Paul had just said in verse 7 that the carnal mind [natural way of thinking] is against the way God thinks, and cannot be subject to God’s ways. Our mind is rebellious by its very nature. He concludes: “So, then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8).

So, if we do what “we feel” we will always offend God. What a miserable and hopeless way to live. There is no hope in that. We are destined to go from one failed relationship to the next; one defeat after another. And to think that millions of Americans cry themselves to sleep every night. It is repeated regularly in the Facebook comments of our friends.

Paul describes this hopelessness best in the previous chapter: “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing; for the desire is present with me, but how to perform the good I desire I can’t find. For the good I want to do I don’t; but the evil which I don’t want to do, I do. Now if I do what I don’t want to do, it is proof that it is not me that does it, but sin that dwells in me” (Romans 7:18-20, Pastor Diehl paraphrase).

So, although we pamper our flesh with make-up, deodorant, jewelry and tattoos, it doesn’t measure up in God’s eyes. We are all losers. Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Is there hope for people like us? Yes, indeed, and Paul leads us into that light in the next verse, which I’ll comment on tomorrow.

Tags: flesh, pleasing, sin