Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Methods of Mortifying Pt.2

Hallelujah! That will make you go cross-eyed, trying to find all those slots up there. Let's turn to the book of Romans and continue along with our study we started the other evening about mortifying the deeds of the body and how important it is in the hour we're living in to get this applied practically on a daily basis, because this is probably one of the greatest ages of warfare that the church has ever known as iniquity's abounding, the love of many are waxing cold. We're living in a day when not only is sin being tolerated, but boasted in, and there's no blushing within many of the churches. We've talked about the fact that we're kidding ourselves if we think we can live in this Sodom and Gomorrah environment of this Greater Washington area and not be vexed in our own lives. So daily we're contending with having to have our feet washed and cleansed with the washing of the water of the word, the necessity of finding time to come apart and be quiet and hear what the Spirit of God is saying to us. The recognition of all that is taking place in our lives and knowing we have to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. That we're in the world, but we're not of it. It's that daily walk, that warfare that we're contending with principalities and powers consistently. Then the ever awareness of the sin that's in all of our members and the battle that we have to deal with there. So we've seen then that the greatest problem we have really is indwelling sin. The depravity of man, the consequences of original sin, doesn't leave at regeneration; it doesn't leave at the process of sanctification. But it is in fact subdued and brought into control by the Spirit of God that lives in us.

So we want to talk practically, how can we see that daily sanctification expressing itself in our lives through the daily mortification of our own members? Our biggest enemy is not the one without, but the one within. It's not the devil; it's the sin that's in our members that constantly tells us we are the exception to all of the different mandates that have been given. Yours is special; your dilemma is special. You've got problems that nobody else has; you are having to face trials that nobody else has. The rejection you've experienced, no one else has ever gone through; the sickness that you're involved in, no one else has ever gone through; the circumstances of bad... it seems like everything that can go wrong, goes wrong in your life, and no one else has those kind of experiences. All of that of course is a lie of the devil, it's being occupied, or overly occupied with self, and that's where we left off on Wednesday. We were talking about the fact that if we're going to walk free from the seduction of self-indulgence, which is all that walking in the flesh is, if we're going to truly know what it means to be free from the power of sin, then we're going to have to walk in the spirit. The Bible doesn't say, "don't fulfill the lust of the flesh, and then you'll be spiritual, and you'll be able to pray more, and you'll be able to study more, and you'll be able to get more biblical illumination...." The Scripture says, "...Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). Now the natural man, deceived as he is, the very sin that's in your members that you're warring, is what's going to tell you, "you have to make yourself a little bit better, you have to try harder, and then you'll be able to walk in the Spirit." It's a lie, and you'll realize as we go on in the study, you'll come to realize that the harder you're working in the natural, the more you're in the flesh, the greater dominion the flesh has over you. Now, don't misunderstand, and we'll clarify this as we go on in the teaching; we're not saying that you don't have to do something. There are many things that you are going to have to be involved in. You will have to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. So that you'd be not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of your minds." (Romans 12:1,2) You are going to have to "yield your members as instruments to righteousness" (Romans 6:13). You are going to have to "flee youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:22). You are going to have to bring this flesh under; and so you're going to have to be involved. What we're talking about is it's not done in your own strength, and it's not done for the purpose of meriting God's righteousness, or His acceptance, or His love, but in fact it's the consequence of obedience in this mortification process; because to he that has, shall more be given. The more you obey, the stronger you're going to become in the habitual pattern of obedience. The thing you're going to see as we go on into the study this morning is this: what we're really talking about is establishing and recognizing habitual patterns in our lives. And understanding the power of habitual actions, the power of establishing constant obedience as opposed to a lifestyle of self-indulgence and disobedience.

So turn to Romans chapter 8, let's go ahead and turn there and see what the Lord has for us. Chapter 6, 7, and 8, the great passages that the Apostle wrote concerning redemption, justification, and sanctification. We see that sanctification is a process, it's not a once-for-all, second work of grace that many have propagated over the years. We see these words that the Holy Spirit gives the Apostle, " There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus...." We begin to see right here whether or not we're walking in the Spirit: If you're walking under condemnation, then you're not walking in the Spirit. If you're feeling condemned, if you're feeling that God's judgment and His wrath is upon you, then you're not walking in the Spirit. If you're feeling condemned and that somehow I've got to begin to up my performance so that God will accept me, beloved, you are walking in the flesh, and you don't understand the acceptance that we have in the beloved; and you need to get over into the spirit where you can freely be received by the grace of God and the love of God and be pronounced righteous with Jesus' righteousness, so that it doesn't become an acceptance issue, it becomes a worship issue. Not acceptance. I don't have to do this particular thing to be accepted of my Father, I worship Him in my obedience in acknowledging His greatness. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life [spiritual living] in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" (Romans 8:1-3) Praise God! So we realize that it's all about Jesus' sacrifice in the fact that He came and what we couldn't do because of the weakness of our flesh, Jesus was successful in destroying sin through His obedience, destroyed death through His death, was raised by the glory and power of God, has pronounced us righteous with His righteousness, and we're accepted this morning in the beloved, can you say praise God for that?

So now here we are proclaimed free from the judgment of God, why are you then under condemnation? Because you still think you're having to do something in your own flesh, you're still thinking that somehow you can merit God's love. There's no good in you, your righteousness is as filthy rags the Scripture says (Isaiah 64:6). And so as we begin to read the 8th chapter of Romans and we understand the benefits of justification, or having been pronounced right with God; the benefits of redemption, having been bought back with the blood of Jesus Christ, purchased by God's love from the power of Satan, ransomed from principalities and powers and their dominion in our lives. We become, as you go on in this 8th chapter, to understand that we are now heirs and joint-heirs with Christ Jesus. But how does it benefit us in a practical daily walk? The Apostle goes on here and says in verse 5, that they that are after the flesh, the righteousness of the law is being fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The righteousness of the law is being fulfilled in us, verse 4 says. There is that without the law righteousness that this epistle tells us about, all that means is that we're righteous not by our keeping the law, but by Jesus having kept it and imputed it and put it to our account. Now as long as we're in the flesh, we're going to try to keep this law; when we're in the Spirit, we're going to realize it's being kept through us by the Greater One that indwells us. And it's a matter of recognizing the working of the Spirit.

Now, how do I know where I am in this process of sanctification? The Scripture says here in the next verse, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;" (verse 5) in other words, that word "do mind," it means that all of their attention is set upon these things. Now I want to make a distinction this morning, and it's important for us, because we're going to talk about both sides of it. We're going to talk about fleshly behavior, and sin, and those things; but before we get over to that practical understanding, I want you to see one more aspect of the flesh. "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh;" in other words, the flesh is seeking for its own righteousness, something to boast in of self. They that are after the flesh are self-righteous. They that are after the flesh are legalistic. They can't find any place for walking in the Spirit, it has to be law, it has to be letter. A person who is carnally minded is one who wants to hold themselves and everyone around them under the law. Paul says the law is good if you use it lawfully. The lawful application of the law is to realize it's been fulfilled in Jesus, and that there's no righteousness in our keeping the law. There's only righteousness in us having recognized that Jesus fulfilled the law and are keeping it as a consequence of His obedience, and not an accomplishment of our own ability. And that's the walk in the Spirit, and that's what makes the difference between boasting in our own righteousness and our own abilities and trusting in our own strength and thinking somehow we're going to be able in the natural or in the flesh, glorify God. Everything that's done that is right that isn't the by-product of Jesus' righteousness, is rejected of God, it's an abomination in His sight. So then the whole bottom-line of this thing is we're trying to find out how can I in my life most glorify God? How can I express that it's no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me? (Galatians 2:20)

So as we're looking at the Scriptures here and he's speaking to us, he says, look, if you're minding, if you're set upon the things that are of the flesh, then it's obvious that you're not relying on the Spirit, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." I don't have enough time to develop all of this this morning, but I just want you to see: they that are in the flesh in self-righteousness, and they that are in the flesh in living a lascivious life, neither one of those can please God. This guy is abstaining from everything that this guy is doing, and they are both unrighteous, they are both carnally minded, and they are both dead. This guy doesn't smoke, doesn't cuss, doesn't commit fornication, he fasts, he prays, he tithes of all that he has, and inwardly he's full of dead men's bones, it's an outward righteousness, and not an inward recognizing of the sinfulness that's within us; it's the satisfaction with expressing righteousness, having a perceived righteousness, it's an individual who is very satisfied to compare himself among his contemporaries and say, "I'm more righteous than the rest of them." There's even a competition to be seen as more righteous than others, there's a desire to appear more righteous so we can manipulate and control the lives of those that are around us by our perceived righteousness. But the question we want to ask this morning is, "how holy are you on the inside? What are the real thoughts and intentions of your heart? How pure are the motives behind everything you do? What is it really that we are seeking in life? Self-satisfaction, the gratification, the ease, the comfort? And we begin to look into the Scriptures and find that sanctification is a far, far greater subject than outward appearance. Sanctification is a lot bigger subject than actions, it deals with the heart, and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." If Christ is in you, you're no longer trusting in your own righteousness; if Christ is in you, you're no longer living a lascivious lifestyle that's out of control; if Christ is in you, what we're going to see this morning is that the fruit of the Spirit is what's evidenced in your life, it's what's predominant in your life, it's what's habitually being expressed in your life. The fruit of the Spirit, not the checklist of the Pharisees. The fruit of the Spirit that is the evidence of no longer I, but Christ.

And so when Paul's speaking here and making reference to the needing to be mortified constantly as it pertains to the members, he takes a lot of time to tell us, I don't want it done in the flesh, you can't do it in the flesh, we're not talking about legalism, we're talking about liberty in the Spirit. Now when I say liberty in the Spirit, some of you think how much you can get away with in the flesh; that's not what I'm talking about; I'm talking about a liberty in the Spirit that says you're no longer under the dictate of the flesh. Sin, Romans 6, no longer has dominion over me, praise God! I'm no longer a debtor to sin, I don't have to obey it when it raises it's head within me and says, here's what I want to do, I want you to satisfy me in this particular way. And when it's time to pray and the body wants to sleep, can I ask you a question, what do you do, watch and pray, or sleep with the other disciples? When it's time to fast and to commune with Him, and to pray all night, are you capable now to life in the Spirit to where all that the flesh demands is brought into subjection and subordinated because I'm no longer a debtor to the flesh to live after the flesh, Romans tells us? What is our life as a life pattern, what habitually happens in these scenarios? There are practical ways to do it, I told you how I used to... one of the tricks I used to use when I'd be studying late into the night and reading and studying whether it was my Bible or whatever it was. I'd realized I was getting tired; I'm one of those guys that studies a lot of different ways. I'll lay on the floor with my feet up on my couch and read, I'm not a person who sits at the desk, you may find me leaning over the arm of the sofa and the book's on the ground, I'm reading that. I'll sit at my desk sometimes; I can't just sit at the desk. It doesn't work. So in the process of trying to make sure this flesh doesn't win out, I'd be getting into the early morning hours and you're getting tired, your flesh is getting tired, what I'd do is whatever I was reading if it was my Bible or if you're reading a Strong's Concordance or whatever it is and I'd just hold it up here and I'd be reading, and I'd doze off, my flesh would doze off and I'd drop the book right in my face, POW! And I'd come back to life. You make no provision for the flesh! What do you habitually do? Do you make provision for the flesh, or do you make things tough on the flesh? Do you cater to it? You see it needs to become a mindset of war, and that whatever the flesh wants it's not getting, and this is part of that discipline that Paul is speaking of in our lives.

Now everyone in this room has the same primary dominant force that we're warring against. Pride expressing itself in selfishness, and every person in here, that's the number one culprit you're dealing with. Now I can go across, we can talk about personalities, we can talk about the way it expresses itself, we can talk about many different things, but the Scripture makes it very clear that that is the root problem of every human being, and it came from the original sin and Lucifer's "I" problem: I will ascend above the throne of the Most High (Isaiah 14:14), I will and all of the "I" declarations. And he turned it on Adam and Eve and said, "you're the focal point, and your eyes will be open, and you'll become as gods." And they saw the fruit and they saw that it was good to make one wise (Genesis 3:6). We're all selfish, some of us disguise it better than others, some of our selfishness is covered in the guise of serving, our selfishness and our self-worth and our desire to appear better than others is covered in our apparent attitude of serving and humbling ourselves; if it's not being done in the Spirit, if it's in the flesh, it's enmity with God and it's source is pride, and selfishness, and self-indulgence.

Now once we realize what we're really all about, and we're not ignorant of his devices, it makes it a little easier to contend with these powers, it makes you a little suspect of self, makes you a little less likely to say, "Lord, though all the rest of them forsake You, don't worry about me, I've got this thing covered, man." And you find yourself identifying with Peter in those latter passages of John to where you say, "Lord, Thou knowest." "Do you love me Peter, more than these?" And it grieved him that He asked him a third time, and he said, "Lord, Thou knowest, I don't know, You tell me." The heart is deceitful; it's desperately wicked, who can know it? You see until you come to that understanding, you'll never mortify the flesh, you're going to always give it some slack; you're going to think, "you know I'm not really doing that bad, and compared to everybody else, I'm actually doing pretty good." It lies there waiting for the opportunity to slay you in a moment. It will lie dormant for a lifetime to slay you in the last hour of your life if we don't diligently prepare our hearts and understand that they are trying to steal our crown. Once we understand that, we might get a little more diligent in applying some of these principles we're talking about.

"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin;" dominated by sin's power, the body will always want to do unrighteousness, the body is dead, it's under judgment, it will never be good, it has to die, it has to be put off, it's dead because of sin, the body cannot be made better, it has to be brought under! You're no better than you were the day before you got saved in your flesh. Your flesh still has all the appetites that it did before you were regenerated. You say, "well really it doesn't, I don't have a desire to smoke anymore, I don't have a desire to drink anymore, I don't have a desire for the drugs, I don't have a desire for...." It's still in there, the reason you don't have the desire for that is because of the grace of God enabling you now to suppress that, to control that because of your pursuit and love of God. How many of you found that those things that were dormant in your life for years of walking in the Spirit and your sanctified living, that the moment you began to slack up and you began to backslide a little bit, they began to manifest again. Where did that come from? I thought that was dead! Dormant, but not destroyed, not annihilated.

We realize that this walk in the Spirit, or the mortification of the flesh is in direct correlation to our obedience of the Spirit wanting to conform us to the image of Christ. Verse 10, "And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit [verse 11] of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." What does "make alive" mean? That's not just talking about the latter day resurrection, this body that was dead, the spirit now can bring to life and cause these members to now be yielded to righteousness Romans 6 tells us. There can be life that comes out of the death that's in our flesh when there is a mortifying of the flesh when there is a walking in the Spirit. Now, how does that happen? I'm taking a little longer than I wanted on this; I wanted to get to the practical parts of this. He goes on and tells us that we, verse 12, are no longer debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh. For if you are dominated by the flesh, if you live a habitual life pattern of fleshly behavior... Let me make the distinction again, fleshly or carnal being trust in works, legalism, self-righteousness, Pharisaical mentality as it pertains to morals, the different ethics of our generation, you see a lot of people are satisfied with that. The majority of Christendom today as it pertains to life in the world, is satisfied with morality, and God demands holiness, and there's a big difference between morality and holiness. Holiness means being set apart solely for God, it's all for the glory of God, it has nothing to do with the creature's benefits but the Creator's majesty and glory. Where are we today in our walk and why are we doing what we are doing? Are we living a lifestyle because it makes me feel better about myself, it's safer or whatever else, or are we seeking to glorify God in what we do in word and deed? So it's very important to understand what we're being called to in this walk in the Spirit. So you're not debtors to the flesh any longer, for if you live a habitual life pattern after the flesh, you're going to die. Now it's also talking about the works of the flesh of Galatians and the lascivious lifestyle and a life that's centered around self, he says you're a dead man, there's no life in you. If self dominates the life of Christ, the Spirit of God is not dwelling in you. If you have little spurts of morality, little spurts of serving others, it's not the Spirit, it's the flesh; even those attempts to keep the law are an abomination in God's eyes. He's nauseated by the offering of bulls and goats and all of the sacrifices and the feeble attempts to keep His law, He wants, once and for all, to dominate the throne of your life.

So as we're looking at Romans 8, that's what we're talking about. We're talking about the emptying of self, and we are able to discern where we are in this by what our mind is intent upon, what we trust in, what we're occupied by, what it is that's a treasure to us. Does it satisfy you? Those of us that are in the Spirit, there is nothing in the flesh that can satisfy you, if you are in the Spirit, it's all compared with the glory of God. When God calls us to walk away from certain things in the flesh that the natural mind says, "how in the world could you do that?" You think, "What do you mean? There's no comparison, there's no worth there to me. That's not that important. How could I leave that job? It's not that important. How was I able to leave my natural family? That's not valuable to me anymore." When you look back and all of those natural things, what I mean is I'm talking about in comparison to the glory of God. When God called us years ago and we had to make the decision between the natural family and the glory of God, the mandate was given us, "you choose this Jesus, or you choose the family." I thought, "You mean choose the Prince of Glory, the Holy One, the Majestic One, the Lover of my Soul for all you skuzzballs? You kiddin'?" You've got a different value system; it's not valuable anymore! The things that were treasures to me they are now dung! That's the indicator of the life in us.

Some of you young people have been struggling recently with some decisions, and beloved if anything out there has an allurement to you and it begins to become so valuable to you that you've lost sight of the pearl of great price, you're dying, there's no life in you. I want to tell you something, there is no job, there is no achievement in life, there is no life partner that can satisfy you if you are in the Spirit. They can all be things that contribute, things that you're thankful for, but a man that's alive in Jesus Christ is only satisfied in His presence, and only satisfied by His words, "well done good and faithful servant." And of the things that you do happen to accomplish as you're walking and you achieve different goals and you look at them and you get whatever the benefits are, you get the car, the clothes, the corner office, the whatever it is, man you can't wait to get in there, and you finally get into the corner office man, you kick your feet up on your new desk with your new Armani suit, and there's another goal to be achieved. It didn't satisfy me, maybe the penthouse. That will do it. And it's the lie of sin in your members and the greatest indicator of being in the flesh is discontentment, a lack of peace. The flesh is crying out for more and its lust is insatiable, and whatever it is that you achieved, you're just like a child at Christmas, you open it up and you look at it, and you throw it aside to open the next one. Have you ever done that study? We shared with you - study children, it's the exact... it's the life study of flesh. We do it in a little more sophisticated way, but we do the same thing when we're in the flesh. I have not one thing in the natural that satisfies me, and when you begin to understand that, then you can deal with, "so why try?" If it's impossible, how foolish is it to trade for what will never satisfy you for the pearl of great price?

Some of you kids, listen to me very clearly, you've become overly familiar with the good things of God and His presence in your life, and you're believing a lie, and I admonish you this morning to understand the death that's in your members and the lie of your own self-righteousness and to begin to fall upon the rock and be broken and hear what the Spirit has to say to His church in this hour. "But I'm afraid I've come to that place where I have no control!" I want to tell you something; sin has no dominion over you. You are never at a place when the Spirit of God still dwells within you, that you do not have control to say, "I choose to yield my members an instrument to righteousness. I will not bow my knee to flesh." I want to tell you something, I don't care how weak you are, I don't care how far you've strayed, the moment you purpose in your heart the grace of God is there sufficient to cause you to be victorious and the Spirit is there to undergird your choice with the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of His presence, and if God is for you nothing can be against you.

"For if ye live after the flesh [verse 13], ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Okay, here you are at that conflict in your life right now, how do I do this thing, this is what I am battling, how do I now make the choice, the flesh is drawing on me, it's crying out, it has in fact even seduced me, I recognize it's power, I've purposed to do right, and yet I just can't seem to continue in that way, what do I do? Very clear what you do, we talked about it a little bit Wednesday didn't we? If your eye offends you what? Pluck it out. If your hand offends you, cut it off. Flee youthful lusts; make no provision for the flesh. So now you willfully step back and say---not in the midst of the temptation, it's too late, right now, right now as you are drawing this morning on the corporate presence of the body of Christ, as we're here to worship, as we're recognizing God's presence, as you're drawing from the presence of God, as two or three have gathered together in His name, and Jesus is here and you're strong right now knowing the presence of God, it's now that you make the choice, not in the midst of the temptation. I recognize the sin that's in my members, I recognize what it's doing to me, and I choose right now this way of escape, the obedience to mortify the deeds of the body. And we said the way that it's done is not just abstinence, but it's that walking in the Spirit. It's a very interesting thing as you see this; it said that you mortify the deeds of the body which causes you to live; " For as many as are [verse 14, say it: for as many as are] led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

The key now to mortifying the flesh is being led by the Spirit. Okay, what do we mean, we pray and the Holy Spirit then is going to speak and we're going to hear either an audible voice or an inward intuitive knowing of the will of God? Not necessarily, hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit is hiding the word in our heart that we don't sin against Him, His word being a lamp unto my feet, being led of the Spirit is doing what you know to do. What illumination, what do you know from God's word about this subject that you're involved in? Are you aware of what God's will is, revealed will, the word of God, as it pertains to this particular subject? Then I choose now to do everything that must be done to make no more provision for the flesh in that area. If it means throwing out all of my clothes, these idols, these things that dominate me, if I have to give them all away, I'm going to keep two pair, one to wear, the other one being cleaned. I will apply the only biblical dress code known: modesty. And I will make no provision for the flesh. And I will not watch Home Shopping Network, I will throw out all of my catalogs, I'm going to give the keys of the car and all of my credit cards to my husband, and I'm going to tell all of my friends, "do not take me to the mall." What are you doing? How badly do you want to be free? To what degree do you want to glorify God in your obedience? How much longer are you going to lie to yourself and justify your actions and cover them? Well you know I made the determination not to go to the mall, but it's our deacon's birthday and I just really, I need to go to honor...." You're lying to yourself. Your deacon, the elders, your Pastor, would far rather have your obedience than your gift. That means you can't run to the movie theaters with them anymore doesn't it, if you're under bondage? "Yeah, but you know, I don't want to deprive them of my presence." They would far rather have your obedience and have you here praying at these altars. What are you doing to help your brothers and sisters be free? Where are we as it pertains to mortifying the deeds of the flesh? What does it mean to be led by the Spirit? It means to determine whether or not the fruit of the Spirit is what's habitually manifesting itself in our lives or not.

It's interesting, turn over to Galatians with me for just a moment and to Colossians. There are two interesting passages, Colossians 3 and of course the classic Galatians 5 passages. Galatians chapter 5, verse 16, "this I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." What you're not to be fulfilling, he gives first. Here's the works of the flesh, and he gives us the whole list, verse 19, and then he begins to speak concerning the fruit of the Spirit, he says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." If these are expressing themselves in your life, you're not under condemnation, the law of sin in your members is not dominating you, it's still there, but it's dormant because we are now expressing the fruit of the Spirit. Think on these things, Philippians tells us. We redirect our course by redirecting our minds, what we think on, what our goals are. You see this is the time to set new life goals, even the short-term goals that we deal with, recognizing what's going on in our lives. Look what he says in Colossians, turn over to the third chapter of Colossians, we'll look back at Galatians in just a second but this is an interesting comment, if you're alive in Christ, "If ye then be risen with Christ [verse 1], seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [You can't have your affections on the things of the earth for you're dead verse 3 says] ...and your life is hid with Christ in God. ... Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth." Now the word mortify is interesting, the word mortify literally means subdue, it speaks about depriving of opportunity; mortifying is the depriving of an opportunity, give no place to the devil, make no provision for the flesh. To mortify really talks about the breaking of its habitual authority. Mortifying: putting to death, putting under, putting out of operation, subduing.

So the Apostle in this third chapter of Colossians, he says, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:" And if these things are habitual in your life, don't you understand that the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience, he says, verse 6. It's going to bring judgment to you ultimately; the carnal mind is death! Your conscience begins to be seared, you no longer can hear the truth, your light is now darkness, you've justified all of your sin, you've justified your rebellion, you've justified your selfishness, the word doesn't prick your heart anymore, some even go so far as changing their doctrine to accommodate their disobedience. But the Apostle by the Spirit says in verse 8, I want to tell you something; you need to put all these things off. He gives us another list, anger, wrath---anger is different from wrath; wrath is calculated, it's a retaliation. Maliciousness, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth, don't lie to one another, don't live a life of hypocrisy, don't tell people that you're in just like they are, Ananias and Sapphira.

"Put on the new man [verse 10], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: [verse 12] Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you." We're going to end with this for this morning. Do you want to mortify the flesh? Start getting more concerned about other people's lives than your own. That's what Colossians is telling us here, forbear, forgive, be kind, humble yourself. Look for ways to subordinate. Create opportunities to put yourself under the watchful eye of others that are caring for your soul. The fact of the matter is you're out of control. The fact of the matter is you are unable to live a life of temperance and discipline. The fact of the matter is flesh is dominating you and you need someone to lift up the hands that are hanging down. That's what it means to pluck out your eye, to cut off your hand. So when we begin to see what walking in the Spirit really is that we don't fulfill the lust of the flesh; walking in the Spirit is the expression of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, and it's not something that we sit back and passively pray and say, "Lord, you know just express Your character through me." I choose now as the elect of God, holy, loved of God, to begin to humble myself, the humbleness of mind. You know what, I'm not as smart as I thought I was, I need some counsel, I need people to speak into my life. When we humble ourselves, then we're giving God the ability to be glorified in us, and in the process, to bring about His purposeful exaltation.

I want to encourage you especially in verse 13, the forbearing of one another, and the forgiving of one another. Much of unforgiveness and strife and all of these things that are going on in our lives that make us want to satisfy our worth through other pursuits of the flesh, you see most of us are pursuing the flesh because we're just not satisfied, we feel we haven't yet got our due, life hasn't treated us right, God hasn't treated us right, people haven't treated us right. Once we begin to be satisfied with the worth of the blood of Jesus who gave Himself for us, we take up the commission at hand to seek others' profit and not our own, you can begin to see this fruit of the Spirit. I'm able to forgive because I've been forgiven. I can forbear because God has been so merciful with me. So as we finish for this morning, and we talk about this practical part of mortifying the flesh, don't dwell on the absencing of yourself from the issue and think that's sufficient, because it will just be replaced with another lust, you'll just redirect. Why give up the lust of the flesh for the pride of life, what have you accomplished, except being proud that you gave up the lust of the flesh? What we're talking about is not replacing sin with another sin, not satisfied in just suppressing, putting off the old man is not sufficient; you must put on Christ. You will not have ever put off and not taken back up if you don't put on Christ. So once I make the choice, whatever it is, to put it off, fornication, uncleanness, covetousness which is idolatry, anger, wrath, whatever it is; when I choose to put that off I recognize it in my life and I choose to sever that and give no more place to it, I now saturate my life with the fruit of the Spirit that is in direct opposite of that that I am fleeing from; and I begin to see it working in my life and I now begin to be conformed to the image of Jesus in that area. I found out humility is better than pride. And I found out in reality that it is more blessed to give than to receive. I found out that if God's for me, nobody can be against me. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Father, we thank You for the word of God. We ask this morning that you would examine our hearts. Each one here knowing their own tendencies and the things that are besetting sin in our lives; each of us battling presumptuous sin, but Father, we look this morning and we don't evaluate ourselves by what we've abstained from, but what are we producing that lasts. What of the fruit of the Spirit is habitually manifesting in my life? If the fruit of the Spirit is not obvious, then the works of the flesh are dominating. I want to say that again, I didn't say that the lusts or the works of the flesh were even obvious; I said they are dominating. If the fruit of the spirit are not obvious, then the flesh is dominant. What have I done to sanctify myself and set myself apart in thanksgiving for Your great and unspeakable gift? What a debtor I am!

One of the young people spoke to Pastor Jeff and was speaking in their adolescent state, I don't say that to be mean, it's just a fact, the stage of adolescence carries with it trials in and of itself. The person was speaking a little bit you know from the perspective of some self-righteousness and what they've been out doing, and seeking, and praying, and whatever else it is that they've been involved in. And I say adolescence or immaturity for this very fact, the mature man says, "Yeah, I've done all those things, but I'm just an unprofitable servant. That's my duty, there's no merit in it. I don't get medals for it, it's not above and beyond, it's just normative Christianity." Why would you boast in that that is your responsibility? Help us Father, to walk in the Spirit, to seek those things that are above, to reestablish our treasures in heaven, and for that we'll give You the glory, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord this morning. Take a moment, as Janet plays for us and ask yourself that question this morning, let's hold up the measure, the standard and ask, which of those characteristics of Christlikeness, the fruit of the Spirit, are dominating in my life? What is the habitual expression of the residing Christ in me? And then what in my life is opposing any of those characteristics? And I choose now to abstain and to give no place to that so it may begin to come to fruition in my life. I will not be satisfied until I look like Jesus, and hearing well done satisfies me; the fruit of peace and joy satisfy me. Because it satisfies me, I'm content with my godliness; it's the greatest gain. Before the deeds can be mortified, they have to be recognized. If you're not seeing it, and someone you have had confidence in, and I say have had, because when you are in the midst of this blindness, and this deception, and the double-mindedness that makes you unstable in all of your ways, somehow your counselors seem to be stupider, they seem to be limited in their insight. I would encourage you this morning, if you don't see it, listen to what those that have counseled you and those that love you, and those that are over you in the Lord are saying to you. Because until you recognize it, you can't mortify it. When you suppress it, you can't mortify it. When you cover it with a covering that is not of God, it's death. But when you bring it to the light and you walk in the light as He is in the light, you have fellowship with Him, and His blood cleanses you from all sin (1 John 1:7). Let's hear what the Spirit says to His church this morning, He's here to set you free, the decision's made now, it's made in this environment, not in the heat of battle. You go to your counselors now, you go to your friends now, you say, "I've purposed in my heart to have this thing broken in my life, and I want your help, watch out for me, speak into my life, help me to give no place, to make no provision. Assist me in the pursuit of the things that are above, I need the lifting of my hands." Do you want to be free this morning? Do you want that flesh that's dominated you to bow this morning? Then His grace is here sufficient, because we are no longer debtors to the flesh, to obey it in the lust thereof. We choose now, Father, that freedom, in Jesus' name.

The Spirit of God is speaking to your heart, He's setting the course right now, He's telling you what you need to do right now, that's that voice that's in you. The next voice that rises up and tries to give reasons why it can't be done, why it should be done tomorrow, why it may be too radical, why maybe it's not.... That's your flesh; the voice you're hearing now is the Spirit of God. The voice that speaks of putting on Christ, and putting off the old man, that's the Spirit of God. Every other reason why you can't is a lie of the devil; it's a lie of the voice and the power of sin in your members. Today is the day of your salvation. I've set before you life and death; choose life in Jesus' name. Amen. Turn to somebody and say, "I choose life, praise God!" Go in peace, God's love go with you.

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