The sinful mind is __ to God (Romans 8:7).

The sinful mind is __ to God (Romans 8:7).

• A. hostile
• B. friendly
• C. neutral
• D. loving

Answer: (A)

The baptism of this statement is that the sinful mind is in active opposition to God. When Paul speaks of the mind being governed by the flesh, he’s describing a human condition shaped by sin, pursuing its own desires rather than God’s will. In that state, the mind cannot and does not submit to God's law, and it resists God’s authority. That combination—inability to submit and active opposition—is best captured by the word hostile. It communicates both resistance and enmity, which matches the biblical portrayal of the fallen human condition in Romans 8:7. This helps explain why the other ideas don’t fit: friendliness implies alignment or harmony with God; neutrality suggests indifference rather than active opposition; and loving would indicate positive affection toward God, which contradicts the described enmity of the flesh. Understanding this clarifies why transformation through the Spirit is essential, since only the Spirit can overcome that hostility and bring one into fellowship with God.

The baptism of this statement is that the sinful mind is in active opposition to God. When Paul speaks of the mind being governed by the flesh, he’s describing a human condition shaped by sin, pursuing its own desires rather than God’s will. In that state, the mind cannot and does not submit to God's law, and it resists God’s authority. That combination—inability to submit and active opposition—is best captured by the word hostile. It communicates both resistance and enmity, which matches the biblical portrayal of the fallen human condition in Romans 8:7.

This helps explain why the other ideas don’t fit: friendliness implies alignment or harmony with God; neutrality suggests indifference rather than active opposition; and loving would indicate positive affection toward God, which contradicts the described enmity of the flesh. Understanding this clarifies why transformation through the Spirit is essential, since only the Spirit can overcome that hostility and bring one into fellowship with God.