The reason for this idolatrous preference is that we are morally blind to the glory of Christ, so that we cannot treasure his glory as superior to our own. We cannot prefer God as supremely valuable while preferring ourselves supremely.

It is because we prefer our own authority, and treasure our own value, above GodвЂ™s. This is not because we are kept from doing what we prefer to do. Glad submission to GodвЂ™s authority, and to GodвЂ™s superior value and beauty, is something we are not able to do. вЂњBelieving is not just affirming the truth of Jesus, but is also seeing the beauty and worth of Jesus.вЂќ This is what Paul means when he says, вЂњThe mind of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit. This means, Paul says, that in this condition we вЂњcannot please God,вЂќ or, to put it another way, вЂњwe are not able not to sin.вЂќ The basic reason is that the natural person prefers his own autonomy and his own glory above the sovereignty and glory of God. This is the nature of all human beings when we are born - what Paul calls the вЂњnatural person,вЂќ and what Jesus calls вЂњborn of the flesh.вЂќ Too Rebellious to Submit to God

Notice the word cannot twice in Romans 8:7вЂ“8, and the words вЂњis not ableвЂќ in 1 Corinthians 2:14. Or, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14, вЂњThe natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.вЂќ Why is man not able not to sin? Because on this side of the fall вЂњthat which is born of the flesh is fleshвЂќ (John 3:6), and вЂњthe mind of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to GodвЂ™s law indeed, it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please GodвЂќ (Romans 8:7вЂ“8, my translation). In the fall, human nature lost its freedom not to sin. For God had said, вЂњIn the day that you eat of it you shall surely dieвЂќ (Genesis 2:17).ДЄs soon as Adam fell into sin, human nature was profoundly altered. For God вЂњsaw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very goodвЂќ (Genesis 1:31). Before the fall of Adam, man was sinless and able not to sin.

God hand free