9 Futhermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?  Hebrews 12:9 KJV

In this verse, Paul is stating the fact that we as a people have given “reverence” or “or in a bad sense…regard” (1) to our fathers (with a small “f”) of “our flesh.”  We have given reverence to our carnal minds [from “flesh” (1)] when our fathers “corrected us” or “instructed” (1) us carnally.  Carnality is “the desires of the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit warring against the flesh, which began at rebirth, (and) are what produce carnality and the awareness of it.  But Paul said, ‘Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).  In other words, carnality will disappear” (from My Utmost For His Highest, utmost.org, March 23, 2017). To be carnally minded is that “pertaining to or characterized by the flesh or the body, its passions and appetites; sensual: carnal pleasures” (2).  We see the reverence of carnality in our modern day human trafficking of children and adults around the world.

However, Hebrews 12:9 (KJV) tells us that we should “rather be in subjection” or that we must “be under obedience” (1) “unto the Father (with a capital “F”) of spirits” or “divine God” [definition of “spirits” (1)].  We ought to give reverence or “to respect in a good sense” (1) our Father God, not our senses, in that we are only human, not to give in to our human senses which leaves God the Father out.  Humans are not divine as Christ was both, and we look to God for leadership and guidance in all of our affairs.

We are to give reverence in a good sense to our Father to “live” or to be truly and wholeheartedly “alive” [from “live” (1)] or to have a good “disposition” (1) or “state of mind” (2).  We keep this good “state of mind,” i.e., the “image” of Christ in our minds and grow accordingly with abundance.  “This word ‘abundant’ in the Greek is “perisson,” meaning ‘exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.’  In short, Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine, a concept reminiscent of 1 Corinthianbs 2:9: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.’  The apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, and He does it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him (Ephesians 3:20)….Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity” (from gotquestions.org).

(1)  The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Of The Bible by James Strong, LL.D.,S.T.D.

(2) dictionary.com

God Bless Everyone