7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Verse seven gives the reason for spiritual death—negative volition to God. This results in innate hostility toward God.
7 Because
“Because” gives the reason for the statements made in verses five and six. Verses seven and eight give the cause of the non-Christian’s hatred toward God. The “because” gives the reason the mind-set of the fleshly life is death.
the carnal mind is enmity [hostility] against God;
The reason the carnal mind is death is that it is an enemy of God. Its very nature opposes God, who is the source of life. A fundamental hostility toward God rests innate in the unbeliever.
The “mind” refers to the entire person. The non-Christian’s entire person is set in active enmity toward God and what He is about. The main characteristic of the state of death is this orientation of hatred. This hatred comes from a threat to living a self-centered life. Any authority that violates personal freedom is the enemy. This person does not want to please God. These may be good people doing good things, but their basic orientation is away from God.
Not only is the non-Christian dead toward God but he is also an enemy of God. There is an active sense of hostility toward God by the carnal mind-set. He has a determined refusal to acknowledge dependence on God. Self-satisfaction is the dominating motivation for the non-Christian. He is not merely uncooperative but downright hostile toward God. The non-Christian puts himself into the opposite camp from God. On the other hand, God considers the carnal mind as His enemy.
PRINCIPLE:
God never redeems the sin capacity.
APPLICATION:
The thought pattern of non-Christians is enmity against God that expresses itself in jealousy, envy, pride, bitterness, self-pity, vindictiveness, and hatred. They have only a sin capacity, no new capacity or divine nature.
God never redeems the “flesh” or sin capacity of believers. This will not happen until we receive our glorified bodies.
Jas 4:4, Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
