let us turn in the word of God
to the chapter that we read Romans chapter 8 and I'll direct you
to verses 13 and 14 Romans chapter 8 verses 13 and 14 for if ye
live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. It's particularly verse 13, which
I would consider a little with you this morning, I trust with
the Lord's help and with his blessing. For if ye live after
the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. We see in these words the gospel
precepts of mortification. And we shall consider the subject
of mortification this morning under five heads. Firstly, what
is meant by mortification and what is to be mortified. Secondly, to whom the precept
is enjoined. And then thirdly, the necessity
of mortification. and then fourthly the means by
which mortification is to be performed, and then fifthly the
resultant end of mortification. So let us consider firstly then
what is meant by mortification and what is to be mortified. For if ye live after the flesh
ye shall die, But if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds
of the body, ye shall live. What is meant by this word mortify? Well, the word mortify in the
Greek is thanatoute, and it comes from the verb thanatouo, which
means to put to death. The noun thanatos, death, gives
us our word euthanasia. Mortified then means put to death. Indeed that is how the word is
elsewhere translated in the New Testament. To put to death, to
kill, to cause to be put to death. John Owen, in his excellent treatise
on the mortification of sin in believers, says, to kill a man,
or any other living thing, is to take away the principle of
all his strength, vigor, and power, so that he cannot act
or exert or put forth any proper actings of his own. So it is
in this case. This is mortification. It is
to take away the principle of all his strength, vigour and
power, so that he cannot act or exert or put forth any proper
actings of his own. But what is it that is to be
mortified? If ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, Paul says here. The body here is referring
to our corrupt, fallen, carnal nature, as we see in the context,
verse 12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors
not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after
the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall live. It is the flesh It is the
body of death that is to be mortified, that body of death which Paul
had previously spoken of in chapter 7. Who shall deliver me from
the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. So then with the mind I myself
serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. It is the old man with his deeds
as Paul says in Colossians, where he also deals with the matter
of mortification. What are the deeds of the body
or the deeds of the old man which must be mortified? Well, it's
all that proceeds from our corrupt, fallen nature. Colossians chapter 3, is where
Paul deals with the matter again of mortification and he says
in verse 5 mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection evil concupiscence
and covetousness which is idolatry and Paul goes on to say there
in Colossians 3 but now ye also put off all these anger, wrath,
malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one
to another seeing that you have put off the old man with his
deeds. In Galatians Paul speaks of the
works of the flesh. Galatians 5 verse 19, but now
the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envions, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. This
is not an exhaustive list. And such like. This is what mortification
is, and this is what is to be mortified. It is to take away
the principle of all his, that is, all the old man's, strength,
vigour and power, so that he cannot act or exert or put forth
any proper actings of his own. John Owen goes to say in his
treatise, Indwelling Sin is compared to a person, a living person,
called the old man. with his faculties and properties,
his wisdom, craft, subtlety, strength. This, says the apostle,
must be killed, put to death, mortified, that is, to have its
power, life, vigour and strength to produce its effects taken
away by the spirit. Let us go on to consider in the
second place to whom this precept is enjoined. This epistle is
written to true Christians. To those who are beloved of God,
called to be saints, it is addressed to those who are not under the
law, but under grace. It is written to those who are
in Christ Jesus. It is for all those who are predestinated
to be conformed to the image of God's Son. Here is a precept
for all those who are justified by grace through faith, who are
justified by the grace of God through faith in the Son of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, and who are born again of the Spirit
of 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. But if the
spirit 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. Therefore,
brethren, We are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the
flesh. This is a gospel precept. It is for believers in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Again, John Owen says, to kill
sin is the work of living men. To kill sin is the work of living
men. The spiritually dead are completely unable to do this
work. Those who are dead in trespasses
and sins, who are yet in the flesh, are wholly unable to do
this, for they have not the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. And
it is through the Spirit that the work must be done. To kill
sin is the work of living men. But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God. Paul says in 1 Corinthians,
and surely this is one of the things of the Spirit of God. But if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the flesh, our text says, this is a spiritual
work and it can only be performed by those who are made spiritually
alive, who are quickened into newness of life by the gracious
operation of the Spirit of God in the heart. There must be life
before there can be the living. there must first be an engrafting
into Christ before there can be any true mortification. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I
in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye
can do nothing, Jesus said. This is a precept for believers. is a precept for those who are
in Christ Jesus. It is for those in whom the Spirit
of God indwells. Thirdly, let us consider the
necessity of mortification. We see the necessity of this
work of mortification in the word if. For if ye live after
the flesh ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Now this is not
the if of uncertainty. We see the if of uncertainty,
for example, in James chapter 4. from verse 13, go to now ye
that say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and
continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain, whereas
ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your
life? It is even a vapour that appeareth
for a little time and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say
if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that. There is
the if of uncertainty because we cannot be certain as to what
the will of the Lord is regarding tomorrow. We cannot be certain
even as to whether we have a tomorrow or not. It's not guaranteed for
any of us. If the Lord will, we shall live. That's the if of uncertainty.
But here is the if of certainty. It is the if of consequence.
Given such a condition, given such a circumstance, given such
and such, given these things, these certain conditions, these
certain circumstances, then such and such a thing will most certainly
ensue. If I have an apple in my hand
and let it go, it will most certainly fall to the ground, because of
the law of gravity. Well so it is here, for if ye
live after the flesh you shall die, but if ye through the spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body you shall live. This is not the
if of uncertainty, it's the if of consequence. How necessary,
then, is this work of mortification? For if ye live after the flesh,
ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds
of the body, ye shall live. It is necessary for all believers. No believer is exempt from this.
It is necessary for those who are strong in the faith, and
for those who are weak in the faith. It is necessary for eminent
Christians and for obscure Christians. It is necessary for all those
who are called to be saints and who are predestinated to be conformed
to the image of God's Son. As we said just now, it's necessary
for Christians in every place. for the Christians at Colossae,
as well as the Christians at Rome. Colossians chapter 3, If
ye then be risen with Christ, and seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, set your
affection on things above, and not on things on the earth. For
ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When
Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with him in glory, mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth it is necessary why is it necessary? because of indwelling sin in
every child of God there is yet the remnants of sin there is
yet a fallen nature the Adamic nature which we've all inherited
from our first parents who fell into Satan's snare and into an
estate of sin and misery in the Garden of Eden. That fallen nature
will abide with us and will be in us until our dying day. And that principle of sin in the believer, is always active. Always! For the flesh lusteth
against the spirit. It's in the present tense note.
For the spirit lusteth against the spirit. And so Paul says,
here in Romans, in chapter 7, I find then a law, that when
I would do good, evil is present with me. Evil is present with
me. Yes, even when I would do good.
That's the apostle. The mortification of that principle
then is absolutely necessary for every true believer in Jesus
Christ. Mortification is a part of our
sanctification. It is necessary to true holiness. We are sanctified or set apart
by God the Father in his choosing of us unto salvation in the Lord
Jesus Christ from all eternity, from before the foundation of
the world. Indeed, He has chosen us to holiness, as Paul says
there in Ephesians, according as He has chosen us in Him, that
is in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy! That we should be holy! we are
sanctified or set apart then by God the Father in his choosing
of us unto salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ and we are sanctified
by God the Son in that he has shed his precious blood for us
and redeemed us from our lost and ruined state for ye are bought
with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your
spirit which are You are God's possession, for He has purchased
you with the blood of His only begotten Son. Therefore you are
set apart by and for Him. We are sanctified by God the
Holy Ghost in the new birth, of which He is the sole altar.
He comes into the heart of the elect and ransomed sinner as
the spirit of adoption. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Now it's in the nature of children
to copy or to imitate their parents, is it not? Well so it is with
the spiritual sons of God. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children. Paul says in Ephesians. What
does the Lord God say to his people? And be ye holy for I
am holy. And so it is stated in our articles
of faith. Article 20 of Gospel Standard
Articles. We believe that the grace of
God produces a real change in a man and teaches him to deny
ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly. Yes, mortification is a constituent
part of that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. mortification is necessary if
there is to be the enjoyment of communion with God and a humble
walking with God can two walk together except they be agreed? mortification is necessary if
we are to have joy and peace and comfort in our Christian
profession how can there be that joy and
peace in believing where there is a walking after the flesh
either your sin must be put to death or your hope of eternal
life must be killed and your assurance of salvation slain
for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace life and peace see what David was brought to
because of his sin Psalm 38 verse 3 says there is no soundness
in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest
in my bones because of my sin for mine iniquities are gone
over mine head and as a heavy burden they are too heavy for
me my wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness I am
troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long the Holy Spirit indwells the
true child of God and he is a person and he can be grieved Paul in
Ephesians speaks of putting off concerning the former conversation
the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts
and then he goes on to say and grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption where there is the grieving of
the Holy Spirit of God. Oh, there cannot be that joy
and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the
power of the Holy Ghost. Was it not for the want of mortification
that David sinned against his God and killed Uriah the Hittite
with the sword and took his wife? It was in the bitterness of his
soul when he was convinced of his sin and of his great transgression
against the Lord, that he cried out to God and said, in the words
of that great penitential psalm, Psalm 51, creating me a clean
heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not
away from my presence and take not my Holy Spirit from me. Restore
unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit. Surely the desire of every true
child of God is to honour his Father in heaven. Sin dishonours
God. Sin does not dishonour God. The
neglect of mortification then dishonours God. As Nathan said
to King David, By this deed thou hast given great occasion to
the enemies of the Lord, to blaspheme Let us come then in the fourth
place to consider the means by which mortification is to be
performed. Paul tells us in the words of
our text that it is through the Spirit. But if ye through the
Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. It is
through the Spirit, and it can only be through the Spirit, that
the old man with his faculties and properties, his wisdom, craft,
subtlety, strength, must be killed, put to death, mortified, that
is, have its power, life, vigour and strength to produce its effects
taken away. It is through the Spirit, that
is, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. But ye are not in the
flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth
It is the Spirit of Christ. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his. It is the Holy Spirit who quickens
us. He that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that
dwelleth in you. And it is the Holy Spirit who
leads us. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And this, of course,
is in accordance with the promise of the New Covenant, as witnessed
by the law and the prophets. For example, in Ezekiel 36, verse
26, a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I
put within you. and i will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh and i will give you a heart of flesh and
i will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my ways
and you shall keep my judgments and do them it is by the spirit that we call
upon God as our Father. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage against a fear, but ye have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. It is the Holy
Spirit who assures us of our interest in the covenant of grace,
and that we are indeed the sons of God. For the Spirit itself
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
And it is the Holy Spirit who helps us in prayer. Likewise,
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we know not what we should
pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. The Holy Spirit is
the efficient cause or the author of the multification of sin in
believers. But this begs the question, doesn't
it? If it is the work of the Spirit,
if it is through the Spirit that we are to mortify the deeds of
the body, then why is the believer exhorted to do it? Well, as it
is with faith and repentance, so it is with mortification. God works them in the heart by
his Spirit so that we repent and we believe. we are the ones doing the repenting
and the believing but it's God who works in it into our hearts
he works it into our hearts the Lord Jesus said and I should
say this is so it is with mortification of course God works it in the
heart and so we mortify the deeds of the body Jesus said no man
can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him But
he also said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Again, if any man thirst, let
him come unto me and drink. Oh, we are brought to feel the
tremendous burden of sin and death, and we are made to thirst
for righteousness and for spiritual life. we hear the gracious call
and invitation of the gospel and the Lord by his Spirit draws
us to Christ for it is God which worketh in you both to will and
to do of his good pleasure so it is in the matter of mortification
we are shown the necessity of it we feel the necessity of it
and we are brought to a complete dependence upon the Spirit of
God to work all our works in us As it is written in Isaiah,
Thou wilt ordain peace for us, for Thou also hast wrought all
our works in us. And so the Apostle says in 2
Corinthians 3.18, But we all, with open face beholding, as
in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image
from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. even
as by the Spirit of the Lord. And that glass in which we behold
the glory of the Lord is surely the Holy Scriptures. The Holy
Spirit has given us the Word of God, and the Word of God is
a means by which we are to mortify the deeds of the body of sin.
Jesus said, It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth
nothing, the words that I speak unto you. they are spirit and
they are life and the psalmist says by the
word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer
again in psalm 119 and we sang just now the metrical version
of the second part of the psalm there in verse 9 We read, Wherewithal
shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed thereto according
to thy word? With my whole heart have I sought
thee, O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have
I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Thy word
have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Oh, if you would be one who is
engaged in this work of mortification, then you must be one who is much
in the Word of God, in the hearing of it, in the reading of it,
and in meditation upon it. So it was with the blessed man
of Psalm 1, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel
of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor standeth
in the seat of the scornful, but is delighted in the law of
the Lord. and in his law doth he meditate
day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers
of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His
leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Prayer is also given as a means
to mortification. Again there in verse 26, likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should
pray for as we ought. But the Spirit maketh intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. We must be much in
prayer if we would mortify the deeds of the body. So Jude says
as well, But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life. Now this is in contradistinction
to those whom Jude previously speaks of in verses 18 and 19
of his epistle, who walk after their own ungodly lusts, and
who have not the Spirit. It is by prayer praying in the
Holy Ghost that we keep ourselves in the love of God. Long as they live should Christians
pray, for only while they pray they live. This is the means
by which the Holy Spirit helps our mortification, but if ye
through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall
live. There is also to be a walking
in the Spirit, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. Again, this is in accordance
with the covenant of grace. And I will put My Spirit within
you and cause you to walk in My statutes. And so the Apostle says in Galatians,
but as I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh. The lust of the flesh is expressed
in the works of the flesh. We read of those works of the
flesh there in Galatians 5.19. Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these, and so on. Well the fruit of the
Spirit is opposed to and contrary to all those works of the flesh
Galatians 5 verse 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh and with
the affections and lusts. If ye live in the Spirit let
us also walk in the Spirit. You see, these two plants cannot
occupy the same ground. They will be vying for the soil
and the nutrients and so on. They will be vying for life itself. The fruit of the Spirit will
not and cannot occupy the same parcel of ground with the weeds
of corruption and vice versa. And by what degree the fruit
of the Spirit is seen, by the same degree the works of the
flesh will not be seen. And conversely, where the works
of the flesh are seen, the fruit of the Spirit will not be seen.
Where there is adultery, fornication, uncleanness and so on, there
can be no love, joy, peace. And contrarywise, where there
is true love, joy, peace, and so on, there will be no adultery,
nor any other of the works of the flesh. So Paul says again in Galatians,
in Galatians chapter 6, verse 7, Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his
flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth
to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let
us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap
if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity,
let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are
of the household of faith. This is what it is to sow to
the spirit. This is what it is to walk in the spirit. This is
what it is to mortify the deeds of the body through the spirit.
It is to be followers of God as dear children and to walk
in love as Christ also had loved us and have given himself for
us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour. And you know, the redeemed, ransomed,
regenerated child of God is brought to fill the evil of his heart.
And he's brought to fill his great need of the Holy Spirit.
And the Lord Jesus Christ promises all his dear blood-bought people,
if ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit? to them that ask him. This is the means, you see, by
which the work is accomplished. It is through the Spirit, but
if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall
live. But let us consider fifthly and
finally the resultant end. of mortification. As we said
earlier, we have here the if of consequence. But if ye through
the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. And
that is the resultant end of mortification. Ye shall live.
Ye shall live. Or as Paul says in Galatians,
But he that soweth through the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap
life everlasting. The end of this mortification
through the Spirit is that ye shall live. It is life everlasting. This is the great promise of
the Gospel. And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even
eternal life. John says, the Lord Jesus said,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath
everlasting life. It is in this work of mortification
through the Spirit that true faith is manifested. Those who
are not mortifying the deeds of the body are not true believers.
Every true believer will be engaged in this holy war. Fight the good
fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also
called. We are engaged in a spiritual
conflict, a spiritual warfare under Christ who is our head
and our king and who is the captain of our salvation. See how the
church is described in the book of the Revelation. And the armies
which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed
in fine linen, clean and white. Now this army, which is so clothed
and which is following Christ, is the Bride of Christ. It's
His Bride. As you see earlier in that 19th
chapter of the Revelation, "...and to her was granted that she should
be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen
is the righteousness of saints." The Bride is twice described
in the Song of Solomon as terrible as an army with banners! What are they fighting against?
They're fighting against the world! They're fighting against
the flesh, and they're fighting against the devil. But you know,
it is principally the flesh. That's the... the traitor within. That's the fifth column. This is the great work that they
are engaged in, the slaying of the flesh, the killing of sin.
And that, through the spirit. But do we not feel that the enemy
is too strong for us? I know I do. We often feel that
sin, the old man with his deeds, gets the mastery over us. Oh,
we're so weak and puny. And we are having to contend
against a giant. That's what I feel my sin to
be in my fallen age. It's a giant. Well, just remember
that stripling David, and how he slew the giant Goliath of
Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. Remember how he said,
and as David said to the Philistine, thou comest to me with a sword
and with a spear and with a shield, but I come to thee in the name
of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom
thou hast defied. Yes, he came against him in the
name of the Lord of hosts. It was through the Spirit that
the giant was slain. David spake unto the Lord in
the words of Psalm 18. And he said, For by thee I have
run through a troop, and by my God I have leaped over a wall. Again, remember how he said to
that giant, For the battle is the Lord's. and He will give
you into our hands. Yes, the battle is the Lord's
and we shall know the victory, but we must fight in this battle. If you are not engaged in this
battle, you are not on the Lord's side. If David hadn't killed
the giant, then the giant would have killed him. No doubt about
it. If you are not killing sin, sin
will be killing you. He that believeth in the Son
hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall
not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. In his first
epistle John says, He that hath the Son hath life, and he that
hath not the Son of God shall not see life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Again, John says in his first
epistle, We know that whatsoever is born of God sinneth not, but
he that is begotten of God keepeth himself. And that wicked one toucheth
him not. And we know that we are of God,
and the whole world lieth in wickedness. And we know that
the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that
we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true,
even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. For the unbeliever, however,
for the unbeliever, there is to be a second death. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God. And the books were opened, and
another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the
dead were judged out of those things which are written in the
books according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them, and they were judged every man according to their
works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death. And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. Oh, there is a warning as well
as a promise here in the words of our text. For if ye live after
the flesh, you shall die. But if ye through the Spirit
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Oh, this is surely
a part of the work of faith, is it not? See how Paul prays
for the Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse
11. Wherefore also we pray always
for you that our God would count you worthy of his calling and
fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work
of faith with power that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace
of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. The work of faith manifests
a true and living faith. At the end of such a faith, that
faith which worketh by love is eternal life. And whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die, Jesus said. True faith is
manifested in this work of mortification. And I will show thee my faith
by my works. Now interestingly, where Paul
speaks of mortifying, John speaks of purifying. Beloved, now are
we the sons of God. It hath not yet appeared what
we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall
be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that
hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. He goes on to say there in his
first epistle, in this the children of God are manifest and the children
of the devil. It is in the work of mortification
that the true sons of God are manifested. Verse 14, for as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God. I hope to come to that 14th verse
at a future date if the Lord will. In the meantime, may we
be those who are praying in the Holy Ghost and praying for the
Holy Ghost that we might, by the grace of the Spirit of God
working in us, be enabled to obey this Gospel precept from
the heart for the good of our never-dying souls and for the
glory and for the honour of our Father which is in heaven. For
if ye live after the flesh, You shall die, but if ye through
the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Amen.