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. ITS MANIFESTATIONS. Enmity against God. 1. In His truth. This is shown (Psalm 50:17; Hosea 7:12) — (1) In men's unwillingness to believe any Divine truth, or to meditate upon it. Men shun the thoughts of what they do not love. It is hard to believe Divine truths; because they are against the interests of our lusts, and the more Divine, the more unwilling are we to close with them. If the Word lays hold upon a man, he endeavours to shake it off as a man would a serjeant who comes to arrest him (Romans 1:28). Have not men often had secret wishes that some truths were blotted out of the Bible; because they face their consciences, and damp their pleasures? When men cannot shake off a truth, but it sticks fast in them, yet they have no pleasure in the consideration of it, which would be if there were a love to God; for men love to read over the letters which are sent by them to whom they have an affection. (2) In their opposition to it. God's truths cast against a hard heart are like balls thrown against a stone wall, which rebound the further from it. Sin, as a garrison in a city, is up in arms upon any alarm from its adversary (1 Kings 22:8; John 3:19, 20). (3) If men do entertain truth, it is not for truth's sake, but for some other by-end. Judas follows Christ for the bag. (4) If men do entertain truth, it is with unsettled affections, and much mixture. The Jews cry Hosannah to Christ one day, and crucify Him the next. Some were willing to rejoice in John's light, which gave a lustre to their minds, not in his heat, which would have given warmth to their affections. Our hearts are like lute strings, changed with every change of weather, with every temptation. (5) In a carnal improvement of truth. Some endeavour to make truth subservient to lust, as when men hear of God's willingness to pardon they will argue from hence for deferring their repentance (Psalm 94:7). Wicked men father their sins upon God's Word. A liar will find a refuge in Rahab's lie for preserving the spies. Some will venture into all kind of wicked company, from Christ's example. As the sea turns fresh water into salt, so a carnal heart turns Divine things to carnal ends. 2. In the duties God doth enjoin. (1) Unwillingness to it. If men do come to God, it is a constrained act, to satisfy conscience. If conscience, like a taskmaster, did not lash them to duty, they would never perform it. If we do come willingly it is for our own ends (Isaiah 26:16). This unwillingness is a wrong to His providence, as though we stood not in need of His assistance, and a wrong to His excellency, as though there were no amiableness in Him to make His company desirable. (2) Slightness in the duty. (a) In respect of time. As men reserve the dregs of their life, their old age, to offer up their souls to God; so they reserve the dregs of the day, their sleepy times, for the offering their service to God. (b) In respect of frame. We think any frame will serve God's turn. In worldly business you may often observe a liveliness in man; but change the scene into a motion towards God, and how suddenly does this vigour shrink. (3) Weariness in it. How tired are we in the performance of spiritual duties, when in the vain triflings of time we have a perpetual motion! How will many force themselves to dance and revel a whole night, when their hearts will flag and jade at the first entrance into a religious service (Malachi 1:13). (4) Neglect of expecting answers to prayer. They care not whether their letters come to God's hands or no, and therefore care not much for any returns from Him; whereas if we have any love for a person we send to, or value of a thing we send for, we should expect an answer every post. If God does not answer us, naturally we cast off the duty, and say with those in Job (Job 21:15). They pray not out of conscience of the command, but merely for the profit; and if God makes them wait for it, they will not wait His leisure, but solicit Him no longer. II. ITS CAUSES AND REMEDIES. 1. Dissimilitude between God and a natural man. As likeness in nature and inclinations is a cause of love, so dissimilitude and unsuitableness is a cause of hatred. God is infinitely holy, man corrupt. Darkness and light, heaven and hell, are directly contrary, so is Christ and Belial. The remedy, then, will be to get a renewed nature, the image of God new formed in the soul. 2. Guilt. Men fly from God out of shame; they consider the debts they owe God are great, and naturally debtors fly from their creditors. Terror is essential to guilt, and hatred to a perpetual terror. The remedy, then, is to labour for justification by the blood of Christ, which is only able to remove that guilt which engenders our hatred. 3. God's crossing the desires and interests of the flesh. All hatred arises from an opinion of destructiveness in the object hated. And a sinner being possessed that his darling sin is inconsistent with the holiness of God's law, hates God for being of a nature so contrary to that which he loves. The Jews expecting an earthly grandeur by the Messiah was the cause that they were the more desperate enemies to Christ. The remedy, then, is to have a high esteem of the holiness and wisdom of the law of God, and the advantages He aims at for our good in the enjoining of it (1 John 5:3). 4. Love of sin. The more we love that which hath an essential enmity against God, the more we must hate that which is most contrary to it. Light must be odious when darkness is lovely. The remedy, then, is to endeavour for as great a hatred of sin as thou hast of God; to look upon sin as the greatest evil in itself, the greatest disadvantage to thy happiness. 5. Injury we do to God. Whereas the person injured might rather hate, yet the person injuring hath often the greatest disaffection. Joseph's mistress first wronged him, and then hated him. Saul first injured David, and then persecuted him. The remedy, then, is to endeavour a conformity to God's holy will; to think with thyself every morning, What shall I do this day to please God? 6. Slavish fear of God. Men are apt to fear a just recompense for an injury done to another; and fear is the mother of hatred. A fear of God as an inexorable judge that we have highly wronged will nourish an enmity against Him. Then, be much in communion with God; strangeness is the mother of fear; we dread men sometimes, because we know not their disposition. Consider much the loveliness and amiableness of His nature, His ardent desire that thou wouldst be His friend more than His enemy. 7. Pride. Men lift up the pride of reason against the truth of God, and the pride of heart against the will of God. Then endeavour after humility. 8. Love of the world (1 John 2:15; James 4:4). Despise the world, and the devil hath scarce any bait and argument left to move thee to an enmity against God. III. THE IMPROVEMENT. 1. The information to be derived from the subject. (1) How desperate is the atheism in every man's heart by nature! The desperateness of this natural enmity will appear — (a) In that it is as bad, and in some respects worse, than atheism. An atheist does not so much affront God as a man who walks as if there were no God. The atheist barely denies God's being, the other mocks Him (Jeremiah 32:38). (b) In that it is of the same nature with the devil's enmity. Natural men have a diabolical nature (John 8:44; Matthew 16:33), and every natural man is a friend to the devil. There are but two sovereigns in the world, one rightful, and the other usurping. If we are enemies to the right sovereign, we must be friends to the usurper (2 Corinthians 4:4). (2) What an admirable prospect may we take here of God's patience! (Romans 3:4). (3) Hence follows the necessity of regeneration. This division between God and His creature will not admit of any union without a change of nature. (4) Hence follows the necessity of applying to Christ. It is Christ only that satisfies God for us, by the shedding of His blood, and removes our enmity by the operation of His Spirit. 2. Exhortation. (1) To sinners. Lay down thy arms against God. Lament this enmity, and be humbled for it. (2) To regenerate persons. (a) Possess your hearts with great admirations of the grace of God towards you, in wounding this enmity in your hearts and changing your state (Romans 5:10, 11). (b) Inflame your love to God by all the considerations you can possibly muster up. Outdo thy former disaffection by a greater ardency of love. (c) Watch against the daily exertings and exercises of this enmity. 3. Motives. (1) Consider the disingenuity of this enmity. (a) God hath been good to us. He is love, and we are out of love with love itself (1 John 4:8). (b) God hath been importunate in entreaties of us. (2) This enmity is the greatest folly, because God — (a) Is the most lovely object. (b) Is the chiefest good, and the fountain of all goodness. (c) Cannot possibly do us wrong. (d) Cannot be hurt by us. It is a folly among men to show their enmity where they cannot hurt. (e) But though thou canst not hurt God, yet thou dost mightily wrong thyself. Thy shot will fall before it reach Him, but His arrows will both reach thy heart and stick in it. (3) Consider the misery of such a state. (a) Thou canst not possibly escape vengeance. (b) Thou dost even force God to destroy thee. (S. Charnock, B. 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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