Yes, it's Psalm 27 and verses 1 to 5.
The Lord's my light, my Savior and my light, who will make me dismayed.
The Lord's the stronghold of my life, why should I be afraid?
When evildoers threaten me to take my life away, my adversaries and my foes will stumble
in that day.
And so on down to verse 5, for in his dwelling he will keep me safe in troubled days.
Within his tent he'll shelter me, and on a rock me raise.
The Lord's my Savior and my light.
If you could be able to stand, please stand to sing.
The Lord's my Savior and my light,
who will make me dismayed.
The Lord's the stronghold of my life, why should I be afraid?
When even you are set in me to take my life away,
my other side is on my foes, will stumble there in the day.
Although I'm heartily can't see, my heart will feel no dread.
Though war against me should arise, I will lift up my head.
One thing I need, O Lord, the Lord.
Lord, the Lord.
And bless us seek always,
that I may come within your sight,
and dwell there all my days.
And dwell there all my days.
That on the beauty of the Lord,
I constantly make his,
and in his eyes may see to your direction in his ways.
For in his way,
in me will be,
me save in trouble days.
When they may stand,
till shelterly and on a rock be raised.
Let's once more unite in prayer.
Let's call upon the Lord in prayer.
Lord, our gracious God, eternal and ever blessed,
we give thanks for the wondrous words that we have been singing in your praise.
Words that teach us of the security that belongs to your people,
of your own keeping of them,
of the way that you protect them,
of the way that they are assured victory ultimately over all their enemies.
And Lord, we thank you for the encouragement that that gives us,
in a world in which we know there is much at enmity with the gospel,
at enmity with your people,
and with their commitment to your cause,
and their profession of your ways.
And we thank you tonight that you have reminded us of these things,
so that we might praise you,
that we might seek to bring you further glory in our own lives.
And Lord, we thank you for all aspects of your word,
your word that guides us not only into these times of worship,
but also throughout all the avenues of life.
We give thanks, Lord, that we can reflect the psalmist's own conviction,
as he said, that your word was a light to his feet and a lamp to his path.
We ask, O Lord, that your light will shine upon us each day,
shine upon our path to give us the guidance that we need.
Even if we, at times, O Lord, cannot find exact answers to the questions
that may be in our hearts.
Yet we thank you, Lord, for the guidance of your word,
for the light that it brings us,
for the great principles that you call upon us through it
to follow and to apply in our own lives.
We thank you tonight, Lord, for the congregational life that we experience,
for your promises are directed to us,
not only as individuals, but also as congregations of your people,
gatherings of your people,
your church, Lord, throughout the world,
as a gathered people of God.
And we thank you tonight that there are so many benefits for us
in being gathered together.
But help us, Lord, to see that it is primarily our great duty and privilege
to gather before you to give evidence to our own hearts
and to one another and to the world around us
that you are God, that you are worthy of being worshipped,
worthy of being praised, worthy of being followed
in the way in which we seek to do daily.
We ask, O Lord, that you would bless to us this time together here under your word.
We pray that your word once again will be open to us.
We pray that our minds may be open to receive its teaching.
We acknowledge, Lord, that there is much in it that challenges us
as we come to your word and read it and take it at face value as it speaks to us.
We acknowledge, Lord, that there is much there that causes us to draw breath
and causes us to reflect deeply on our own relationship to you
and to sin and to the world in which we live and to one another as your people.
And we confess, too, O Lord, with thankfulness that these things are brought to us in your word
so that we might have our lives regulated by it.
We give thanks, too, for the many promises, for the many ways in which you assure your people
of your continuing love and of the way in which that follows them into all the circumstances of life
in which they may find themselves.
We treasure, Lord, these things for ourselves, too, as a congregation.
We thank you that as we reflect upon the life of the congregation
that we can look back over many years of your faithfulness,
many years where you have shown, O Lord, that you are indeed a God who is faithful and trustworthy,
one who is always true to his promises, one who does not withhold from his people that good that you intend to do for them,
that you have always purposed for them.
For you will withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly, as your word tells us.
And we pray that we may be able with the psalmist also to sing in praise of your goodness,
how great is the goodness which you keep in store for those who fear you.
And we give thanks, O Lord, that that reminds us and encourages us that your goodness goes before us
into each and every day of our lives and on into eternity
when your people expect to experience yet more of your own goodness in providing for them.
We pray tonight, Lord, for all who gather in your name elsewhere,
not only in this town and locality, but throughout our land and throughout the world.
We thank you for faithful gatherings of your people in days when we know that the number of your people is relatively small
compared to the population that we are part of.
O Lord, our God, bless your word, we pray, to your people and make them living witnesses and effective witnesses in this world.
Help us, Lord, we pray, in all that we seek to do for you.
And by your grace, Lord, we ask that you would bless our efforts to make the gospel and the principles of the gospel known to our communities.
Help us as a congregation, O Lord, as we hold forth the word of life in different ways.
And we ask that you would bless your word to that end, both to those who are adults, those who are in upper years,
those who are young, those who are children, those who are even in the stage of creche.
O Lord, we ask that as we know your word in our midst, so we as families and we as a congregation may grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And we commend ourselves to you, O Lord, as a people.
We pray that you would grant your blessing to those of our number who are away at this time on holiday.
Remember them, we pray, and keep them safe.
Remember those who are ill as well of our number and can't be with us during these days.
We think, too, of those who are recovering from surgery, those who are experiencing difficulties in regard to that.
We pray for those, Lord, too, who are anticipating surgery or treatment.
We pray for them and ask that you would quieten any anxieties they may have about these things.
Enable them, O Lord, in bringing them before yourself to draw their strength and comfort and assurance from you.
Remember those who mourn the passing of loved ones.
Once again, we pray for them.
O Lord, our God, virtually every week that we meet together here, we know that there have been those who have lost loved ones as the days have gone by.
And we pray for these families once again as we know them.
We pray, O Lord, that you would comfort them.
We pray for any of them who may not know you savingly, that you would use even such difficult providences as these to speak into their hearts.
And to assure them, O Lord, that they are welcome in your presence if they come in the name of Christ and come to seek your own forgiveness and acceptance as we all must.
We pray also, O Lord, tonight for those who have the happy experience of children born into their families.
We pray for them and give thanks for them.
We pray that you would, Lord, grant your own blessing to parents and to children alike.
We pray that these infants may grow under your favor and under your protective care.
We pray for them health wise as well.
And ask that you would be pleased, O Lord, to watch over them and to grant to them your blessing as the days go by.
And we pray, too, that you would bless our land at this time.
As we extend our prayers, Lord, to cover all our people, we ask that you would bless our circumstances to us.
Even though we know that there are many difficulties attending our present circumstances, Lord, in providence,
that we pray for those who have difficulties in regard to income.
Remember those who have lost work and are searching for work.
Remember those who face poverty and experience poverty.
Remember, we pray those who use food banks, both locally and throughout the nation.
Lord, give them not to be ashamed of such.
But we thank you for that provision.
And we pray for those who administer it and manage it from day to day.
And we pray, O Lord, that we especially as a people, you would turn us away from the things that have to do with sin and ungodliness.
Those things we know from your word are unacceptable to you.
And, O Lord, be merciful to us as a people, as a nation.
Bless our leaders at this time.
Bless especially the situation in Westminster.
Lord, we pray for all who are concerned in it.
And we pray that you would bring stability out of it.
And we ask, O Lord, that whatever you have in store for us as a people,
and we know that we are undeserving of the least of your mercies.
We have spurned your laws.
We have turned aside from righteousness.
We have exalted evil.
O Lord, we have done all this in your sight.
And yet we look to your word and find evidence in it of how even then in times of great evil in the past,
you overlooked these sins in your mercy and came with days of reviving power,
days of quickening, days of gospel, precious gospel blessing.
And it is, Lord, our prayer that this would be so for our day as well.
And we ask that you would continue to bless us here with your favor now as we wait upon you.
Guide and conduct us into your word, we pray.
And all we ask is in Jesus' name and for his sake.
Amen.
Let's sing again to God's praise.
We're singing from Psalm 65.
65 and sing.
Psalms page 82.
The tune this time is done.
Firmly in singing verses 1 to 5.
And Zion, praise awaits you, Lord.
To you our vows will pay.
To you all people will come near.
You hear us when we pray.
When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay,
you pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away.
And so on to the end of verse 5.
In Zion, praise awaits you, Lord.
To you our vows will pay.
To you, O people, welcome near.
You hear us when we pray.
When we were overwhelmed by sins and guilt upon us lay,
You pardoned all our trespasses and washed our guilt away.
I bless our clothes you choose not bring,
Within your courts of grace.
We're filled with blessings in your hearts,
In your roles, holy place.
With awesome things of righteousness,
You have said us, O God,
Our Savior, hope of our besties,
And all the earth abroad.
Let's now read God's Word.
We're reading from Romans tonight.
A letter to the Romans, chapter 8.
Beginning at the beginning of the chapter,
And we'll read down as far as verse 17.
So Romans, chapter 8, and from the beginning.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do.
By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,
He condemned sin in the flesh,
In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,
Who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh.
But those who live according to the Spirit set their mind on the things of the Spirit.
To set the mind on the flesh is death.
To set the mind on the flesh is death,
But to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God,
For it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit,
If in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.
But if Christ is in you,
Although the body is dead because of sin,
The Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
Through His Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors,
Not to the flesh to live according to the flesh,
For if you live according to the flesh you will die.
But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,
But you have received the spirit of adoption as sons,
By whom we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
And if children then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,
Provided we suffer with Him,
In order that we may also be glorified with Him.
And so on may the Lord again follow with His blessing,
Our reading of His Word.
We are going to sing once again this time in Psalm 51 in the Scottish Psalter.
51 verses 6 to 13.
The tune this time is St. Kilda.
That is on page 281.
Behold thou in the inward parts with truth delighted art,
And wisdom thou shalt make me know within the hidden part.
Do thou with hyssop sprinkle me, I shall be cleansed so.
Yea, wash thou me, and then I shall be whiter than the snow.
Of gladness and of joyfulness make me to hear the voice,
That so these very bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
We'll sing on until the end of verse 13.
Then will I teach thy ways,
And to those that transgressors be,
And those that sinners are,
Shall then be turned unto thee.
Behold thou in the inward parts.
With truth delighted art,
And wisdom thou shalt make me know,
When the Lord is in the midst of the kingdom of God.
Behold thou in the inward parts.
With truth delighted art.
And wisdom thou shalt make me know,
With truth delighted art.
And wisdom thou shalt make me know,
Within the hidden part.
And wisdom thou shalt make me know,
Within the hidden part.
And wisdom thou shalt make me know,
Within the hidden part.
And wisdom thou shalt make me know,
Within the hidden part.
whether art.
You'dahl with nieces of spring yel Oui,
I shall reclancen so ne-
Pull thy ways,
When the washclur be on thepai sele-
I shall be cleansed so,
Trow thou red,
You're dressed the geol,
TheYA.
And I shall be whiter than the snow.
All gladness and love, joyfulness, make me hear thy voice.
That so this very old switcher has broken, may rejoice.
All my iniquities, Lord, I, by this light, from my sin.
He is a clean heart, Lord, bring you, and my strength be with him.
Cast me not from thy side nor take thy holy strength away.
Restore me thy salvation's joy, with thy peace let me stay.
Then will I teach thy ways unto those that trespassers be.
And those that sinners are shall then be turned unto thee.
Well, let's turn now tonight to the passage we read in Romans, Romans chapter 8, especially verses 12 and 13.
Very difficult in some ways to just extract a verse or two from the whole chapter because it's so wonderfully tied together.
And the way that Paul leads us through his own argument or reasoning throughout the whole of this really wonderful chapter.
We'll read from verse 12.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die.
But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
It's virtually impossible to go through life without being indebted to someone or not to find somebody that's indebted to ourselves in some way or other.
We're very frequently under obligation to others, whether it's in monetary terms or even just, as we commonly say,
well, I owe you one when they've done us a favor.
In other words, you've come to be placed under obligation to return that favor to someone.
So, all the way through life, we're very familiar with the matter of being under obligation or being indebted to people in various ways and for different things.
And that's really the kind of idea that Paul has here in a spiritual sense.
He says, verse 12 here, we are debtors.
We are debtors.
He then says, not to the flesh.
And we're going to have to explore a bit about what that means, the flesh, and what he means not being debtors to the flesh.
But he doesn't actually complete the balance, if you like, that you might expect.
You might expect him to say, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, but we are debtors to something else.
And he doesn't say that.
But what he does say, it makes it fairly obvious, I think, that what he really says is that we are indeed debtors to the Spirit of God, to the Holy Spirit.
We are indebted to the Holy Spirit for what He's done.
And, of course, you need to go all the way back to chapter 6, especially for that, and we'll maybe touch on that as we go through our study this evening.
But we are indebted to the Spirit.
We are debtors to the Spirit, not to live according to the flesh, but instead to put to death the deeds of the body so that we shall live.
That's the balance, I think, in these two verses where he's emphasizing for us.
This is the one we are indebted to, the Spirit of God.
And because we're indebted to Him, how do we actually, if you like, pay back our obligation to the Spirit?
Well, we live a holy life, essentially, is what it means.
We put to death the deeds of the body rather than live according to the flesh.
So, these are the things that we've got in this passage.
What does he mean, we are debtors not to the flesh?
What does he mean by the flesh?
Who is he talking to?
Well, he's talking to Christians.
He's writing to the Christians in Rome, to the church in Rome.
And he's saying to them here, we are debtors, including himself in that, we are debtors not to the flesh.
And the flesh really essentially means our fallen humanness in itself, our sinfulness.
And even when we're conscious of the fact that God has delivered us, as chapter 6 puts it so well,
if you look at chapter 6 and verse 20 there, for example, you'll see,
when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
In other words, he's saying, this is what we're all naturally like.
This is how we are as we come into the world.
This is how we are until God changes us and changes things for us,
until it changes the direction of our life.
We are actually under the control or the directorship, if you like, of sin.
The sin that's true of every one of us.
The sin that is in us.
Our sinful nature.
Our sinfulness.
Our fallenness.
When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
In other words, you did not have righteousness in your life.
You were cut off from it.
You were free from that.
But now, he says, what fruit were you getting in those times?
The end of these things is death.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God,
the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
In other words, when God saves us, when God changes us inwardly,
when He changes our hearts, when He takes us out of the dominance of sin,
when He takes us out of being controlled by sin,
of sin being the director, if you like, of our life,
He doesn't just take us out of that and leave us in our neutrality.
He takes us under the directorship of the Holy Spirit.
So, instead of the power of sin working in our life as it once was,
we have the power of the Holy Spirit in its place.
Sin has not gone away.
We're not sinless as Christians, but we have a big change taking place in our life.
God has set us free from sin, from the power, from the dominance of sin,
and He's brought us under the wonderful directorship or control of the Holy Spirit.
And that essentially is what He's saying here,
you have your fruit unto holiness.
Instead of following the ways of sin,
God has turned His people into following the ways of holiness.
They're not perfect people.
They're not perfectly holy.
It's obvious from our lives we're not.
But this is the direction that our life is now in,
as we're in Christ, as we're led by the Spirit,
as we're under the directorship of the Spirit.
That is essentially the great change in someone's life
when they've gone from being directed by sin and in the ways of sin
to being directed by the Holy Spirit.
So, that's really the flesh.
He's delivered us from the flesh,
and therefore, He's saying it isn't logical,
it isn't in keeping with that deliverance,
that we should actually give our allegiance to the flesh anymore.
He says that in chapter 6 itself.
What shall we then say?
Are we continuing sin that grace may abound?
By no means.
How shall we who die to sin still live in it?
He's really arguing that sin is not now the controlling feature or principle in our life,
so we can't live for it.
We can't live after.
We can't live as we once did in a desire to please the flesh,
to please sin.
We are debtors not to the flesh.
We are not under obligation anymore to the flesh.
God has delivered us from that.
We're now under obligation to the Holy Spirit,
and that means being led by the Holy Spirit into holiness of life.
That's what He said in chapter 6, wasn't it?
You have your fruit unto holiness,
and the end of that, the terminus of that,
is eternal life.
Now, it's great to see young folks here tonight.
There's some big words here,
and I'll try and explain them if I can,
but it's wonderful to see children here at the evening service as well.
Well, as you know, sanctification is what the Bible,
a word the Bible uses for God taking our lives
and setting them apart to be for Himself,
and delivering us from sin and making us holy is part of that as well.
And that's really what these passages,
these verses here deal with as well,
because when we're delivered by God from the power of sin,
from the dominance of sin,
and placed us under the leadership,
the directorship of the Holy Spirit,
it comes to involve what we're going to call as our heading tonight,
mortification of sin.
The word mortification is not here,
but it's in the older translation,
and I think it's a good word.
It essentially means the same thing as what Paul is saying here,
you put to death the deeds of the body.
Mortification is putting something to death.
And what he's saying here, mortification,
what is it we put to death?
The deeds of the body,
the flesh,
the workings of the flesh,
the things of sin.
That's what holiness really is about, isn't it?
You follow the Holy Spirit's direction,
you're concerned to live a holy life,
to turn from sin,
to put sin more and more behind you,
so that you live a life that's pleasing to God.
And that's really what mortification here is about.
It's dealing with sin as a new creation,
as a Christian,
as someone in Christ,
so that you're actually putting sin to death.
Now, it's not an easy subject to deal with.
It's not something palatable to ourselves.
The flesh doesn't like to be killed.
The flesh doesn't like to be put to death.
That sinful aspect of our being
is very reluctant to actually be done away with.
That's why, as we'll see,
we need the strength and the energy
and the power of the Holy Spirit to do that.
But first of all,
let's try and define what mortification is.
And then we'll look at practicing mortification.
So, defining mortification.
Well, as we said,
it has to do with putting the deeds of the body,
putting the things of the flesh,
putting sin to death.
But it's interesting,
the way that Paul uses different terminology,
and here he's talking about something
that applies to us,
that we, as we'll see,
are required to do.
Now, when you think about mortification,
putting to death the deeds of the body,
the flesh,
the deeds of the body,
or different ways of describing it,
we must not begin with what is physical.
We must not begin with the physical side of our being,
our bodies.
It does here talk of,
specify the deeds of the body.
We'll come back to that in a minute.
But when you try and define what mortification is,
what it is to pursue holiness,
you don't begin with your body.
You don't begin with the physical.
You begin with your mind.
You begin with the things of the soul.
Because that's essentially what he's saying throughout this chapter,
isn't it?
At the beginning of the chapter,
we read through it,
where he talks here about those who walk not according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit.
What does he then say?
Those who live according to the flesh,
verse 5,
set their minds on the things of the flesh.
But those who live according to the Spirit,
set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
To set the mind on the flesh is death.
To set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God.
You, however, are not in the flesh,
but in the Spirit.
So, you see,
he's taking us to the mind.
He's taking us to the depth of our being.
He's taking us to our soul.
He's taking us to the workings of our soul.
So, the flesh is really very much part of…
The flesh is very much to do with that whole complex
or combination of what you have in your soul,
your attitude,
your thoughts,
your desires,
your appetites,
your aspirations,
your motives.
Everything you could say are the motions of your soul
where the flesh is concerned,
where these are sinful appetites,
sinful motions,
sinful desires,
sinful attitudes.
That's what he's saying we have to put to death.
That's the flesh.
That's defining mortification for us.
These are the things that he's dealing with.
But, of course,
you start with what's in your soul.
You start with the mind,
but you can't leave the body out of it
because it's through our bodies,
our bodily faculties,
that sin,
the flesh,
those things that we have in us
as sinful appetites and thoughts and desires,
they actually work through our bodies,
don't they?
Because they don't just lie in our souls
and never involve our bodies.
The whole person is actually involved.
The root of our sin and our sinful behavior,
the root of our following the ways of sin,
the root of that is in our souls.
But sin in us uses our bodies,
our eyes,
our mouths,
our hands.
That's why he calls it here
the deeds of the body.
In other words,
he's saying the workings of the flesh
are essentially the deeds of the body
as the workings of the flesh,
our inner part,
our spiritual inner being
comes through in the workings of our flesh.
You remember how Jesus put it?
And this is really a definition
that Jesus gave.
Essentially,
it comes to the same thing
because you remember in Mark chapter 7,
this is people were called by Jesus to him
and he said to them,
hear me all you and understand.
And we're talking about
what is it that defiles a person?
What is it that makes a person defiled,
dirty, grubby, spiritually, morally?
He says,
there is nothing outside a person
that by going into him can defile him.
But the things that come out of a person
are what defile him.
And when he had entered the house,
he left the people.
His disciples asked him about the parable.
He said,
are you also without understanding?
Do you not yet see
that whatever goes into a person from outside
cannot defile him
since it does not enter his heart?
But his stomach and is expelled.
And he said,
what comes out of a person
is what defiles him.
And then he gave a list.
He said,
it's from within,
from inside a person,
from our soul,
from out of the heart of man,
as he put it,
comes evil thoughts,
sexual immorality,
theft,
murder,
adultery,
coveting,
wickedness,
deceit,
sensuality,
envy,
slander,
pride,
foolishness.
All these evil things
come from within
and they defile a person.
Where does,
where do all of these things
actually come from?
He says,
they come from the heart.
You find a person
committing adultery.
You find a person
engaged in theft.
You find a person
using really bad language.
Those things
don't come from the body,
even if the body
is used
in actually
engaging in them.
You don't find somebody
who's set on committing adultery,
blaming,
or being in a position
to blame the body
for what's happened.
The sinful appetite
behind that,
as it is of all these
other things
that Jesus mentions,
actually comes from within.
And once that sinful appetite
has reached a certain point,
and then that person
wants to follow it through,
then your body comes
to actually be the means
by which that sinful appetite
reaches accomplishment.
That's the flesh.
And mortification
is putting these things
to death.
Dealing with these
inner sinful appetites,
the flesh,
in a way that actually
puts them
to death,
killing them
at the root,
if you like.
That's one of the things
that defines
the difference
between a person
who's in Christ
and a person
who's not.
Because if you look,
if I look back
over my own life,
I can't say that
as a youngster
I wasn't taught
right and wrong.
I can't say that
I didn't know
a definition of sin
and what it was.
And I would be told
the implications
of living a sinful life.
But it didn't concern me.
I didn't want to do away
with these things.
And any time
I was in church
and any time
listening to the gospel
or listening to Christians
talking about their lives
and giving me some advice,
I didn't like that
because it asked me
to face up
to these inward appetites
that I didn't want
to get rid of,
that I didn't want
to mortify,
that I didn't want
to put to death.
But when the Lord
came into my life
and when the Lord
came into your life
as a Christian,
things changed.
The things that you
weren't once concerned with,
the things that
characterized the world
out there
to a great extent tonight,
the things that
characterized so much
of our society,
they're not things
which concern people
inwardly
to an extent
that they really think,
well, I've got to
get rid of this,
I've got to deal with this,
I've got a problem
inside me,
I've got a problem
of my mind
and my soul
and I need to have
it dealt with,
it only comes
when the Holy Spirit
takes over your life,
when your life
is in the hands
of Christ,
then things change.
And that's what defines,
one of the things
at least,
that defines the difference.
Because the person
that's now under
the directorship
of the Spirit
hates sin,
doesn't want
to live for sin,
is concerned
about any remnant
of sin
being left
in your life.
You want to put it out,
you want to kill it,
you want to put it
beneath your feet,
you pray to God,
help me Lord
to get rid of it,
you pray for the Holy Spirit's
energy to help you
deal with it,
because essentially
it makes you
unlike Jesus,
it makes you
unlike Christ,
and you know
that likeness
to Christ
is the objective
of sanctification,
of living a holy life,
because that's
the perfection
that God
is aiming at
and that you desire
as well
in your own life.
So,
defining mortification
involves
understanding
something
of what the flesh
is,
and how the flesh
is the inward
side of us,
and how the appetites
and actions
and movements
of our souls
sinfully
take our bodily
functions
and use these
in the service
of sin.
Well,
what he's saying
here is
that's not
the kind of life
you now live.
God has delivered
you from that.
He has made you
bond servants
of the Spirit,
bond servants
no longer of sin
to serve sin.
You're no longer
debtors to the flesh,
but you are debtors
to the Holy Spirit,
to follow holiness
of life.
And how then
is mortification
practiced,
if that's briefly
a definition of it?
Well,
it is indeed
we who need
to put it to death.
So then,
brothers,
we are debtors
not to the flesh,
for if you live
according to the flesh
you will die,
and so on.
But if by the Spirit
you put to death
the deeds of the body,
you shall live.
Now,
notice what it's saying.
He's not saying
that this is something
that's done for us,
it's not something
that's done in us,
it's something done
by us.
If you,
by the Spirit,
put to death
the deeds of the body,
you shall live.
You see,
the Lord gives
the Holy Spirit
to His people,
and He's not saying here
that this is a salvation
by works
or you'll get some reward
if you try and attend
to the works
of the flesh
and you pray for the Spirit
to help you.
The outcome of that
will be the reward
for that will be
that you will have
eternal life.
It's not what He's saying
at all.
He's saying that
those who have come
under the directorship
of the Spirit,
those who have come
by the grace of God
to give their lives
over to Jesus,
over to Him,
they have this great benefit,
they have this amazing resource,
they have the Holy Spirit
living within them.
And the Holy Spirit
that lives within them
under His leadership
leads them
into the ways
of sanctification.
And the ways
of sanctification
involve mortification,
putting sin to death.
That's how it works.
It's not an optional extra.
It's not something
we can afford
to leave aside
in our definition
of a Christian.
It's very much
part and partial
of what the Christian life
is and is about.
That's why it's a vital thing
to understand something
about what mortification is,
but it's even more vital
that you followed through
in your life.
That is something
you are busy doing
in your life
and I with you.
Because either we
put sin to death
or else we'll come to die
as a result
of not doing that.
Die eternally.
But you see,
yes, we must kill sin.
We must kill
the works of the flesh.
We must put them to death.
But we cannot do it
by ourselves.
That's why he's saying,
if you by the Spirit
put to death
the deeds of the body,
you shall live.
I must put the deeds
of the body to death,
but if I try and do it
on my own,
I will miserably fail.
I will end up
with self-righteousness
or something like that
and I will not be saved
and I will not actually
be in the category
are in the position
of those who are
actually putting to death
the deeds of the body.
Why are you saying,
by the Spirit
you'll do it?
One of the
great theologians
of the church,
John Owen,
has a marvelous
section on mortification
in volume 7
of his complete works.
You have access,
you can get it online as well.
This is what he's saying
in terms of trying
to deal with sin,
in terms of trying
to do away with it
and deal with it
successfully yourself.
This is what he's saying.
Mortification,
this is one of the
great quotes really,
I remember when I came
across it first of all.
Mortification
from a self-strength
carried on
by ways of self-invention
unto the end
of a self-righteousness
is the soul
and substance
of all false religion
in the world.
I'll read it again.
Mortification
from a self-strength
that's by our own efforts
carried on
by ways of self-invention
other than
the way God
has actually set
before us
by His Spirit
unto the end
or for the reason
of a self-righteousness
is the soul
and substance
of all false religion
in the world.
You look at all the false religions
in the world
and that's exactly
what lies
foundationally to them
at the heart of them
because they are
ways of mortification
by self-strength,
by ways of self-appointment
or self-discovery
unto the end
of a self-righteousness.
Every single religion
that relies on that
and please don't think
that it's just
every religion
apart from the Christian religion
there are people
inside the Christian religion
inside the Christian church
if you like
for whom this teaching
is simply not acceptable
sadly
because what they'll tell you
well I've
I live a good Christian life
I do my best
I've never killed anybody
as far as I know
I've not engaged
in anything wicked
or evil
that's really brought
public disgrace
in myself
or anybody else
so no
but have you ever
you have to ask them
have you ever
lusted
have you ever
had in you
any of the things
that Jesus mentions
in Mark chapter 7
have you ever
coveted
have you ever
engaged in deceit
have you ever
told lies
have you ever
been envious
have you ever
slandered anyone
have you ever
had any sense
of pride
did you have
any element
of sensuality
did you act
in any way
foolishly
see these are the things
that we tend
to neglect
as being
really not
all that sinful
if you like
or the world
certainly would
but Jesus is not
Jesus is not
in the business
of leaving out
any sins
whatever we might
think of them
the flesh
is the flesh
and the flesh
the works
of the flesh
the works
of the body
the deeds
of the body
have to be
mortified
Paul is saying
it's perfectly
in line
with that
so he's given
us his spirit
if you by the spirit
put to death
the deeds
of the body
you shall live
you see
it's by the Holy Spirit
you really come
to appreciate
at least to some
extent
what sin is
how do you come
to actually appreciate
that sin
is evil
in its workings
that sin
is as it puts
there
enmity against God
that the sinful
mind is enmity
against God
because many people
in the church
would say
well I wouldn't
go that far
I wouldn't say
that I've ever had
I've ever been
in the situation
or in the category
where you could
class me as an
enemy of God
but this is what
the Bible is telling us
we are inwardly
natively
as we are in
ourselves
we are in the
workings of the flesh
in the workings
of sin
we are at enmity
with God
that sinful mind
that mind
of the flesh
is hostile
to God
it does not
submit to God's
law
we need to
deal with it
we need to
mortify
the deeds
of the body
and not only
does the Lord
give us his Holy
Spirit to show
us what sin
is like
to enable us
to hate it
and to detest it
but more so
than that
he gives us
the Holy Spirit
to deal with it
we deal with it
by the Holy Spirit
we seek to
mortify the deeds
of the body
by the Holy Spirit
we seek to put
sin to death
by the Holy Spirit
we rely on the Holy Spirit
though we are required
to do the killing
that's the relationship
that Paul
has in mind here
and in fact
that's really no different
essentially
to what Jesus said
in chapter 8
of Mark
and in the other
Gospels as well
you know yourselves
the definition
he gave
of following him
and what following him
actually entailed
he called him
the crowd
and with his disciples
he said to them
if anyone would
come after me
that's to say
follow me
let him deny himself
let him take up
his cross
and follow me
for whoever would
save his life
will lose it
whoever loses
his life for my sake
and the Gospels
will save it
for what does it
profit a man
to gain the whole world
and forfeit
his soul
in other words
Jesus is saying
if you don't
give your life
over to God
and seek to save it
some other way
you're going to lose it
and if you give it
over to God
for you to be saved
then what accompanies
that is
crucifixion
mortification
you take up
your cross
daily
and you follow
Jesus
we didn't make up
these terms
the church
didn't invent them
the church
didn't discover
all of a sudden
or invent
this kind of ideology
that says
you know
as a Christian
we're now saying
to you
you have to actually
put sin to death
if you really want
to be a Christian
if you want to
enter into eternal life
no this is the Lord's teaching
the Lord was really saying
to the disciples
when you see somebody
bearing a cross
or the horizontal part
of a cross
as it was often
in those days
you had to
if you were going
to be crucified
you carried that
to the place
of your crucifixion
and everybody
who saw you
walking with that
on your shoulder
were able to say
instantly
as they saw you
that man is going
to his death
or that woman
is going to her death
they're going
to the cross
they're going
to be crucified
and that's the language
Jesus used
of the terms
he said
for discipleship
of following him
of what it meant
to really follow Christ
as we should
you must take up
your cross
you must say
to the works
of the flesh
every day
I have to crucify you
today
I have to put you
to death today
I have to deal
with you
or else you're
going to kill me
that's the balance
that's what
Paul is actually
saying here
and in fact
you remember
also how he
wrote very similarly
to the Galatian church
in Galatians
where he talks there
so much about the law
and that we're not
saved by the works
of the law
but by faith
in Jesus Christ
in Galatians chapter 5
he says
as follows
in verse 24
especially
those who belong
to Christ Jesus
have crucified
the flesh
with its passions
and desires
if we live
by the Spirit
let us also walk
by the Spirit
those who belong
to Christ Jesus
have crucified
the flesh
with its passions
and desires
now there are many
Christians that find
a problem with that
because sometimes
you'll find people
saying well
I don't find myself
yet having actually
completely put
the workings of the flesh
and sinned to death
so I can't be a Christian
that's not what Paul is saying
Paul is saying
this is something
you're engaged in
every day
something you're engaged in
as your life goes on
something you're engaged in
as you come to know
more and more
of the truth of God
and of fellowship
with Christ
and your fellow Christians
it's something
that you're engaged in
and you want to be engaged
in more and more
it's something
that you're engaged in
the more you find out
about sin
and what sin is like
in God's sight
you pray Lord
by your Spirit
help me today
to crucify the flesh
to put to death
the works of the flesh
to deal with this
inward motion of my heart
even though
I am one of yours
even though you've saved me
or perhaps you might say
because you've saved me
I need to deal with this
I need to live a life
that's honoring to you
a life that will
more and more
lead me into
the ways of sanctification
what he's saying is
if you do this
you will live
if you by the Spirit
put to death
the deeds of the body
you will live
and it doesn't just mean
that you will live
after you've left this world
and the life of heaven
by no means
is that left out of it
but it's not confined
to that
I think the thought
of the apostle is
if you do this
then your ongoing
Christian believing life
will be life
you will have life
in terms of
all the benefits
that God gives
to his people
the rich and full
and satisfying life
of fellowship with Christ
of the Lord's favor
in your soul
of comfort from him
of assurance
of peace
of all of these things
to do with God's presence
and you could add to that
all the other things
the Bible tells you
that's the life
that's the rich
the full life
that we can have
and should have
in Christ
John Owen again
if I can quote him
puts it this way
the vigor
and power
and comfort
of our spiritual life
depends on the mortification
of the deeds
of the flesh
that's how he put it
the vigor
the power
and comfort
of your spiritual life
depends on
the mortification
of the deeds
of the flesh
so one of the questions
we've got to ask ourselves
if we don't have
that sense
of God's nearness
of God's favor
of God's comfort
in our souls
we have to ask ourselves
is it in any way possible
that it's because
I'm not mortifying
the flesh
is it because
I'm not dealing
with my sinful
appetites
the way I should
is this
the reason
I'm not enjoying
God
the end
for which I was created
remember that's what
the catechism says
the very first one
what is the chief end
of man
you could translate that
for what reason
was man created
by God
man's chief end
is to glorify God
yeah
but there's more than that
and to enjoy him
forever
and for me to enjoy
my God
I need to crucify
I need to mortify
the deeds of the body
I cannot expect
to have
the favor of God
enjoyed in my soul
if I'm not engaged
in
what Paul is telling me here
putting to death
the deeds
of the body
and if I am
doing that
I'm assured
that I will live
I will live
because
it will be for me
part of
the process
of my sanctification
under God
under the directorship
of the spirit
more and more
leading me to become
like Christ himself
two questions
are you in Christ
are you saved
are you under
the directorship
of the Holy Spirit
is your life
the way it's always been
since you came
into the world
has it changed
at all
are you still
led by sin
even quietly
even in a way
that perhaps
isn't obvious
but is known
to yourself
friend
here again
God is saying
to you
to be found
in Christ
to give your life
over to him
so that he
will take control
and give you
all that you
were designed
to have
and to enjoy
as one of
God's creatures
second question
Christian
myself included
after all
Paul included
himself in this
we are debtors
he didn't exempt
himself from
what he was saying
to the Romans
Christian
myself
are we
tonight
engaged in
killing our sins
daily
is it our concern
to put to death
the deeds
of the body
the workings
of the flesh
if so
we are assured
we shall live
God will give us
his assurance
and comfort
that we are
his
that we are
his adopted
children
that we have
heaven
to expect
at the end
of our journey
let's pray
almighty God
we thank you
for the extensive
teaching of your
word
on the life
that you have
given to your
people to follow
and to see
through to the
end of their
course in this
life
we thank you
Lord for your
Holy Spirit
we thank you
for the power
of your Holy
Spirit
power greater
than the power
of sin
itself
a power
that has brought
all things
into being
that exist
in the creation
that we are
part of
a power
that has
raised us
to life
from the
deadness
of our
sin
a power
that enables
us to face
our sin
and to seek
Lord to
mortify it
and put it
to death
day by day
help us
we pray
to do so
help us
by your
Holy Spirit
to follow
through
with the
teaching
of your
word
and these
great
issues
that are
so much
a part
of your
people's
experience
and grant
your blessing
Lord today
to the
gospel
wherever it
has been
proclaimed
and in
our own
midst as well
we ask
that may
bear fruit
that will
be unto
eternal
life
and to
the praise
and glory
of your
great name
we pray
in Jesus
name
Amen
let's sing
a conclusion
now from
Psalm 119
page 157
to tune
before the
throne
Psalm 119
verses 1
to 8
blessed
are those
of blameless
ways
who live
according
to God's
word
blessed
are those
who keep
his laws
who with
their whole
heart
seek the
Lord
they keep
themselves
from doing
wrong
by walking
in his
perfect ways
you have
established
laws for
us
that are
to be
obeyed
always
that opening
section
verses 1
to 8
to God's
praise
verse 1
blessed
are those
of blameless
ways
who live
according
to God's
word
blessed
are those
who leave
his laws
who with
their whole
heart
seek the
Lord
they keep
themselves
from
doing
wrong
by walking
in his
perfect ways
you have
established
laws for
us
that are
to be
obeyed
always
that
are
to be
obeyed
always
that
are
to be
obeyed
always
that
are
to be
obeyed
always
oh
that
thy ways
were
steadfast
Lord
our
commands
I
would
not feel
disgrace
or shame
I
praise
you
with
an upright
heart
as
you're
just
all
suffered
by me
all
your
defeats
I
will
obey
do
not
forsake
me
after
me
do
not
forsake
me
after
me
I'll
go to
the door
to my right
this evening
now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you now and always
Amen