Hi haz,
I will answer this one question you put to Axehead. I'm sure he'll feel free to add to my thoughts if he wishes.
This is a misunderstanding of 'the body is dead because of sin'.
What Paul is referring to is the death which Adam brought into the world through sin. Look at these verses in Young's Literal:
Romans 5
12 because of this, even as through one man the sin did enter into the world, and through the sin the death;
Do you see 'the death', there? This is the noun from which flows the verb - dying, to die; just as from the sin flows 'sinning', to sin.
Your physical body is not dead yet, so you do really do have to reckon with it. Paul says in Romans 6:
11 so also ye, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to the sin, and living to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
13 neither present ye your members instruments of unrighteousness to the sin, but present yourselves
Now you must choose deliberately, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to give your whole body to God in His service, as this is one of the privileges of sonship whereby we grow into maturity in Christ.
Galatians 4
1 And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differs nothing from a servant--being lord of all, [even though he is to be lord of all]
2 but is under tutors and stewards till the time appointed of the father
In Corinthians and Galatians, Paul makes clear that those who do not yield their bodies to God, as instruments of righteousness under the Lordship of Christ, by continuing in sin will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Galatians 5:19, 20, 21.
These are not new rules which Paul has added. They are implicit in the meaning of the gospel, which aims to restore mankind from a state of rebellion against God's word, into a state of agreement with Him, our obedience being physically outworked in everything.
This is a great parallel with the life of Christ, who took upon Himself a body - of a servant - and served as His Father commanded.
Perhaps it helps to remember that Adam did not choose to be made, and he received instructions from God from the start. He was always to be a servant of God's greater purposes. This has not changed. The distaste we feel for serving God, reflects our fallen mindset, which is now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to be changed into the mindset of Christ. Philippians 2:5, 7, 8.
It's only being carnal if you don't walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
While this is true, God gave Adam a body, and that body was clothed in glory, which is why Adam 'knew' his nakedness after he had sinned. It is a spiritual law, that a spirit seeks an appropriate body in which to dwell. We see this from the beginning, through David offering to build God a permanent temple on earth so that He could be among His people, to the spirits which asked Jesus to be cast out into the swine.
The idea that you are really just a spirit floating along, and God is not interested in how you use your body now, because one day you'll have an immortal body, is erroneous. What we do in our bodies is of intense interest to God, because of the effects that our actions have on our souls and spiritual well-being. Whenever we yield our bodies to unrighteousness, we open ourselves to adverse spiritual company. If we make acts of unrighteousness our habit - instead of acts of righteousness - we will reap fruit of unrighteousness, not fruit of the Spirit.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body,
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially to them who are of the household of faith.
I will answer this one question you put to Axehead. I'm sure he'll feel free to add to my thoughts if he wishes.
Why resurrect it?
This is a misunderstanding of 'the body is dead because of sin'.
What Paul is referring to is the death which Adam brought into the world through sin. Look at these verses in Young's Literal:
Romans 5
12 because of this, even as through one man the sin did enter into the world, and through the sin the death;
and thus to all men the death did pass through, for that all did sin;
14 but the death did reign from Adam till Moses, even upon those not having sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a type of him who is coming.
Do you see 'the death', there? This is the noun from which flows the verb - dying, to die; just as from the sin flows 'sinning', to sin.
Your physical body is not dead yet, so you do really do have to reckon with it. Paul says in Romans 6:
11 so also ye, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to the sin, and living to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
13 neither present ye your members instruments of unrighteousness to the sin, but present yourselves
to God as living out of the dead, and your members instruments of righteousness to God;
Now you must choose deliberately, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to give your whole body to God in His service, as this is one of the privileges of sonship whereby we grow into maturity in Christ.
Galatians 4
1 And I say, so long time as the heir is a babe, he differs nothing from a servant--being lord of all, [even though he is to be lord of all]
2 but is under tutors and stewards till the time appointed of the father
In Corinthians and Galatians, Paul makes clear that those who do not yield their bodies to God, as instruments of righteousness under the Lordship of Christ, by continuing in sin will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Galatians 5:19, 20, 21.
These are not new rules which Paul has added. They are implicit in the meaning of the gospel, which aims to restore mankind from a state of rebellion against God's word, into a state of agreement with Him, our obedience being physically outworked in everything.
This is a great parallel with the life of Christ, who took upon Himself a body - of a servant - and served as His Father commanded.
Perhaps it helps to remember that Adam did not choose to be made, and he received instructions from God from the start. He was always to be a servant of God's greater purposes. This has not changed. The distaste we feel for serving God, reflects our fallen mindset, which is now, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to be changed into the mindset of Christ. Philippians 2:5, 7, 8.
That's being carnal/walking according to the flesh.
It's only being carnal if you don't walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
We are now a new spiritual creation in spiritual relationship with God.
While this is true, God gave Adam a body, and that body was clothed in glory, which is why Adam 'knew' his nakedness after he had sinned. It is a spiritual law, that a spirit seeks an appropriate body in which to dwell. We see this from the beginning, through David offering to build God a permanent temple on earth so that He could be among His people, to the spirits which asked Jesus to be cast out into the swine.
The idea that you are really just a spirit floating along, and God is not interested in how you use your body now, because one day you'll have an immortal body, is erroneous. What we do in our bodies is of intense interest to God, because of the effects that our actions have on our souls and spiritual well-being. Whenever we yield our bodies to unrighteousness, we open ourselves to adverse spiritual company. If we make acts of unrighteousness our habit - instead of acts of righteousness - we will reap fruit of unrighteousness, not fruit of the Spirit.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body,
according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.
Galatians 6
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all [men], especially to them who are of the household of faith.