Chapter 1 Carnality and Covenant: Romans 1:18-32

  1. ”If the Gospel reveals the righteousness of God, it is because there is another revelation, that is the wrath of God, and because this latter, unless mankind be destined to perish, requires the former “ [Matthew 13:30]
  2. Definitions
    1. Covenant is a relational closeness, a bonding relationship
    2. Righteousness is covenant faithfulnes
    3. Carnality is Flesh: 2 Words in Scripture
      1. What pertains to or benefits the body
      2. A natural want of the Body
  3. Love and Lust
    1. Four loves
      1. God’s Love
      2. Friendship
      3. Natural Affection
      4. Erotic Love – not in our Bible – Getting what one wants is selfish, stolen affection.
  4. Other or Self
    1. Selfish is providing of all which shall minister to one’s own ease.
    2. Selfishness speaks of the ungracious bearing towards others, the absence of an ethical awareness of one’s own pride and harm [2 Timothy 3:2].
  5. Need and Want
    1. Need is soul to soul = relationship.
    2. Want is body to body = carnality
    3. Needs are met by another in relationship;
    4. Need fulfillment is a significant part of life.
    5. Need can be satisfied; want is never gratified
    6. Need supports healthy relationships
    7. Wanting personal interests hurts relationship and is selfish
  6. God meets needs when we pray but not want or lust is the source of temptations and leads to death
    1. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” [James 1:14-15]
  7. The Flesh
    1. “So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die….. For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons” [Romans 8:12-14 CSB].
    2. “The flesh … becomes bad only when man builds his life on it.”
      The flesh is the body and speaks of its needs. But need can cross an emotional line into want. I need food to live but if I live to eat it becomes a want.
    3. Genesis 2:18, 24 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. … Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother,and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
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