Romans 8:5

People who live according to what their self-directed nature desires think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature desires. But people who live according to what God’s Spirit desires think about and are concerned about what God’s Spirit desires.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

4So we can now fulfill all that God required in his laws. We do this, not by our acting the way our sinful human nature desires, but instead by living as God’s Spirit desires us to live.

6Those people who [PRS] think about and are concerned about what their self-directed nature desires will not live eternally (OR, will be separated from God). But those people who think about and are concerned about what God’s Spirit desires will live eternally and have inner peace.

Read all of Romans 8

Cross References

John 3:6Humans give birth to humans. But those who are born again as a result of what God’s Spirit does receive a new spiritual nature from God.

Romans 8:9But we do not have to let our self-directed nature control us. Instead, we can let God’s Spirit control us, because he lives within us. If people do not have living in them the Spirit who comes from Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:14Those who are unbelievers reject the truths that God’s Spirit teaches us (inc), because they consider those truths to be foolish. They cannot understand them, because it is God’s Spirit who enables us to evaluate those truths correctly, and those people do not have God’s Spirit.

2 Corinthians 10:3Remember that although I am human like everyone else in the world, I do not fight against those who oppose me in the way that people who are not believers fight those who oppose them.

Ephesians 5:9Keep in mind that as light [MET] causes good things to grow, those who know God’s truth should do those things that are good, righteous, and honest.

Colossians 3:1You now are alive spiritually, and it is as though you were given new life { God caused you to become alive} when he caused Christ to become alive again. So be constantly wanting what is associated with heaven [MTY], where Christ is. There God has given him supreme authority and the highest honor.

Matthew Henry on Romans 8:2-10

The Believer's Privileges. ( a. d. 58.) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after… Read the whole commentary →

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