No, Christian morality cannot be successfully legislated on the world, because the carnal, unsaved mind is enmity against God and cannot be subject to His law.
Romans 8:7 says the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, "neither indeed can be." Les Feldick repeatedly draws the conclusion that God does not expect the unsaved person to live righteously, and no law can force the natural man to obey what his fallen nature rejects.
Romans 8:7 — This verse directly answers the question: the unsaved carnal mind is God's enemy and cannot be subject to His law, making moral legislation impossible.
Romans 8:8 — This verse shows the consequence of the carnal mind—those who are in the flesh cannot please God, so external rules cannot make them righteous.
Romans 8:7 describes the unsaved condition: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." The natural mind is not just unwilling to obey God's law; it is unable to do so. Romans 8:8 draws out the result: "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." In Romans 6:20, the same truth appears in relation to salvation: "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness." The unsaved person is a servant of sin, and therefore remains free from the righteous demands of God's law.
Les Feldick states plainly and repeatedly: "You cannot legislate Christian morality." He grounds this in Romans 8:7, where the carnal mind—the unsaved, unregenerate mind—is described as being at enmity with God and not subject to His law. Since God does not expect the unsaved person to live righteously, human laws cannot make the natural man obey God's standards. Les illustrates this with the failure of the drug war and Prohibition. Laws cannot stop drugs while people still want them, and Prohibition did not stop alcohol because people still desired it. More fundamentally, the unsaved person is an enemy of God and cannot be forced to live a Christian life. Les says the believer's only recourse is to pray for the unsaved—not to coerce them through legislation.
Les defines the carnal mind as the unsaved, unregenerate person. He notes that "enmity" means the same as "enemy"—the carnal mind is an enemy of God. These are strong words, as Les says, because the mind is not subject to God's law and cannot be. Even outwardly respectable people who were good citizens were still enemies of God before they were saved.
Les points to the drug war and Prohibition as proof that laws cannot change human nature. Legislating against alcohol did not stop it, because people still wanted it; as long as they want something, someone will produce it. The same is true with drugs—laws cannot stop them as long as people want to use them. Because the carnal mind is not subject to God's law, legislation cannot change the desires of the flesh.
Les says we cannot force the unbelieving world to live a Christian life; they will go their own way and do their own thing. The believer's response is to pray for them. He also notes that while God will hear an unbeliever's prayer for salvation, He will not hear an unbeliever's prayer simply to get out of a tight spot, because they are His enemies.
God Does Not Expect the Unsaved to Live Righteously
Les says you cannot legislate Christian morals and principles. As long as people were servants of old Adam, they were free from righteousness and God does not expect them to keep His law.
Moral Laws Cannot Stop the Sinful Desires
Les points to murder, teenage pregnancies, and the drug war as proof that legislation cannot change behavior because people still want the wrong things.
Unbelievers Are Enemies of God
The carnal mind is enmity against God, so you cannot force the unbelieving world to live a Christian life. The only answer is to pray for them.
The Carnal Mind Is an Enemy of God
Les equates 'enmity' with being an enemy of God, explaining that the unsaved mind is neither subject to God's law nor able to be.
Respectable People Are Still Enemies
Even those who were good citizens and respected in the community were enemies of God before salvation; their natural, carnal mind could not be subject to God's law.
God Does Not Expect the Unbeliever to Keep His Law
Les marvels that society holds together at all because the unsaved Adamic mind is not subject to God's law, and God does not expect the unbeliever to be a good person.
Prohibition Shows Law Cannot Stop Human Want
Prohibition failed because people still wanted alcohol. Human nature rejects God's clear laws, and those in the flesh cannot please God.
Strong Language Against the Carnal Mind
Paul's statement that the carnal mind is enmity against God and cannot be subject to His law is strong language that reveals the unsaved mind is no friend of God.
Romans 8:7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
This is the key verse Les uses to show why Christian morality cannot be legislated—the unsaved mind is both opposed to God and unable to obey His law.
Romans 8:8: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
This verse reveals the result of the carnal mind: unsaved people in the flesh are not capable of pleasing God through law-keeping.
Romans 6:20: For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Les references this truth when explaining that God does not expect the unsaved servant of old Adam to live in righteousness.
Laws cannot stop people from sinning because unsaved people are not subject to God's law and cannot be (Romans 8:7). Les points to the drug war and Prohibition as examples: as long as people still want to do the wrong thing, they will find a way to do it.
No. Les teaches that God does not expect the unsaved person to live righteously or to keep His law. While they are servants of old Adam, they are free from righteousness.
Yes. Romans 8:7 says the carnal mind is enmity against God. Les adds that even respectable, good-citizen people were enemies of God before their salvation.
Watch the Teaching: The Wages of Sin vs. the Gift of God — Romans 6:23 Explained