If we get saved and continue to read a Spiritual Word by the carnal mind, then we will still (even though it's no longer true for you) walk as "mere men," carnal and fleshly people who are unable to discern the truth of the Spiritual revelation of the Word. It is true, though, for those who are carnal minded. They are new creations too, but they never really walk in this Truth and therefore still "feel" like they must find another way to "please" God.
Hebrews 11:6 (Amplified) says, "But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him (God). For whoever would come near to God must (necessarily) believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (out)."
Romans 8:8 (Amplified) says, "So then those who are living in the life of the flesh (catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature) cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him." This doesn't mean that they are necessarily living in sin, but they are living in the carnal mind, which is in opposition to God's truth. You must, by faith, believe that you are righteous before God, to ever enjoy being "acceptable and pleasing to Him." You cannot please God by all the works of the flesh or through all the religious sacrifices we're taught are necessary to please Him.
The natural man, with a carnal mind, will have a problem with what they read even in this teaching. We continue seeing ourselves the way the world and religion sees us. This will keep us trying to do only the things of the flesh, instead of the things of the Spirit. You're living in a body that was literally crucified with Jesus Himself, according to Galatians 2:20 (Amplified), which says, "I have been crucified with Christ (in Him I have shared His crucifixion) it is no longer I who live; but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
We still see ourselves as though we've never died and live like we did before being saved, just because we can still walk, talk, sleep, eat, and do those same things. And, because of this, we continue allowing our carnal, unrenewed mind to control us, instead of the Spirit of God. We read the words, but miss the Truth of the Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit's giving Life to the words, they become just carnal literature to the natural mind.
The Word is Spirit and Life and the Christian is a new creation, but we still react like it's something that is for the future or that someday these things will be true. This is what makes a new creation, these things are already true. This isn't something that happens later, but is something that happened as soon as you received Jesus as your Lord. You became a new creation at that very moment. We've continued reading the Word by our own understanding, instead of His understanding and this had been a stumbling block for us. We read the Bible like we read any other book. We could read the words by our intellect, but can only understand the Truth, with our spirit.
John 8:36 (Amplified) tells us, "So if the Son liberates you (makes you free men), then you are really and unquestionably free." We all know that this scripture is true, but we sometimes walk in certain bondage for a lack of revelation of this truth. Rather than allow the Spirit to reveal the Truth that makes us free, we sometimes settle for carnal reasoning to satisfy our walk. Until we realize that the only way to be righteous in God's eyes, is by faith, receiving what He has declared to be righteous, then we will spend our entire life in this earthly body full of guilt and frustration, trying to become what only He can make us to be. We will never walk in the "unquestionable freedom" without it.
We continue frustrating righteousness by judging our own conduct in this body. It's true that we must bring the fleshly, carnal mind into subjection to the Spirit. But, don't frustrate grace and righteousness and then keep ourselves in bondage to the flesh. 2Corinthians 5:21 says, "Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether)." God has made us to be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. It is His Own righteousness that He gave to us. He gave us His very Own righteousness. No matter how hard you try, how much you do, how much you give, you can never improve upon His Own righteousness. We can, and should, do that which is right and walk upright before the world and the Lord. not in self-righteous pride in ourselves, but by humility and in the truth that it is God Who makes us righteous. We honor His truth by submitting to this truth.
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