In Romans 8:7, Paul says, “Because the carnal mind (the natural mind) is enmity against God (is the enemy of God); for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” At the very core of who we are there is a hostility towards God. It is not something we necessarily feel or are aware of, as a Christian we deny having it because we love God. But read that verse again. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.: Think about that last phrase...”it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”
What was your reaction to the word law? Was it gratitude for not being under the old law? Was your thought that you are so glad that “law” was done away with and that you don't have to be concerned with obeying God? Think about what Paul just said. The natural mind is the enemy of God...
Remember in Genesis 2: 16-17, that Adam and Eve were given a multitude of trees to eat fruit from throughout the whole garden. But, they were instructed by God to not eat of one; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Along came the one who had been created by God to have perfect beauty and wisdom and yet had been cast out of heaven due to his rebellion against his Creator. He convinced Eve that God had been lying to her (chapter 3:4-5) and that she would surely not die but become as a god and so would anyone who ate of it. You know the story, she took it and realized it was yummy, and gave some to Adam too, who ate it willingly.
Wait, what just happened? They did not choose God's way, but the way of “I need to know.” Like their own science experiment. They decided they were as smart as God when it came to choosing what was good for them and their life. The knowledge they gained corrupted human nature and that is what we are. We are naturally enemies of God.
Jesus gave us a parable – not just a story – but a lesson that has to do with who we are at the core of our very nature. Luke 15. Yes, this is the story of a man's son who wanted his portion of the inheritance in advance. When he received it, he journeyed to a far country and wasted it all with out of control living. He just blew it all. When he realized he was living at the bottom of the barrel, he remembered the love of his father. He knew the person his father was, and that if he went to his father and confessed that he had sinned against both his father and heaven, and was no longer worthy to be called his son; asking to only be a humble servant of his father, that he just might find a way to survive. His father (representing God) saw him from a long way away. He saw that his son was returning to him and ran, not walked, to meet him. Embracing him and kissing him. The father's response was sheer joy that his son was back home! But, he could not ever have come back until he recognized his sin and need of his Father.
This is not about a belief that we are all okay in our own way, or even about knowing that Jesus loves me so when I sin, I just pray and go on. That is not true Christianity. The truth is that we live our lives in rebellion against God and pretend that we can still be okay with Him because He loves us! He does love us, but we have to go home to be okay! If the son had stayed with the pigs he would never have gone home. But he had to go back to his father, his creator, and repent to be healed. That is the story of Jesus Christ and why He came and the key to eternal life.