Romans 8:7-8 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.… I. SOME COMMON GROUNDS OF MISTAKE ON TINS SUBJECT. 1. Men may be unconscious of their opposition, and hence infer that it has no existence. Many circumstances may conduce to this unconsciousness. (1) Men generally are without any habitual and strong impression of the reality of the Divine existence; and, therefore, their enmity has little opportunity to exhibit itself. (2) Opposition may also be kept in check by a sense of our own weakness and God's power. But conscious impotence is no indication of a heart friendly to the Most High; for give to the sinner the means of successful opposition, and then his disposition will begin to exert itself, unawed and unrestrained. (3) Mere carelessness may keep the sinner in ignorance of the interior operations of his depravity to the holiness and sovereignty of God. 2. The homage of respect paid by many to religion and its institutions may be alleged as an evidence that they are not enemies to their Maker. But the force of education, the power of conscience, the beneficial influence of Christian institutions, the love of human estimation, the energy of servile fear, are sufficient to account for all the religion of unregenerate men. 3. Nor is the glow of imaginary love to the Divine Being, sometimes felt by unconverted men, any proof that they are not His enemies. They may form erroneous conceptions of His character, contemplating Him as devoid of all those attributes which are terrible to the unholy. The most sordid and malignant beings may conceive of a God to whom their hearts would feel no repugnance. 4. The social sympathies and the decencies of life are regarded by many as proofs of some innate sparks of love to God. The mistake here arises from confounding mere instincts and the refinements of enlightened self-love with real benevolence, and from overlooking that system of restraints which Divine Providence is pleased to employ as essential to a dispensation of mercy. A sufficient evidence of the radical deficiency of these social virtues is that they often exist in conjunction with manifest indifference or open opposition to any practical acknowledgment of God. Many a polite and even humane man would blush more deeply to be found on his knees in prayer than to be seen at the gaming table or the race ground. II. MORE DIRECT PROOFS IN ITS SUPPORT. The native enmity of the human heart against God maybe inferred from — 1. Its entire selfishness. The popular philosophy maintains that ultimate regard to self is the grand law of our being, and ridicules the notion of disinterested goodness. If it be so, love to God is impossible. For against the Divine requisitions, selfishness arises, exasperated and alarmed. It can love nothing which does not secure the gratifications it covets. In the same proportion as it sees its plans thwarted, itself condemned and exposed to hell, its enmity is roused against God. 2. The erroneous and preposterous views which have been commonly entertained by mankind respecting God's character and government. (1) Look at those destitute of the light of revelation. The religious rites of the great body of mankind have been degrading and impious, as the objects of their religious veneration were impure and cruel. (2) Look at those who sit under the sunshine of the gospel. Do we not observe among nominal Christians a strong tendency to error and practical unbelief? 3. The general conduct of mankind to God. (1) "God is not in all their thoughts." Every trifle can engross the mind; but a place within it can scarcely be found for musings on the adorable attributes of Him by whom it was made. The Scriptures are neglected, or read only as the record of curious facts, and fervent prayer is odious. This general reluctance to spiritual duties is unaccountable, if there be no repugnancy in the human heart to intimate communion with God. (2) Do we not observe everywhere a disregard and resistance of the authority of God? A dislike of the law, in its spirituality and strictness, involves opposition to Him by whom it was given, and of whose moral purity it is a transcript. "The carnal mind is...not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Sinners are "enemies to God by wicked works." To please the unholy, He must abandon His sceptre, or rule only for their benefit. (3) How can we account for the treatment which God's messengers have received from an ungodly world, unless there is naturally a strong aversion to pure religion, and consequently enmity against that God from whom it proceeds? Unkindness to an ambassador, who acts simply in accordance with his instructions, is universally accounted an insult to the court from which he derived his commission. (4) How has Christ been treated by sinners? 4. Experience. Every real Christian is ready to charge himself with rebellion. And is this universal consent of such as are most deeply imbued with spiritual Christianity, and have noticed most faithfully the interior actings of their depravity, to be accounted nothing? 5. The Scriptures have settled the question. Deny the native enmity of the heart to God, and its leading doctrines become wholly unintelligible. What will you make of regeneration? Does not reconciliation import a previous state of variance between the parties?Conclusion: This humiliating subject teaches us — 1. The importance of those restraints which a wise and benevolent Providence is pleased to employ in the government of mankind. Conceive of all restraints withdrawn from a world like this, full of the enemies of God. No tongue can describe, no fancy can paint, the complicated scenes of guilt and misery which would ensue. 2. The mysterious love of God to our apostate world. (J. Woodbridge, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. |
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