Mortifying Your Flesh

Mortifying Your Flesh

Session 5Session 5

Knowledge ObjectivesKnowledge Objectives Explain the meaning of the three Explain the meaning of the three

steps of mortification in Romans 6—steps of mortification in Romans 6—know, reckon, and yield—and how know, reckon, and yield—and how our identification with Christ at our identification with Christ at salvation makes these steps all salvation makes these steps all possible.possible.

Recognize the importance of Recognize the importance of refusing to obey or to feed the refusing to obey or to feed the flesh.flesh.

Understand why God-dependent Understand why God-dependent self-denial is crucial to flesh-free self-denial is crucial to flesh-free living.living.

Application ObjectivesApplication Objectives Respond by using the teachings Respond by using the teachings

of Romans 6 in your daily fight of Romans 6 in your daily fight against the power of your fleshly against the power of your fleshly nature.nature.

Respond by examining your life Respond by examining your life for areas where you are feeding for areas where you are feeding the flesh.the flesh.

Respond by appreciating the Respond by appreciating the importance of self-denial instead importance of self-denial instead of despising or resisting it.of despising or resisting it.

Mortifying Your Flesh

Mortifying Your Flesh

Session 5Session 5

Mortifying a Mortifying a MotorcycleMotorcycle

Romans 8:13Romans 8:13

“ “For if ye live after the flesh, For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do the Spirit do mortifymortify the the deeds of the body, ye shall deeds of the body, ye shall live.”live.”

Colossians 3:1-5Colossians 3:1-5

“ “If ye then be risen with Christ, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not affection on things above, not on things on the earth. on things on the earth. For ye For ye are deadare dead, and your life is hid , and your life is hid with Christ in God. . . . with Christ in God. . . . MortifyMortify therefore your members which therefore your members which are upon the earth.”are upon the earth.”

John Owen on John Owen on “What Is “What Is Mortification?”Mortification?”

“ “Every lust is a depraved habit Every lust is a depraved habit or disposition that continually or disposition that continually inclines the heart toward inclines the heart toward evil.”evil.”

“ “The primary task of The primary task of mortification is to weaken mortification is to weaken this habit of sin so that its this habit of sin so that its power to express itself—in power to express itself—in violence, frequency, tumult, violence, frequency, tumult, provocation, and unrest—is provocation, and unrest—is quelled.”quelled.”

We have been “made We have been “made freefree from sin.” from sin.” We no longer have to obey its pull. We no longer have to obey its pull.

We were baptized into Christ’s We were baptized into Christ’s deathdeath..

Before our identification with Christ, Before our identification with Christ, we were we were requiredrequired to serve the flesh. to serve the flesh. We now have a choice!We now have a choice!

““This is something you need to This is something you need to know!”know!”

We Have to We Have to KnowKnow Some Some ThingsThings

We Have to We Have to ReckonReckon Some ThingsSome Things We “reckon” things We “reckon” things

every day: a every day: a speed limitspeed limit sign.sign.

We may We may feelfeel as though as though we we havehave to give in, but to give in, but we need to we need to knowknow better. better.

Romans 6:9,11Romans 6:9,11 “ “KnowingKnowing that Christ being that Christ being

raised from the dead dieth no raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more more; death hath no more dominion over him. . . . dominion over him. . . . Likewise Likewise reckonreckon ye also ye also yourselves to be dead indeed yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:12,14Romans 6:12,14 “ “Let not sin therefore reign in Let not sin therefore reign in

your mortal body, that ye your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts should obey it in the lusts thereof. . . . For sin shall not thereof. . . . For sin shall not have dominion over you: for have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but ye are not under the law, but under grace.”under grace.”

We Have to We Have to YieldYield Some ThingsSome Things Romans 6:13, 16, 19Romans 6:13, 16, 19

Romans 6:13Romans 6:13

“ “Neither Neither yieldyield ye your members ye your members as instruments of as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but unrighteousness unto sin: but yieldyield yourselves unto God, yourselves unto God, as as those that are alive from the those that are alive from the deaddead, and your members as , and your members as instruments of righteousness instruments of righteousness unto God.”unto God.”

Romans 6:16Romans 6:16 “ “Know ye not, that to whom ye Know ye not, that to whom ye

yieldyield yourselves servants to yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”unto righteousness?”

Romans 6:19Romans 6:19

“ “As ye have As ye have yieldedyielded your your members servants to members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now unto iniquity; even so now yieldyield your members servants your members servants to righteousness unto to righteousness unto holiness.”holiness.”

We Have toWe Have toYieldYield Some Some ThingsThings

Don’t Don’t obeyobey the flesh! We are the flesh! We are not not defeateddefeated but but disobedient.disobedient.

The Christian life is not The Christian life is not easyeasy, , but it is notbut it is not complicated complicated..

The fleshThe flesh can can be denied, and it be denied, and it mustmust be denied. be denied.

We are foolish toWe are foolish to feed feed the the flesh.flesh.

I Peter 2:11I Peter 2:11

“ “Abstain from fleshly Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against lusts, which war against the soul.”the soul.”

Galatians 6:7-8Galatians 6:7-8 “ “Be not deceived [Be not deceived [i.e.,i.e., Don’t kid Don’t kid

yourself!yourself!]; God is not mocked: for ]; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption [flesh reap corruption [i.e., ruin, i.e., ruin, destruction, dissolutiondestruction, dissolution]; but he ]; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

The Seat Belt of The Seat Belt of Self-DenialSelf-Denial Since the flesh is always Since the flesh is always

with us, with us, self-denialself-denial is is always needed because always needed because the the dangerdanger is always is always present.present.

Back to MortifyingBack to Mortifying Cut the fuel to the “flesh” Cut the fuel to the “flesh”

engine. Don’t feed it!engine. Don’t feed it! Disengage the clutch—the Disengage the clutch—the

“flesh” engine doesn’t “flesh” engine doesn’t have to drive the wheel.have to drive the wheel.

Apply the brakes. Say no Apply the brakes. Say no to the flesh.to the flesh.

Stop the motorcycle! Stop the motorcycle!

Take Time to ReflectTake Time to Reflect

Is your entertainment Is your entertainment flesh-free?flesh-free?

Is your pursuit of Is your pursuit of possessions flesh-free?possessions flesh-free?

Are your friendships Are your friendships flesh-free?flesh-free?