What is meant by, “Ye are not in the flesh” (Rom 8:9)? What is “the flesh”? There are only two meanings of the word “flesh”: 1) a living creature (because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast; 2) denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God (Strong's G4561 – sarx, definitions III and IV). In the passage above, as in the majority of NT passages “flesh” refers to definition IV in the Greek dictionary.
G4561 - sarx - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv)
The nature of man is in the similitude of Satan (Gen 3:15; Mat 13:38; Jhn 8:44; 1Jo 3:8, 10, 12), and at rebirth the believer is separated (Ro 8:9) from its “dominion” and “damnation (Ro 6:14; 8:1), but not from its presence (Rom 7:17, 20; 1Jo 1:8), nor from its influence. The believer not being in sin is in relation to its curse and its control; and one cannot get in and out of sin, for our separation from it is constant and unchangeable.
The meaning of not being in sin designs the intention of not seeking after it. Because of the Father’s “work in you” (Phl 2:13) Christian’s will no longer seek to live after sin—but after the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25): “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Here, the sense is not that one can seek to live after the Spirit and after the sin nature. You can only “either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt” (Mat 12:33); this is for the purpose of identifying evil or good, “for the tree is known by his fruit.”
Scripture’s use of language-comparison is to contrast evil and good for identification, and Romans 8 is one of the most applicable examples, especially verse 5: “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.” The word “after” is the key-word of this subject, and is in the sense of one’s will and desire—that of the hearts treasure (Mat 6:21): “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things (Mat 12:35).“ All are either “carnally minded” or “spiritually minded,” not both (Rom 8:6); and this is not in the same sense as momentarily being “yet carnal,” as “babes in Christ” (1Co 3:1, 3), for these will eventually mature—being “in Christ (v3).” Being “carnal minded” intends a constant and permanent state!
“Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh” (Jas 3:11, 12). I believe the first contrast between good and evil will always be the best example—which was “The tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:17; 3:7), which purpose served as an identification via contrasting God’s holiness with man’s sin nature; and as part of being in God’s image—“becoming as One of Us, to know good and evil” (3:22).
G4561 - sarx - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv)
The nature of man is in the similitude of Satan (Gen 3:15; Mat 13:38; Jhn 8:44; 1Jo 3:8, 10, 12), and at rebirth the believer is separated (Ro 8:9) from its “dominion” and “damnation (Ro 6:14; 8:1), but not from its presence (Rom 7:17, 20; 1Jo 1:8), nor from its influence. The believer not being in sin is in relation to its curse and its control; and one cannot get in and out of sin, for our separation from it is constant and unchangeable.
The meaning of not being in sin designs the intention of not seeking after it. Because of the Father’s “work in you” (Phl 2:13) Christian’s will no longer seek to live after sin—but after the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25): “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” Here, the sense is not that one can seek to live after the Spirit and after the sin nature. You can only “either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt” (Mat 12:33); this is for the purpose of identifying evil or good, “for the tree is known by his fruit.”
Scripture’s use of language-comparison is to contrast evil and good for identification, and Romans 8 is one of the most applicable examples, especially verse 5: “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.” The word “after” is the key-word of this subject, and is in the sense of one’s will and desire—that of the hearts treasure (Mat 6:21): “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things (Mat 12:35).“ All are either “carnally minded” or “spiritually minded,” not both (Rom 8:6); and this is not in the same sense as momentarily being “yet carnal,” as “babes in Christ” (1Co 3:1, 3), for these will eventually mature—being “in Christ (v3).” Being “carnal minded” intends a constant and permanent state!
“Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh” (Jas 3:11, 12). I believe the first contrast between good and evil will always be the best example—which was “The tree of knowledge of good and evil” (Gen 2:17; 3:7), which purpose served as an identification via contrasting God’s holiness with man’s sin nature; and as part of being in God’s image—“becoming as One of Us, to know good and evil” (3:22).
