I hope you have been enjoying Pastor Ron’s CENTERED sermon series for the past few Sundays. I know I have been challenged by the truth he has been sharing from the book of Colossians.
There is one truth that I have been especially grappling with these past few days, and it’s from Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
In his discussion of this passage, he called this process mortification, which is defined as “practicing ascetic discipline or self-denial of the body and its appetites.” The word mortify has its roots from the Middle English word mortifien which means to deaden, subdue. So, if we are to take this word from its literal origins, it matches what Paul is saying we have to do to ourselves: put our desires to literal death; to kill them. The only thing that matters is what God’s desires are. We are to prioritize those desires above what we want for ourselves.
That is HARD to do, isn’t it? It’s sobering to realize that your inner self doesn’t automatically point to God, but rather to selfishness, evil, impurity and doing things that places ourselves first over others. It’s also hard to hand over the reigns of our life over to someone else. We love feeling in control; at least I know I do.
But as Pastor Ron succinctly put it: Scripture is clear: we are called to a life of self-denial. But such a call is not morbid or sad. It is the happiest choice the human person can make. You see, I actually think Jesus is competent, the most brilliant human person that has ever walked upon the earth. I think he is more competent in securing my happiness than I am…. In self-denial, I create the space to enter into the life he offers. A life so wonderful that Paul says when it is fully revealed it will be glorious!
This is a good truth. Like Paul says in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God is ALWAYS for us. He wants what is the best for us, ALWAYS. His plans are good and wonderful and perfect. If we are to truly accept this, then we must accept that our own plans apart from God are less than what God wants for us. We must accept that our earthy desires apart from God are not good. We must, yes, put our desires to death and yield ourselves completely to God’s plans and trust that He has the best in mind for us. He wants nothing but the best for His children.
This is also a hard truth. My sinful and selfish self stubbornly resists, but the good news is that God will help all of us, just like He’s helping me slowly give up myself for His glory. This is why He sent Scripture, the Holy Spirit, wise guides, Jesus, and makes Himself freely available to all who ask for his help. Just listen to Proverbs 2:3-6, “Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
After all, what is more wiser: trusting in myself and my limited competence or trusting in the One who created everything and knows everything there is to know about everything, including what is best for me?
-Matt
ColossiansGodJesusmortificationPaulProverbsRomansself-denialtrusttruth
Mortification
January 30, 2014
Calvary
Comments Off on Mortification
Matt
I hope you have been enjoying Pastor Ron’s CENTERED sermon series for the past few Sundays. I know I have been challenged by the truth he has been sharing from the book of Colossians.
There is one truth that I have been especially grappling with these past few days, and it’s from Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
In his discussion of this passage, he called this process mortification, which is defined as “practicing ascetic discipline or self-denial of the body and its appetites.” The word mortify has its roots from the Middle English word mortifien which means to deaden, subdue. So, if we are to take this word from its literal origins, it matches what Paul is saying we have to do to ourselves: put our desires to literal death; to kill them. The only thing that matters is what God’s desires are. We are to prioritize those desires above what we want for ourselves.
That is HARD to do, isn’t it? It’s sobering to realize that your inner self doesn’t automatically point to God, but rather to selfishness, evil, impurity and doing things that places ourselves first over others. It’s also hard to hand over the reigns of our life over to someone else. We love feeling in control; at least I know I do.
But as Pastor Ron succinctly put it: Scripture is clear: we are called to a life of self-denial. But such a call is not morbid or sad. It is the happiest choice the human person can make. You see, I actually think Jesus is competent, the most brilliant human person that has ever walked upon the earth. I think he is more competent in securing my happiness than I am…. In self-denial, I create the space to enter into the life he offers. A life so wonderful that Paul says when it is fully revealed it will be glorious!
This is a good truth. Like Paul says in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” God is ALWAYS for us. He wants what is the best for us, ALWAYS. His plans are good and wonderful and perfect. If we are to truly accept this, then we must accept that our own plans apart from God are less than what God wants for us. We must accept that our earthy desires apart from God are not good. We must, yes, put our desires to death and yield ourselves completely to God’s plans and trust that He has the best in mind for us. He wants nothing but the best for His children.
This is also a hard truth. My sinful and selfish self stubbornly resists, but the good news is that God will help all of us, just like He’s helping me slowly give up myself for His glory. This is why He sent Scripture, the Holy Spirit, wise guides, Jesus, and makes Himself freely available to all who ask for his help. Just listen to Proverbs 2:3-6, “Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”
After all, what is more wiser: trusting in myself and my limited competence or trusting in the One who created everything and knows everything there is to know about everything, including what is best for me?
-Matt
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ColossiansGodJesusmortificationPaulProverbsRomansself-denialtrusttruth