"Matters of the Mind (Sins of the flesh #1)" - Amy Lawrence

Walking in the Spirit

Matters of the Mind (Sins of the Flesh #1)

It matters what we think. Proverbs 23:7 states, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” Thought leads to action, action to character, character to behavior. Scripture often metaphorically describes the heart as the center of thought and intent, Heb. 4:12. There are so many things in this world battling for our attention, our heart, and our mind.  When Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, he contrasted two mindsets - the carnal (fleshly) mind, and the spiritual mind. He contrasted the same two mindsets in Romans chapter 8 and attested that only one, the spiritual mind, is acceptable to God. Paul listed in Galatians the kind of actions that are produced from each type of mind. This list can be found in Galatians 5:16-26. I’d like to dive into a study of this list, but there is so much material involved with each term. It would be valuable to our study to discuss each one individually and how we as women can benefit from such a study, and so I’d like to do this as a series. 

The first list of terms are those that are of a carnal-minded person. They are known as the lusts of the flesh. Whether a person has only one of these bad habits or all, each one is an action that is born of a mind that is contrary to the spiritual mind. We will begin with the first four (vs.19): “adultery”, “fornication”, “uncleanness”, and “lewdness”. These four can be categorized as sexual sins. This type of sin is listed first, and not only here, but also in 1 Cor. 6:9 and Eph. 5:5. 

“Adultery”
This sexual sin is prominent in our society. It permeates every form of media and is so commonplace it is considered ‘normal’. The original Greek word for adultery is μοιχεία (moicheia). It denotes one who is unfaithful in the physical sense…which is why the word is used interchangeably to either mean an unfaithful spouse in a sexual context, Mt. 19:9, or an unfaithful child of God in an idolatrous context, James 4:4. One of the Ten Commandments uses the Hebrew word נָאַף (naaph), Ex. 20:14. It was an offense punishable by death, Lev. 20:10, but one that was still commonly practiced by Israel as a part of their idolatry, Jer. 7:9-10. Ongoing adultery is still punishable by death, but a very different kind - a spiritual death, Rev. 21:8. Only discontinuation of the adultery and forgiveness from God will save one from such a death, 1 Cor. 6:11. 

As we are discussing the heart, and since this is where adultery begins (Mt. 5:28), let us avoid the things that we know are precursors for adultery. Mt. 5:28 tells us that lust is where the heart begins to go astray. Knowing where adultery starts gives us the ability to nip it in the bud before it grows to something much more sinister. Avoiding lust can only be done through gratitude. Being thankful for and content with what we have keeps us from focusing more on what we cannot have, Heb. 13:4-5.

“Fornication”
We have seen the gradual disintegration of our society toward sexual immorality over the decades, but fornication is not a new concept to us. It was as common then as it is now. Today, though, what used to be shameful and hidden is paraded as an innate human right. No matter the excuses or the relationship in which it is happening, fornication is a sin. Sexual intercourse is strictly limited to that between an non-adulterous, male+female, married couple, Heb. 13:4. What most refuse to acknowledge is that there is a very good reason for this. All things work together for the good that God has purposed, Rom. 8:28, OUR good. God knows His Creation, and He knows the damage that fornication can do to a person, emotionally and physically. To remedy this, God tells us to marry, 1 Cor. 7:1-2. But note verse 2: “…let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” We can’t have someone else’s husband or wife. Before we marry, we’d better make sure that person doesn’t already belong to another. 

“Uncleanness”
This isn’t a commonly used term in what we would consider a sexual sense. The original Greek word is ἀκαθαρσία (akatharsia), and is defined as one who is “impure, physically and/or morally.” This word is found 10 times in the New Testament, and each time it denotes an unholiness in a sexual sense. Its use in Romans 1:24 shows that this can mean any sexual sin, whether the act itself, or the impure mindset that leads to sexual sins. The root Greek term is καθαρός (katharos), meaning “clean, clear, pure.” We are commanded to be holy as God is holy, in everything that we think and do, 1 Pet. 1:14-16. This includes abstaining from anything that God has deemed sexual deviance; pornography, petting, sexting, etc.

“Lewdness”
The KJV uses the word “lasciviousness”, and the original Greek is ἀσέλγεια (aselgeia), meaning “incontinence, filthy wantonness.” The word is used in 2 Pet. 2:18 and speaks of one that draws others into sexual sins. We can get a picture of such a woman from Proverbs 5-7. The description of the harlot in Prov. 5 and the adulteress in Prov. 6 and 7 share a common warning: “…her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of Hell.” The advice Solomon gives? “Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.” (Prov. 5:15) To sin is bad; to entice others to sin is far worse, Rom. 1:28-32. Both lead to death.

By their fruits, you will know them, Mt. 7:17-20. Our study is of the spiritual mind, and the attitude behind any sexual sin is a subject that is frequently unaddressed. Paul speaks of a constant internal war in Romans 7:14-25, a war that we all experience - our fleshly desires versus the will of God. Every commandment God gives is for OUR good, to give US rest for OUR souls, Deut. 10:12-13, Jer. 6:16…but we have to WANT IT. No one, if they could see their future misery that came about because of their poor decisions today, would want that future. Obeying God’s commandments doesn’t just give us a worthwhile future, He promises that His obedient servants will receive a home in Heaven that makes even the best future in this life pale in comparison, Heb. 3-4. 

Our study on the matters of the mind will continue in my next article, but I ask that you diligently give yourself over to personal study and see for yourself what is that good, acceptable, perfect will of God, Rom. 12:1-2.