Quote:
Originally Posted by holyfool33  Quote:
Originally Posted by North Jersey Baptist Aaron, oh my. Could you think of a more difficult question to ask? 
Some late night thoughts... Quote: |
Romans 6:6-7 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.
| it is the freedom and empowerment to walk according to the Spirit and to resist the temptations of the flesh. | Thanks but how does one walk in the spirit? and reckon one's self dead to sin? |
For starters, Rob referenced John Owen's work on the mortification of sin. For me to claim more insight than Owen would be presumptuous. If you click on the link that Rob provided you can read Owen's work online.
Beyond Owen, let me share a few thoughts...
Quote:
|
Romans 8:5 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
|
Quote:
|
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
|
Last week I taught on the subject of using our minds as an active part of faith. Plato stated, and I quite agree, that knowledge is acquired when there is a congruence between truth and belief. For our definitions "truth" is the only undeniable source of truth, God's word. "Belief" is faith. When God's word is received by faith there is knowledge. Faith is not meant to be static. We are not called to believe the gospel message and then sit on a mountaintop waiting for the Lord to come and take us home.
For we walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). So in a real sense knowledge is receiving the truth cognitively and receiving it by a faith that believes
and acts.
Now, back to the mind. How do you change the mind in order to learn a new skill? A new language? Do you not use repetition? Do you not expose yourself to the resources necessary to learn and become proficient? Well we have access to those resources. We have the scriptures, the preaching of the word, the sacraments and the fellowship of the saints. Too often Christians have asked, "How can
I conqueror sin in my life?" They then go off and try that very thing; to overcome sin by themselves. Impossible. We are all part of the body of Christ. To be sure, there is an individual component to sanctification. But we exist within the body. We need the strength of the body. This starts by submitting yourself to pastoral care. Listen actively to the word preached on the Lord's Day. Soak it in. Study it. Pour over it with all your heart. Prepare your heart duly for the Lord's Supper. Allow yourself time for self-examination and to confess your sins to God. Become intimate with members of the body; your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I am not talking about a facile approach that contains little depth.
Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2). Become
that intimate with your brothers and sisters. As you begin to train your mind individually through prayers, study and application, you are also exposing yourself to the graces of the church. I think the church plays and indispensable role in equipping the saints for spiritual battle; including the mortification of the flesh.
