is the state of eternal life and eternal death and that's all there is in the world to come.

And I always have to be careful. You know, I wanna be careful here because there are those who hear these things and they say, well that's not me. And it's not them. They are in Christ. They do love God.

They have spiritual life from above. Their minds are concerned with the things of God, but not like they should be, and that's where they're troubled. Not like they know they should be and it troubles them. But their hearts desire, these are saved people. Their hearts desire is to follow after the things of the Spirit because they're indwelt by the Spirit.

And they want to follow Christ because they're in Christ. And if that's you, I don't want to discourage you. I don't want to quench the smoldering wick or bring doubts and fears into the mind of a child of God for whom Christ died. I don't want to discourage a brother or sister in the Lord whose heart's desire is to pursue Christ and to follow him. And as Paul Washer once said, to follow hard after Him.

I don't want to quench the smoldering wick who wants Christ, really wants Christ in first place in everything. To you, I say press on. Persevere. Smash those idols in your life that keep getting in the way looking to Christ and Him crucified and risen for you and ascended and interceding for you at the right hand of the power on high. But do it.

You'll hear people say, you know, it's okay to be honest with me. Well, it's okay to be honest with God. It's okay to be honest with God. It's okay to say, Lord, I truly want Christ at the center of my life. And not off to the side somewhere in my peripheral vision, but right in front of me.

And right in front always, because He is my pearl of great price. My heart's desire. I do think on spiritual things, but I want to be honest. I want to be more spiritually minded. My mind is on earthly things far too much and I know it.

But I want my mind and my affection set on heavenly things, on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God, as your word says. That's what I want, God. It's okay to say, you know, I want to want you more God. I want to want to pray more. I want to want to be with you more.

I want to want to be in your word more. I want to want to do these things. Help me God in my weakness. If that's you, be encouraged. David said, a penitent and contrite heart, oh Lord, he will not ignore.

He won't despise that. He hears your prayers that are poured out in weakness and sincerity to follow your Savior. But on the other hand there are those who will speak peace to their hearts when there is no peace. The Old Testament prophet says they say peace, peace when there is no peace. And they need to be troubled deeply.

But typically they are not. They'll do the outward forms of religion, but their mindset is earthly, worldly, and fleshly. They have no real interest in Christ or the things of God. Spiritual things, as I said before, bore them to death. They don't pick up a Christian book ever or try to find a Christian sermon or, you know, read their Bible and try to find some commentary to find out what things mean.

They don't, it's just boring. It's boring to them. They don't have life in Christ. And they're on their way to eternal destruction. They can go an entire week between Sunday services and never crack a Bible.

Because they don't have any desire to. They don't have any longing to commune with God. They don't have any desire to pursue their relationship with Christ because they don't have any relationship with Christ. Then maybe they made a profession one day, they got baptized, they go to church, but they don't have any interest in the sermons in the church. Paul talks about singing hymns and psalms and spiritual songs and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

Making melody in your heart to the Lord? It's a foreign concept. Their thoughts are not brought back to God continually because God is not in any of their thoughts. Things of God just don't interest them because they have no interest in Christ. If they could live here on earth just as they are now and never enter into heaven and behold the face of Christ, that would suit them just fine because they know not God.

To these I say if there be any here that fit that bill you need to be very afraid. Our God is a consuming fire. And I'll end with this from Dr. Sproul. We don't know where we're going to be a year from now or 10 years from now.

What really matters is where we're going to be 100 years from now. If our minds are set on the things of the flesh, then a hundred years from now we will be in perdition, which is a fancy word for hell. But if our minds are concerned about the things of God, the spirit of God, the truth of God, the sweetness of God, then 100 years from now, we will be enjoying the brightness of his glory without interruption, close quote. Let's pray. Father, we come before you, God, humbling ourselves, seeking your face, and asking you Lord to search our hearts.

One of the most painful things we can do is to ask you to search our hearts and really mean it. One of the most difficult things we can do, God, but we ask you, oh Lord, As the psalmist said, search my heart, try me, oh God. See if there'd be any wicked way. Oh God, we ask that you would try our hearts and God increase our assurance by your spirit, oh God, even now upon your people who indwells your people and give them greater assurance of their salvation. Confirm to their minds and their hearts that Jesus is theirs.

Encourage them, oh God, and lift them up from spiritual depression. And Lord, those who don't know you, oh God, may your spirit wield the sword of the spirit, the words that have been preached this afternoon, and pierce hearts with conviction of sin and of righteousness and of the judgment to come, of their sin, of the righteousness of Christ, by which alone they may be covered in the day of judgment. And grant faith, O Lord. Grant repentance and faith to any Lord who do not know you. And let this be the beginning of a new day in their life, a day when they are no longer in the flesh, but in the spirit, and live like it.

For we ask these things in Jesus' name, amen.