dioti – Ministry of Grace Church

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Romans 8:7 – Submission or Rebellion?

Posted on March 21, 2018 by Will

Because the carnal mind is enmity toward God; for it is not submitted to the law of God, indeed it can’t be.

Truth to Learn

When we’re controlled by our flesh, we’re not submitted to God, we’re in open rebellion to Him.

Behind the Words

This current verse starts off with the Greek word dioti, which is a compound word made up of dia, meaning “through” and hoti, meaning “that.” So, literally it means, “through that” or “because of the fact that.” In other words, this verse explains why it is true that “to be carnally minded is death.”

The word translated “enmity” is the Greek word echthra, which means “the hatred and hostility openly displayed against one’s enemy.” It is most often translated as “enmity,” although in Galatians 5:20 it is translated as “hatred.”

“Submitted” is from the Greek word hupotassō, which is made up of hupo (or hypo), meaning “under” and tassō, meaning “to arrange in an orderly manner” or “to rank.” It is a military term meaning to place in rank under someone else’s authority.

Meaning Explained

The current verse answers the first half of the previous verse:

For to be carnally minded is death

The reason, according to Paul, is:

Because the carnal mind is enmity toward God

The reason that being fleshly minded is death is because it is in open hostility to God. Therefore, it cannot be in submission to God or His law. When we place ourselves in a position of submission to another, we are by definition at peace with them and recognize their authority over us. When we refuse to be in submission, we rise up in revolt and are by definition in open hostility and rebellion against their authority. They are opposite ends of the spectrum and are mutually exclusive. That is, you can’t be both in submission and in rebellion. You are either one or the other. In fact, Paul goes on to tell us that when we are being controlled by our flesh, we cannot place ourselves in submission to God. It’s impossible!

When we are being carnally minded, when we are allowing our fleshly lusts to control our thoughts and actions, we are not being submissive to God and we are, in fact, in open rebellion to His will. When we are in open rebellion to God, we have separated ourselves from Him. This, by definition, means that we are dead to God; we have broken fellowship with Him and we are not at peace.

Application

Do you have those times when you feel lifeless and totally separated from God? That’s the effect of sin. It breaks our fellowship with God. Were it not for the grace of God through the blood of Christ, we could never restore that fellowship. But because of what Christ did for us, we can come to the throne of grace, confessing our sins and having our fellowship restored because God has declared us righteous.

Do you feel lifeless and separated from God right now? Do you? Be honest with yourself!

If you do, get down on your knees and do something about it!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:20 – Good Deeds

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Will

Therefore by the works of law no flesh will be justified in His presence, for through the law is the knowledge of sin.

Truth to Learn

No one can do enough good deeds to be saved.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is translated from the Greek word dioti, which is a compound word made up of dia, meaning “through” or “by” and hoti, which means “that.” Hence, dioti basically means “through that, because of that, or for this reason.”

The word “works” is from ergon which means “a product of labor, a work, or a deed.”

The word translated “flesh” is sarx, which literally means “flesh of a living creature.” It is used here to denote all of mankind, both Jew and Gentile.

“Justified” is from dikaioō, which means “to declare someone righteous” or “to make someone righteous.”

The phrase “in His presence” is translated from enōpion. This is another compound word. It is made up of en, indicating a static position (in, on, over, etc.) and ops (a derivation of optomai – to see) which refers to “sight” or “eyes.” So, literally this word means “in His sight,” though it is often translated “before Him” or “in His presence.”

The word translated “knowledge” is the Greek word epignosis, which means more than simply knowing something. It means “to recognize and understand something” or “to have full knowledge of something.”

Meaning Explained

Remember that whenever we see a “wherefore” or a “therefore” we need to see what it’s there for. In the previous verse we learned that the Law was given so that all those who tried to obey the Law would be found guilty before God without excuse. Therefore, that is, in light of this fact, because of this… “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His presence.”

What Paul is saying is that justification before God cannot be obtained by obeying any set of rules no matter who made the rules. Why? Because it is through rules (Law) that we recognize sin and sinfulness.

If you recall the account of the temptation of Adam and Eve, up until God gave them the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were without sin. If they had eaten of the tree before they were told not to, they would not have been sinning; but due to the fact that they had been commanded not to, it suddenly became sinful to do so.

What Paul is telling us in these verses is that we cannot become righteous by following any set of rules, whether God-made or man-made. How then can one become righteous before God? Is it impossible? Paul is going to begin telling us in the next two verses.

Application

Just because we can’t be declared righteous through doing good deeds doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do them. We ought to do them out of obedience and gratitude. In other words, we can’t be saved by doing good deeds, but once we are saved, we should do them because we want to, not because we have to.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 1:16 – Total Submission

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Will

for it is written, "Be holy, because I am holy."

Truth to Learn

God wants us to be completely set-apart to Him.

Behind the Words

“For” is from the Greek word dioti, which is made up of dia, meaning “through” or “for” and hoti, meaning “that.” So literally it means “for that reason.”

The word translated “written” is a form of graphō, which means “to engrave” or “to write.” The word is used here in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect where the emphasis is on the effect. That is, it was written and therefore is now written down for all to see.

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses we were admonished to not be conformed to our former lusts which we followed in our ignorance, but instead to be holy (set-apart and pure) in our behavior because it is the Holy One who called us. Now, in order to explain why we need to be set-apart, Peter quotes from the Old Testament, where God said:

For I am the LORD your God: ye shall consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy (Leviticus 11:44)

The word translated “consecrate” is the verb form of the same word that is translated “holy” in this Old Testament passage. As we mentioned in the previous verse, one of the key elements of sanctification, or holiness, is the notion of being “set-apart.” A sanctified vessel is one that is set-apart for service in worshipping God. To sanctify oneself, therefore, also carries with it the notion of setting oneself apart. But how do we do that?

In Romans 12:1,2 the Apostle Paul put it this way:

Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

According to this passage, the way we are to become a holy, living sacrifice is to present our bodies to God. Our body becomes a sacrifice because we give up control over the use of it and commit to letting God choose how we use it. Then, Paul says we are to set ourselves apart from the world system. In other words, instead of allowing ourselves to be controlled by the world system; instead of learning to think and act like we are constantly being pressured to think and act, we need to allow our minds to be renewed by God. And the only way that can happen is by reading and studying the Bible.

Let me repeat that: the only way we can renew our mind and become set-apart to God is by reading and studying the Bible.

Application

On a scale of one to ten, where one is not at all set-apart and ten is completely devoted and committed to God, where are you right now? (Hint: God wants you to be a ten. Anything less means you have more submitting to do.)

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 8:7 – Submission or Rebellion?

Posted on May 26, 2010 by Will

Romans 8:7

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

Truth to Learn

When we’re controlled by our flesh, we’re not submitted to God, we’re in open rebellion to Him.

Behind the Words

“Subject” is from the Greek word hupotassō, which is made up of hupo (or hypo), meaning “under” and tassō, meaning “to arrange in an orderly manner” or “to rank.” It is a military term meaning to place in rank under someone else’s authority.

Meaning Explained

The current verse answers the first half of the previous verse:

For to be carnally minded is death

The reason, according to Paul, is:

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God

Application

Do you feel lifeless and separated from God right now? Do you? Be honest with yourself!

If you do, get down on your knees and do something about it!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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