Seven Characteristics of a Lost Person

Seven Characteristics of a Lost Person

1. A Lost Person is “After” the Flesh—Rom 8:5

a. A Person Dominated by Flesh—What is Flesh?
(1) The word, which is common in the New Testament, can mean three things:
(a) Mankind in general—
(b) A person’s body in particular—for a saved person, the remnant of the fallen nature resides in the body which is used to sinning. Gal 5:16-
(c) Or our fallen human nature—Gal 5:19, Gal 6:8
(2) In this verse, it is talking about our fallen human nature, the totality of our lostness.
b. A Lost Person is under the authority and rule of the flesh, the lost human nature.

(1) "…after the flesh….” The Greek could be translated literally as “…those being according to…” indicating a person’s fundamental essence, bent, or disposition. (MacArthur)
(2) “The word the apostle uses carries the idea of being under something else, under authority in particular.” (Lloyd-Jones, Romans 8:5-17, page 4)
c. So, a lost person is under the authority and bent of the flesh, the lost nature.

2. A Lost Person “Minds” the Flesh—"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh…

a. The Greek means, “to set the mind,” and this refers to the way the mind of a lost person naturally works. Their mind is on the flesh.
b. The Mind of the Flesh dominates the lost person—Phil 3: 18-19, 1 John 2:15
c. The two types of fleshly minds: lowbrow and highbrow sinners
(1) The Low-minded fleshly person: Gal 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: ., uncleanness, lewdness, …, outbursts of wrath…., murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like…."
(2) The high-minded Fleshly Person—Gal 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,……, …. hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, … 21 envy, …”
(3) To mind the things of the flesh includes political interests without God, social interests without God, cultural interests without God. That is what the expression means. Paul has in mind man’s highest pursuits, his philosophy, his art, his culture, his music, that never get beyond the flesh. God is outside it all, He is excluded from it; there is nothing spiritual about it. …’ (Lloyd-Jones, 6)
3. A Lost Person is spiritually dead. Rom 8:6

a. The minds of the lost are the minds of death and darkness—Eph 4:17-18
(1) The understanding is dark—1 John 2:11
(2) Their thoughts are evil—Gen 6:5
(a) Psa 94:11 "The LORD knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile."
(b) Prov 15:26 "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant."
(c) Prov 24:9 "The devising of foolishness is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men."
(d) Mat 15:19 ""For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."
(e) Rom 1:21 "because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
(3) They have a defiled mind—Titus 1:15 "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled."
(4) They are blinded—2 Cor 4:3-4 "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."
(5) The Lost are spiritually dead. What are the characteristics of the dead?
(a) They cannot make themselves alive
(b) They cannot communicate with the living.
(c) Except for divine intervention and an act of God's power, there is no possibility of changing the state of the dead.

b. How dead is spiritual death? Just like physical death, spiritual death means there is NO LIFE in the dead. John 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.

(1) A Lost person is spiritually dead--they have NO Spritual life nor any spiritual capacity whatsoever.

c. Willing Servants of the lost world, Satan, and of Sin "...Eph 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world..." According to this world's course--The lost walk according to the course of "this world..." They dance to the world's tune, so to speak.

(1) Servants of Satan "...according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience..."
(2) Slaves to sin-- Eph 2:3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, *** John 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
(3) Willing Slaves to our own natures-- "and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
(4) By nature--we were born this way--Psa 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

4. A Lost Person has a Mind of Flesh that Hates God—Rom 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."

a. Total Alienation to God—Col 1:21 "…alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked work…”
b. Lost people hate God—the World system hates God—John 15:18-19
c. Religious Lost people hate the True God.


5. A Lost Person has a Mind of Flesh that is not subject to the Law of God. Rom 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."

a. Can anyone living today disagree with this? The World system, the elites of our nation, the entertainment media, and the great minds of our secular society hate the Law of God, and will not be subject to it.

(1) Prov 14:34 "Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people."
(2) Isa 5:20-21 "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!"
(3) Prov 17:15 "He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD."
(4) Prov 24:24 "He who says to the wicked, "You are righteous," Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him."
(5) Prov 28:4 "Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But such as keep the law contend with them."
(6) Mal 2:17 "You have wearied the LORD with your words; Yet you say, "In what way have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the LORD, And He delights in them," Or, "Where is the God of justice?""
(7) Rom 1:32 "who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them."

b. In our time, only those of us who believe in standards of moral behavior are the bad guys. But let me assure you—If you love sin, you hate God, and if you put up with wickedness in the name of toleration, you are not subject to God.
c. The mind after the flesh is not subject to God.

6. A Lost Person has a Mind of Flesh that cannot be subject to the Law of God— Rom 8:7 "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be."

a. Lost people are unable to comply because they are spiritually dead. 1 Cor 2:14

7. A Lost Person cannot Please God, except by answering the call to salvation.

a. You cannot please Him with your works, because they are as filthy rags.
b. You cannot please Him with your words, because they are words based on ignorance.
c. You cannot impress Him with your theories about life, because they come from a corrupt and spiritually and morally bankrupt mind and heart.
d. You cannot gain His favor with your human religion, because it is not only false, it is an insult to God.