What can we do? Or is it grace?

Romans 9:15-16 “For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So thenit is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”

Romans 9:18 “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he willhave mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.”

Romans 9:30-31 “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; ...

What does it mean to be carnally minded?

Romans 8:5 “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. For to be carnally mindedis death; but to be spiritually mindedis life and peace.”

To be carnally minded means to understand and strive for the things of the flesh rather than the spirit.  Or it means to seek, judge and understand the tangible things rather than the intangible things (spirit).

1 Corinthians 2:14 “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

1 Corinthians 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could ...

What is our mind focused on?

Romans 8:5-6 “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. For to be carnally mindedis death; but to be spiritually mindedis life and peace.”

When our thoughts and purposes are on the flesh our mind is directed by our flesh or our body.  And this direction of the flesh is not simply a sexual appetite instance as some may naively assume. But when we “mind the things of the flesh” this references all things of the flesh such as pride, ego, judging, or all the carnally minded things that initially come from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (see previous posts).  And when our mind is directed ...