Your order does not follow scripture.
You are constructing something that will never happen.Rom8:7
The order there is Jesus's words, why do you say it is not scripture, or will never happen? Look closely at it:
John 14:21-24 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
There is a distinct order:
- God issues His command (the command of faith, among others)
- We keep his command (the command to have faith and move away from our sins - repentance)
- Because we keep His command (we have faith and a desire for repentance)
- He reveals Himself to us (He comes and makes His home with us, gives us the Holy Spirit)
You quote:
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
This does not mean a person can not respond to faith and repentance. It means that our natural desires control us without the Holy Spirit, and that is why we are encouraged to pray.
As Jesus said:
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Let's look at the following scripture:
Job 36:9-12 Then He tells them their work and their transgressions—That they have acted defiantly. He also opens their ear to instruction, And commands that they turn from iniquity. If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasure. But if they do not obey, They shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge.
There is a choice here. God shows their sin. Commands them to return, but then there is a choice made by man that determines their destiny.
Even Cain was given a choice:
Gen 4:6-7 So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
God is not a liar, Cain could have been saved.
Seeing we are in the OT at the moment consider:
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
How were the OT saints saved? If they could not be subject to the law of God, without God's Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit was not given to them. It is clear to me there is a measure of obedience that we are capable of as humans. Measure enough for John 14:21 to say:
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.