Romans 8:7

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

This is because the one whose mind is [controlled] by the flesh is an enemy of God; for he is not obedient to God’s law, and in fact, cannot obey it.

Cross References

Matthew 12:34

You children of snakes! Since you are evil, how do you expect to speak good things? For the mouth speaks what the heart is filled with.

Matthew 5:19

Therefore, whoever disregards one of these least [significant] requirements [of the Law of Moses] and teaches others to [disregard them], he will be considered the least [significant person] in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys them and teaches [others to obey] them, will be considered important in the kingdom of heaven.

John 7:7

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about its deeds, that they are evil.

Romans 1:28

And since these people refused to acknowledge God, He has allowed [or, abandoned] them to have degraded minds and to practice those things which they should not do.

Romans 1:30

slanderers, hateful toward God, arrogant, proud and boastful. They think up evil things to do; they disobey their parents;

Romans 3:31

Do we then [intend to] destroy law [observance] because faith [in Christ is now required]? Certainly not! But [instead], we uphold [the validity of] law.

Romans 5:10

And not only is this true, but we also rejoice in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have been restored to fellowship with God.

Romans 7:22

For in my heart I am delighted with God’s law,

Romans 8:4

so that the requirements of the law could be [considered] fulfilled in us, who do not live according to [the dictates of] the flesh, but according to [the promptings of] the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Now the natural person [Note: Since this person is contrasted with the spiritual person of verse 15, it is taken here to mean the person without the Holy Spirit] does not receive the things [i.e., truths] revealed by the Holy Spirit of God, because they are [considered] foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them because they must be discerned by using spiritual judgment [i.e., judgment aided by the Holy Spirit].

1 Corinthians 9:21

I [also] behaved like a person without [obligation to observe] the law [i.e., a Gentile] in front of those who are not obligated to it, although I was not [really] without obligation to God’s law; but was under [obligation to] Christ’s law. I did this to win those who are without [obligation to observe] the law [i.e., Gentiles].

Colossians 1:21

And though you were once estranged [from God] and were enemies [of His] in your mind because of your evil deeds,

Colossians 2:18

Do not allow anyone, who delights in acting humble [i.e., living an ascetic life] and who worships angels, to rob you of your reward [in heaven]. [Note: This “angel worship” could mean holding angels in high regard because of their role as God’s messengers, or the claim that God can be approached only through angelic intermediaries]. He places great importance on what he [claims to] see [i.e., visions], being inflated with pride by his fleshly mind for no [good] reason.

2 Timothy 3:4

treacherous [i.e., betrayers], reckless, conceited, [and] lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

Hebrews 8:10

For this is the Agreement that I will make with the people of Israel in the coming days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and I will also write them on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people.

James 4:4

You people who have become unfaithful to God, do you not know that being [intimate] friends with the world [of sin] means hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever determines to be an [intimate] friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

2 Peter 2:14

Their eyes are filled with sexual lust, and they are never satisfied when it comes to sinning. They entice unstable people and have hearts trained to be greedy [i.e., they continually desire the possessions of others]. [In this condition] they are under God’s curse.