Daily text, Wednesday, February 21. 2018

[Queen Esther]

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, on the things of the spirit.—Rom. 8:5.

Some might imagine that this is a contrast between those who are not in the truth and those who are, between those who are not Christians and those who are. However, Paul was writing to “those who are in Rome as God’s beloved ones, called to be holy ones.” (Rom. 1:7) Thus, Paul was contrasting Christians who walked according to the flesh with Christians who walked according to the spirit. He linked “living according to the flesh” with “the sinful passions” that were then “at work in [their] bodies.” (Rom. 7:5) So when speaking of those who “set their minds on the things of the flesh,” Paul was referring to people who are ruled by or focused on their desires and leanings as imperfect humans. In the main, these are ones who follow their cravings, impulses, and passions, whether sexual or otherwise. w16.12 2:5, 7

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dt/r1/lp-e/2018/2/21