Engaging the Battle: Mortifying Sin in Christ

Sure, here are 12 quotes from the transcript that align with the key takeaways:

1. "The experience of the battle of the Christian life is not a sign of your failure it is the normal experience of the Christian life let that encourage you the new life does not mean that the battle is ended the new life means that the battle is begun this is evidence that you really are a Christian you're not simply like a dead fish floating down with the stream of the river you have life in you and you're going in a different direction you're engaged in this battle you're alive as a Christian and the evidence of it is not only that you have peace with God but you have this experience of war with sin." [00:01:27]

2. "Now as we turn to another passage on the subject in Colossians 3 notice here that Paul lists some of the sins to which Christians can be tempted look at them verse five he talks about sexual sins like sexual immorality and impurity and lust are their sexual sins to which you are being tempted at this point in your life but that's not the only kind he talks about financial sins money greed he says verse five which is idolatry if you ever noticed that before that greed is idolatry he says because what it means is it you're taking money and you're putting it in the place that should belong to God alone you're going after this thing you're putting your confidence in the future in this thing and that is the very essence of idolatry." [00:02:09]

3. "So what we're learning here is that Christians then are called to this relentless warfare against sin in our own lives and the word that is used to describe this a word that's worth learning is mortification say that with me it's got a good R in it mortification okay mortification now it's the same word from which we get mortal which means subject to death or mortuary which is a place where dead people are taken mortify therefore means put to death and it's the word that's used in Colossians chapter 3 and verse 5 and also in Romans chapter 8 and verse 13 these are the two specific references to mortification putting sin to death in the New Testament and although there are only two they really get to the heart of what this battle against sin is really all about for a Christian." [00:04:21]

4. "Make sure that you are in Christ the first and the most important make sure that you are in Christ now notice what the Apostle says in verse five here he says put to death therefore and years ago back in Scotland I learned from my own posture wherever you see in the Bible the word therefore always ask the question what's it there for because therefore always refers backwards and so there's always a connection being made with what is said before and quite clearly in verse five though therefore is there for this purpose to help us to remember that what is commanded in verse five is only possible in the light of what is taught in verses one to four what is in the first four verses is essential essential to what we are being called to in verse five." [00:09:53]

5. "A person who is not in Christ a person who is not a Christian can change his or her behavior people who are not Christians can stop drinking they can stop swearing you don't need to become a Christian in order to gain control of your temper you can do this through willpower you can do it through accountability you can do it with some kind of support but there is evidence surely all over the world people change without becoming Christians habits that one's gripped people compulsively can be overcome without you being at risk everyone knows this to be true but what we're learning from the Bible is that only a Christian can mortify sin." [00:10:48]

6. "Therefore mortification in a believer leads to growing in faith growing in Hope growing in love growing in prayer growing in worship and growing in godliness none of these things will come from a self-help program all of them will come from mortification that is done within the part with the the power of the Holy Spirit so can you see that these are two different things here I mean outwardly you might say well this person has changed and this person has changed and therefore it seems to me to be exactly the same but if a person who is not a Christian has simply ceased from some compulsive behavior that is totally different from a person who is in Christ who has come to grow in faith and hope and love and joy in Christ and progress in the Christian life and to love Christ more because that person has experienced something that has arisen out of encounter with Jesus we're talking about two different things it's of huge importance to understand the difference." [00:11:19]

7. "Second take responsibility for the task to which God has called you look at verse 5 put to death therefore whatever belongs to the sinful nature now who is to do that the answer is we are paul is writing to these believers every Christian is called to mortify sin God gives us the Holy Spirit for this purpose but this work he has called us to do you are to do it you are given the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to do it but the Holy Spirit is not given to do to do this for you the Holy Spirit is given to you to enable you to do this now I want you to see this is very important because there are so many Christians who have got into a completely passive a kind of an approach to the battle with sin you can't fight a battle passively you can't fight a battle by saying O Lord you do it and the language of the New Testament when you see it clearly is that the Spirit is given to you so that you are able to engage in this fight that's what mortification is all about." [00:17:34]

8. "Every time you say yes to a sin you increase its power in your life it takes a stronger position like the weeds that we thought about last time and they're becoming more pervasive and they're beginning to take over every time you say yes to a sin and you allow it a place in your life and you're indulgent you cherish it you increase its influence in your life and every time you say no to a sin you weaken its power in your life you cut it back you take something of the life out of it every time you said yes you made the next battle harder every time you've said no you put yourself in a stronger position next time the temptation comes." [00:20:53]

9. "Cultivate virtues that expel the sin that you are seeking to mortify cultivate virtues that expel the sin that you are seeking to mortify now this is very important because remember that unlike behavior modification in the secular world progress in the Christian life is not simply about sinning less it is about the fruit of the Holy Spirit growing more in our lives and that's why it's very significant that after listing examples of sins that we are to mortify Paul goes on to list some virtues that we are to pursue verse 12 clothe yourselves with compassion and kindness and humility and gentleness and patience bear with each other forgive whatever grievances you have against each other forgive as the Lord has forgiven you and over all these virtues notice the word put on love which binds them all together in a perfect unity." [00:26:40]

10. "Pursue obedience to Christ in all areas of your life strategy number five pursue obedience to Jesus Christ in all areas of your life some of you know a few years ago I went through the difficulty of a ruptured disc in my back and I am so grateful for the kind physiotherapists who persevered and worked with me with great patience indeed they had me and I know a number of you have an experience like this or similar they had me doing all kinds of exercises moving just about every part of the body and when it was all done after some months the physiotherapist said to me on the last occasion she said no crawl anew you need to keep doing these exercises you know this deal don't you so I said which are the ones that are especially for the back and she rolled her eyes she had heard this many times before she said you don't get it do you she said everything in your body is connected and you can't help you're back in isolation you can't help you're back in isolation." [00:34:13]

11. "You cannot mortify us in an isolation you can't in other words overcome lust while at the same time you're indulging laziness you can't overcome greed while at the same time you're indulging pry half-hearted Christians are never successful in mortifying sin and folks who want to come to God just to make one change in their life are rarely successful Oh God heal my marriage or God heal my marriage Oh God help me overcome this affliction Oh God do this one thing for me John Owen has a fascinating comment on this he says this person that comes to God not with a full devotion of life but just saying one thing I need your help with one thing do this for me he says do you not think that God would say well if I give this person what they ask I'll never hear from them again and then they'll be completely lost so why would God give you what you ask why there's more hope for you as you're wrestling with this at least you have some feeling of your need for him." [00:35:56]

12. "Victory is going to be gained in the context of a total devotion to Jesus Christ word worship fellowship service all these are the gifts of God to help you in this battle now use them and may it be for your great blessing and for the glory of Jesus Christ let's pray together show me father please encourage us and strengthen every Christian in the battle and for any who are not yet in Christ may today be the moment of sealing with the Savior in repentance and faith for we ask it in his name and everyone said." [00:38:39]