The message "Our Need for Righteousness". Part 1 in the series "Understanding the Mind of God"

1. The Mind of God (Part 1)
Our Need of Righteousness
Rom. 8:3-9
3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in
the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 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. 6 For to
be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please
God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Introduction
Understanding the mind is a subject that has perplexed and intrigued mankind
for centuries. More perplexing still is man's attempt to understand the mind of
God. There have been countless sermons preached, books of all styles; fiction,
non-fiction, even scientific including books in the field of quantum physics
written about the “mind of God”. But through much of this discussion, man
fails (more times than not) to explore the very book that was designed and
written for just this purpose. Through this series of five lessons we will look at
what Paul had to say to the Roman church about the “mind of God”. This will
not be the end-all of this discussion, but quite the opposite in fact. Hopefully,
this series of lessons will encourage you into your own deeper exploration into
the “mind of God”.
During this series we will cover five main points:
1. Our need of righteousness
2. Righteousness the manifestation of faith
3. Righteousness through separation
4. Righteousness from the heart
5. Applied righteousness
God's will versus man's will
To begin with:
● Rom 1:1 – Paul mentions the fact he is a servant, called, and separated
● In Vs 5 – he received grace and apostleship through obedience
● 1:16 – we cannot be ashamed of this gospel because it is the power to
save

2. Past Sins
Present Life
Future Hope
● Note this is for the believer (Christian – already born-again)
According to John Calvin in the “Institutes of the Christian Religion” book one,
there is a “...universal believe and acknowledgment of the existence of
God...” and that it is “...confirmed by the examples of wicked men and
atheists...” and that it is further confirmed by their “vain endeavors...
(to) ...banish all fear of God from their minds.” With the conclusion being, “...
that the knowledge of God is naturally implanted in the human mind.”
He continues in chapter four by saying, “knowledge of God is suppressed by
ignorance...” and that this error is compounded through pride and
stubbornness.
The mind
Mind (n) = Intellectual or rational faculty, power that conceives, judges, or
reasons, the entire spiritual nature, the soul
Mind (v) = To fix thoughts on, to regard with attention, to consider, to heed,
to occupy oneself, to obey, to remind
13% of all entries in the Bible that have the word mind in them are found in the
book of Romans. This is almost two times the number found in any other book.
There are two Greek words that are translated mind in the Bible:
phroneo (v) = to exercise the mind, to entertain, have sentiment,
opinion, to interest oneself (used 37 times in NT 11 in Romans alone)
phronema (n) = mental inclination or purpose (used six times all in
Romans)
Both come from phren = to rein in or curb feelings. Out of the 43 uses of these
two Greek words in the NT 17 are found in Romans (40%). Therefore this book
would be great starting point for anyone who desires to know the mind of God.
What this book talks about and what we will discuss in these lessons is “self-
control”.
“In order to have the mind of God, we must first learn to mind the things of
God.”
We need righteousness
The Bible tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags, and that none of us
are “good”. We ultimately have a natural inclination towards sin, and this is a
catalyst for God's wrath. Rom. 1:21-23 “21 Because that, when they knew God, they
glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And
changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to
birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.”
● As Calvin stated “knowledge of God is suppressed through ignorance”
● Through our vain attempts to know Him and fill the void in our lives we
profess ourselves wise when we are really fools

3. God's action is then found in Rom. 1:24-25 “24 Wherefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between
themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the
creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.”
● Uncleanness: impurity (physically or morally)
● Dishonor: render infamous, mistreat, despise (between themselves)
● Changed truth into a lie
● Worship and serve the creature not the Creator
Our continued pride and stubbornness only leads us down a path of continued
destruction. Rom. 1:26-32 “26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for
even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise
also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another;
men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of
their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being
filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of
envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding,
covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the
judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the
same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
● Vile affections: infamy, disgrace, shame – passions
● Homosexuality
● Not retain God in their knowledge: do not hold a recognition of God
● Reprobate: rejected, worthless, castaway – intellect
Filled with:
● Unrighteousness: injustice/moral wrongfulness
● Fornication: harlotry/adultery/incest/idolatry
● Wickedness: depravity/malice
● Covetousness: avarice/greed
● Maliciousness: depravity/malignity/evil
● Envy: ill-will/jealousy
● Murder: murder/slaughter
● Debate: quarrel/contention/strife
● Deceit: decoy/trick/bait
● Malignity: bad character
● Whisperers: secret
● Backbiters: talk against/slander
● Haters of God: hateful to God
● Despiteful: maltreater/insulter
● Proud: haughty
● Boasters: braggart
● Inventors of evil: discoverer of depraved things
● Disobedient to parents: unpersuaded by parents
● Without understanding: unintelligent/wicked/foolish
● Covenant breakers: treacherous
● Without natural affection: hard-hearted towards kindred
● Implacable: truce-breaker

4. ● Unmerciful: merciless
But before you think you've made it: Rom. 2:1 “1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O
man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest
thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things”
Rom. 2:12-15 “12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and
as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law
are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which
have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are
a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing
one another;)”
● All have sinned and fallen short (whether you know it or not)
● It's not those that hear the law that are justified, but those that do the
law (whether through obedience or faith)
Knowing the law is not the same as keeping the law: Rom. 2:28-29 “28 For he is
not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit,
and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Closing
In order to understand the mind of God we must first understand our own
nature. Rom. 3:10-12 “10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is
none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the
way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
By nature we are sinful and in need of His righteousness. Therefore, “In order
to have the mind of God, we must first learn to mind the things of God.”
And this is done through faithful obedience not through obligatory commands.
We walk in His Spirit and must allow Him to guide us and not give into our
natural fleshly desires.