Mortification

Paul writes in Romans 8:13, ‘if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.’

This introduces the important but neglected subject of ‘mortification’.

’Mortification,’ says J.I Packer in God’s Words, ‘is war.’ Four steps are involved in this warfare:-

1. We must know our enemy

We fight, not just sins, but the sinful nature which lies behind all instances of sinful actions. The unbeliever is a slave to sin, Ro 6:16-23. But the believer has had a change of heart and mind; he has renounced sin, and is determined to crucify the flesh and its lusts, Ga 5:24. But sin remains as a kind of devilish alter ago. The Christian therefore finds a conflict within himself, Ga 5:17. He wants to be perfect, but he never is, Ro 7:19-20.

‘Neither is it expressible with what vigour and variety sin acts itself in this matter. Sometimes is proposeth diversions, sometimes it causeth weariness, sometimes it finds out difficulties, sometimes it stirs up contrary affections, sometimes it begets prejudices, and one way or another entangles the soul, so that it never suffers grace to have an absolute and complete success in any duty.’ (Owen)

Our Daily Warfare

We ought not to think that [the Devil's] activity is primarily, or even mainly, to be seen in dramatic, extraordinary “power” encounters, where people are exorcised or delivered of demons. His warfare against us – and make no mistake it is real – takes place primarily at a far more frightening level: at the level of ordinary, everyday life.

We see this illustrated repeatedly in the Epistles when our battle with the Devil is mentioned. We keep him at bay when we deal promptly with anger and do not allow it to fracture relationships. {Eph 4:28} We elude his ravenous jaws when we bear up under suffering, and cast our cares on God. {1Pe 5:6-11} We resist his advances and cause him to flee, when we stop compromising ourselves with the world, and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to God. {Jas 4:4-8}

(Source Unknown)

Be Bold!

What I meant to do, when writing my previous post on William Gurnall, was to present this more extended quotation on boldness.  It is vintage Gurnall, and a magnificant encouragement to Christians.  So here it is:-

O how uncomely a sight is it to see, a bold sinner and a fearful saint, one resolved to be wicked, and a Christian wavering in his holy course; to see guilt put innocence to flight, and hell keep the field, impudently braving it with displayed banners of open profaneness; [to see] saints hide their colours for shame, or run from them for fear, who should rather wrap themselves in them, and die upon the place, than thus betray the glorious name of God, which is called upon by them to the scorn of the uncircumcised.

Take heart therefore, O ye saints, and be strong; your cause is good, God himself espouseth your quarrel, who hath appointed you his own Son, General of the field, called ‘the Captain of our salvation,’ Heb 2:10. He shall lead you on with courage, and bring you off with honour. He lived and died for you; he will live and die with you; for mercy and tenderness to his soldiers, none like him. Trajan, it is said, rent his clothes to bind up his soldiers’ wounds: Christ poured out his blood as balm to heal his saints’ wounds; tears off his flesh to bind them up. For prowess, none to compare with him: he never turned his head from danger: no, not when hell’s malice and heaven’s justice appeared in field against him; knowing all that should come upon him, [he] went forth and said, ‘Whom seek ye?’ Joh 18:4. For success insuperable: he never lost battle even when he lost his life: he won the field, carrying the spoils thereof in the triumphant chariot of his ascension, to heaven with him: where he makes an open show of them to the unspeakable joy of saints and angels.

You march in the midst of gallant spirits, your fellow-soldiers every one the son of a Prince. Behold, some, enduring with you here below a great flight of afflictions and temptation, take heaven by storm and force. Others you may see after many assaults, repulses, and rallyings of their faith and patience, got upon the walls of heaven, conquerors, from whence they do, as it were, look down, and call you, their fellow-brethren on earth, to march up the hill after them, crying aloud: ‘Fall on, and the city is your own, as now it is ours, who for a few days’ conflict are now crowned with heaven’s glory, one moment’s enjoyment of which hath dried up all our tears, healed all our wounds, and made us forget the sharpness of the fight, with the joy of our present victory.’

In a word, Christians, God and angels are spectators, observing how you quit yourselves like children of the Most High; every exploit your faith doth against sin and Satan causeth a shout in heaven; while you valiantly prostrate this temptation, scale that difficulty, regain the other ground, you even now lost out of your enemies’ hands. Your dear Saviour, who stands by with a reserve for your relief at a pinch, his very heart leaps within him for joy to see the proof of your love to him and zeal for him in all your combats; and will not forget all the faithful service you have done in his wars on earth; but when thou comest out of the field, will receive thee with the like joy as he was entertained himself at his return to heaven of his Father.

Spirituality or Discipleship?

I was struck by John Stott’s comment about the concept of ’spirituality’:-

Am I a builder, or a wrecker?

I saw them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a dusty town.
With ‘yo heave ho’ and a lusty yell,
They swung a beam and the side wall fell.

I asked the foreman if these men were skilled
As the men he’d hire, if he were to build.
He laughed and said, ‘Oh, no indeed.
Common labour is all I need.’

For those men can wreck in a day or two,
What builders had taken years to do.
I asked myself as I went my way,
Which kind of role am I to play?

Am I the builder who builds with care,
Measuring life by the rule and square?
Or am I the wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the role of tearing down?

(Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, 117f, Baker Book House)

In what sense are Christians ‘not under law’ (Gal 6:14)?

Paul writes in Galatians 6:14, ’sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.’  I quote Donald MacLeod at length:-

Be Fruitful – a Sermon

Text: John 15:1-17

Have you ever been parted from someone you love?  A boy or girl goes off on holiday with a friend, and won’t see mum and dad for a couple of weeks.  A boyfriend and girlfried will be setting off in September for different universities.  A husband is called up for service in the armed forces, and doesn’t know when he’ll be home again.  What is said on such occasions.  “Look after yourself…keep in touch…don’t get into trouble”  The disciples were in such a situation.  John 14-16 record Jesus’ parting words to them.

Puritans on Recreation

In our own relatively affluent culture, we need help to make godly choices about leisure and recreation.  Time for some Puritan wisdom.  The following quotes are from William Perkins:-

Gospel Paradoxes

At first sight, the New Testament’s descriptions of the Christian life often seem to defy logic.  On further reflection, however, we see the Lord’s wise design in all of them.  Note the following examples:-

Quotes on Good Deeds

“Works? Works? A man get to heaven by works? I would as soon think of climbing to the moon on a rope of sand!”  (George Whitefield)

It is a true saying, that believers should not act for life, but from life.  They must act as those that are not procuring life by their works, but as such who have already received and derived life from Christ, and act from the power and virtue received from him.  (Walter Marshall)

Faith is full of good works. It believes as if it did not work, and it works as if it did not believe.  (Thomas Watson)

Quotes on Humility

It is the person who most knows himself liable to fall that will be most ready to overlook any offences from his fellow men. (Alexander Auld) 

The Christian is like the ripening corn; the riper he grows, the more lowly he bends his head. (Thomas Guthrie)

‘The truly humble Christian does not inquire into his neighbour’s faults; he takes no pleasure in judging them; he is occupied wholly with his own.’ (Athanasius)

Pilgrim’s Progress and the Bible

John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is a masterpiece of Christian writing.  Indeed, it has sometimes been referred to as an example of ‘inspired’ writing, with the intention of thereby demoting the idea of biblical inspiration to that of any other insightful spiritual writing.