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What heart is deceitful above all things? Jer 17:9,10
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know
it?
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according
to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Gal 5:19-21
Works of Flesh
What was God's warning to Cain?
Have you ever felt that overwhelming desire within you to let sin master over yo
u? We make decisions according to how we think, feel and want. So, at times, we
find ourselves struggling with anger, bitterness and hatred leading us into area
s of temptation. But God tells us to fight against those sinful feelings. We mus
t learn to fight against the very nature within us. Paul tells us to put off the
old nature and put on the new man (Colossians 3:8-13). The Lord has given us Hi
s Spirit who will empower us to overcome but we must be willing to allow Him the
authority to be in control of our emotions and behaviors.

This to me is an interesting statement, because so often men are seeking to offe

r to God the works of their flesh, and seeking that God would accept the works o
f their flesh. But God will no more accept the works of your flesh than He would
Cain's, who sought to offer to God the works of his flesh and was rejected by G
od. But it is interesting how that we so often find ourselves in that place of s
eeking to offer to God the works of our flesh. But they that are in the flesh ca
nnot please God.
Now when we get to the book of Revelation, chapter 4, and God is there upon the
throne, surrounded by the twenty-four lesser thrones of the elders and those che
rubim, those angelic beings are worshipping the eternal God, the Creator, and ar
e saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which is, which was, and which i
s to come" and the elders fall on their faces, taking their golden crowns and ca
sting them before the glassy sea, before the throne of God. They declare, "Thou
art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor, for You have created all things,
" listen carefully, "and for Your pleasure they are and were created." Like it o
r not, God created you for His own good pleasure. That's the basic purpose for y
our existence. Man has twisted that and he somehow feels that he should live for
his own pleasure, but the Bible tells us that if a person is living for their o
wn pleasure they are really dead while they are still alive. Why? Because you we
re not answering to the very basic cause of your existence. God created you for
His pleasure. Now careful note of that, because they that are in the flesh canno
t please God.
Thus, if you are living in the flesh and after the flesh your life is doomed to
this emptiness and frustration, because you are not answering to God for the ver
y basic purpose of your existence. If I want to have a fulfilling life, a meanin

gful life, I must live after the Spirit. But then Paul goes on to declare to the
saints of God,

The word ?mind? in verse 5 and 6 is ?phroneo? and according to Strongs means ?in
tensively to interest oneself in (with concern or obedience): - set the affectio
n on.?1 The word ?mind? is verse 7 is ?phronema? and it means ?to purpose?. 2 Th
erefore the carnal mind is when a person is choosing to interest themselves in c
arnality, to set their affections on their flesh, when they purpose to live for
the gratification of themselves. It is when a sinner chooses to ?mind the things
of the flesh?, that is, when they choose to serve themselves and their own plea
sures rather then serving God. The carnal mind is nothing more than a selfish st
ate of mind.

It is impossible for a person, who has a carnal mind, to be pleasing to God or t

o be in submission to God, while they are in such a state of mind. They need to
repent. Repent is ?metanoeo? and it means to change your mind. To repent of your
sin means that you change your mind about sinning, you make up your mind to obe
y the law of God. True repentance is when a person goes from being in a selfish
state of mind (carnally minded) of choosing to serve him self (to live for selfgratification), to a loving state of mind of choosing to serve God supremely and
love his neighbor equally. As long as a man is carnally minded, he cannot pleas
e God and he cannot obey the law.

But if he changes his mind (repent), so that he is no longer choosing to live fo

r himself but chooses to live for God, then he can be pleasing to God and he can
obey the law. When the cause of his hostility towards God and His law is remove
d (the carnal mind), then He can be pleasing to God and in submission to His law
. But if the cause of his hostility is not removed, he can do neither. As long a
s the will (a faculty of the mind) is in opposition to God, the will cannot be i
n submission to God. As long as the will of man is selfish, that man cannot be p
leasing to God, because God cannot be pleased with selfishness.
This verse simply says that while a person is in such a state of mind of carnali
ty and selfishness, they cannot please God and they cannot truly obey the law. I
t would be equivalent to saying, ?Those who have disobedient hearts cannot pleas
e God and they cannot obey the law.? That is, while their heart is disobedient,
they cannot do such things. But if they change their heart, then they can. Such
a statement does not say that they cannot change their heart, but it says that w
hile their heart is in such a state, they cannot do such things.