Flesh Thinking or Spirit Thinking?

 Romans 8:6-8

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

According to these verses, there are two ways of thinking...Flesh thinking and Spirit thinking.

Flesh thinking is Death (all the miseries arising from sin)
Flesh thinking is hostile toward God
Flesh thinking does not submit to God's ways
Flesh thinking cannot submit to God's ways
Flesh thinking cannot please God.

Spirit thinking is life
Spirit thinking is peace

Flesh thinking and Spirit thinking are opposite of one another. So, one could say that Spirit thinking submits to God ways, it is it's nature to do so and thinking God ways pleases God. That makes sense.

Romans 8:8 Commentaries
So then . . .--Rather, and. Neither can it be expected that those who are absorbed in the things of sense should be able to please God.

Some would say that since they are born again they are automatically Spirit thinkers. Flesh thinkers are the non Christians who are separated still from God. The following verses mess up that idea....

Ephesians 4:17-24
Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, they are greedy and practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Those verses tell me that it is possible to remain a "Flesh thinker" as a child of God. It is possible to remain darkened in our understanding and ignorant of God's ways as a Christian. Otherwise, why would verse 17 tell us that we MUST NO LONGER conduct our lives in the futility of our mind. There would be no reason to say this, as a born again child of God, if I have automatically become a "Spirit thinker" when I received Christ. Why would God say to "Put Off" that old man, be renewed in the spirit of our minds and "Put On" our new self? A non Christian would have no option but remain the old self. There would yet be no "new self" to put on!!!

It is a sad thing when we realize that as a Christian, it is still possible to live life as the ungodly do...futile thinking, darkened understanding, still alienated from the kind of life God has available for us (the life of Life and Peace) all because of remaining an ignorant  "Flesh Thinker. As a Christian, I certainly do not want to be calloused, operating according to the lusts of my flesh, greedy, yielding to perverted vices and without restraint ....no, No, NO!!!! This is NOT the way you know or learned Christ!

We are taught to put off, renounce, cast away or throw off our previous way of thinking and living (behavior) which is our OLD SELVES. Choose to think, say and respond to that old man: "This is not what I have been taught! That is my old self! That is not who I am any longer!!! That old man is corrupt. I renounce you, old man. I will no longer continue that thinking and behaving. 

Now, rather than remaining in futile Flesh thinking, which is: Thinking the way the old, ungodly man thinks. Remember.....thinking that is hostile toward God, thoughts that cause death/destruction and thoughts that do not please God and are ignorant of His thoughts. Instead, we are to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, which is: Spirit thinking....thinking the way God thinks, in accordance with the Word of God, which is Spirit and Life. and to put off the old man, put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

John 6:63

"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, for you to prove what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.

Colossians 3:1-10
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights (minds) on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.  

1 Corinthians 3:3
for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

Romans 8:1-5
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the powera of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

It is obvious that we have a choice to make as Christians...our choices are....:

#1.  To remain Flesh Thinking in which we still think like a natural, carnal, un-regenerated person, We are still following our senses, our fleshly desires and our ignorant, un-renewed, un-renovated thinking. Therefore, we remain un-transformed and NOT pleasing to God. At the time of our new birth, our Spirit man became alive to God. We became a New Creation. However, neither our souls, which is our mind, will and our emotions, or our body have been changed. That is why our thinking Must change. So, the second necessary choice is to become....

#2.  Spirit Thinking, in which we are learning and submitting to God and His Word. Renewing our thinking to the Ways and Word of God. Learning to Live the life that brings pleasure to God and causes us to begin to live the spirit thinking way of Life and Peace that He has for us.

This is no small thing that we see here today...so,  evaluate your own thoughts.... Am I Flesh Thinking or Spirit Thinking? Many Christians do not realize that the troubles in their lives may have much to do with the thoughts they think. Is your life full of death (troubles, destruction) fultile and ignorant thoughts OR by putting off that old man, putting on your new man and renewing your mind with thoughts that agree with God's way of thinking and being...are you being transformed more and more into the likeness of God, enjoying Life and Peace more and more every day?

Finally, read these following verses...

Proverbs 23:7
For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.

Where your heart is ..... Is really where your thoughts go. Are you truly with God or are you against Him. Put off that fleshly man and his way off thinking and thus behaving.

The fact is your thoughts controls your decisions and actions, and your actions, to a large extent, controls your results. So, if you think “I am a sinner”, you'll act like “a sinner". ... if you agree with God, thinking "I am the Righteousness of God in Christ. I am a New man, a New Creation, old has passed away, behold New has come" you have begun the transformation process, simply by learning to think like God thinks!!!

Philippians 4:8-9
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Be a "Spirit Thinker" Think the way that God thinks....be in agreement with His Word.