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.
Romans 8:13
“Put to death the deeds of the body.” There is a theological term for this: mortification. Mortification is important. What is it?
We are familiar with words like mortician, mortuary, and mortality. They involve death. Mortification is putting to death sinful deeds. It means to put to death the deeds of the body (eyes, tongue, hands, feet, ears, etc.) that serve sin and not Christ.
Mortification is not masochism, which is inflicting pain on yourself. Mortification is not asceticism, which means to deny yourself physical pleasures. Mortification is rejecting sin. In fact, the only term strong enough to describe this is mortification – put that sin to death. Kill it!
John Stott remarked: “There is a kind of life which leads to death, and there is a kind of death which leads to life.” Mortification of sin leads to life.
Examples of sins that we must slay: Unkindness in our voice, lying, gossip, lust, self-centeredness, laziness, overeating, drunkenness, losing our temper, sexual sin, pornography, reckless driving, stealing, addictions, and more.
Deeds of the body. Kill ’em!
“But I can’t” you say. That’s right. You can’t. That’s why God says: “By the Spirit put them to death.”
Lord, I cannot stop this sin, but you can. Please do it!