MORTIFICATION OF THE FLESH

Through the Spirit do put to death the deeds of the body (Rom. 8:13)

by Very Rev. Dr I. U. Ibeme http://priscaquila.6te.net ; http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo ;

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Comment on The Chapel of Grace Blog: http://thechapelofgrace.wordpress.com

What is Christian MORTIFICATION?

Mortification has ordinary meanings, such as attenuation, putrefaction, humiliation, destruction,
disgrace, subdue, but also has Christian spiritual meaning which is to put to death as used in (Rom 8:13
and Col 3:5).

MORTIFICATION of the deeds of the body is today erroneously made out to mean a one-time event of
saving work that would incapacitate the sin in the body, but the Apostles are clear that mortification is a
lifetime stewardship of every believer to resist and destroy the passions of sin (in thought, word and
deed) that seek to reign in our mortal bodies through the enabling grace of the Holy Spirit (Rom 6:12;
7:5).

God sanctifies us from sin that we should mortify our sins. Without mortification of our flesh, there is no
spiritual mindedness for growth in our walk in the Spirit for our sanctification (Rom 8:6-8; Gal 5:16-17).
Rom 8:6-8
(6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
(7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be.
(8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Gal 5:16-17
(16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
(17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are
contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would.

This truth on mortification of the flesh is no longer understood or acknowledged in the modern
revisionist Church, because they peddle and pursue a falsely devised Covenant or strangely revised
Testament which offers only divine reprieve but assigns no spiritual responsibility. But we know that
something cannot be truly called Covenant in the Scriptures if it is not based on commitment to
provision as well as expectation on either covenanting party involved.

According to Christ’s New Covenant, the Christian is one who is saved through faith by grace that enables
one to serve fruitfully, else such salvation is false and futile. Any purported “covenant” of Salvation
without empowerment or expectation for accountable Stewardship, without “sowing and reaping”,
“receiving and giving”, “labour and reward” and such basic inevitable is a lie not found in any Scripture
but only in the pagan culture of modern civilization!

The paramount importance of Mortification

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In the Old Testament Law, mortification was limited because it was only done by the frailty of personal
power, but in the New Testament Gospel, mortification is enhanced by the supernatural enablement of
Christ’s grace and Spirit. The Law only made us know through its letters what we should do to please
God and the consequences of God’s displeasure, but it could not give us the grace of divine power and
Spirit with which to do what its letters have taught. Thank God that Christ has now quickened every
regenerated believer with His Spirit and granted us the free gift of His enabling grace so that we could do
those good works which God had purposed already as revealed in His Word (Rom 6:12-14; Eph 2:10; Tit
2:11-12).
Rom 6:12-14
(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
(13) Neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield
yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God.
(14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but
under grace.

Eph 2:10
(10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God
has before ordained that we should walk in them.

Tit 2:11-12
(11) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
(12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live sensibly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world;

The modern materialistic shortsighted Church is ignorant of the divine mystery that power which
manifests signs but cannot mortify sins has no reckoning when eternity is kept in view (Mat 7:20-22). In
the New Testament Gospel, Christ’s salvation through the power of the Holy Spirit and enablement of
Grace is primarily for transformation and mortification against our sin to please God than for
ministration and manifestation against our needs to please us. Sadly, we have forgotten that the final
judgment is about abundant fruit that please God, not about abundant things that please us. That is why
this generation has revised the focus of the Gospel on our needs rather than on our sin.
Mat 7:20-23
(20) Therefore by their fruits you shall know them.
(21) Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
(22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your
name? and in your name have cast out demons? and in your name done many
wonderful works?
(23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that
work iniquity.

The modern Christians are addicted to focusing on stage performances for temporal and material
matters that human eyes are excited to behold, rather than spiritual purity for eternal and moral matters
that the divine eye is pure to behold. This shortsighted penchant and addiction to materialism has
destroyed and derailed the Church of today into defilement and demonization. Despite the affordable
availability and all manner of digital accessibility of the Scriptures today, the Church still misses the
scriptural warnings against these dangers!

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 1Tim 4:1-2
(1) Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the
faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits, and doctrines of demons;
(2) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

2Tim 3:1-7
(1) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
(2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
(3) Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce,
despisers of those that are good,
(4) Traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
(5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(6) For of this sort are they who creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden
with sins, led away with various lusts,
(7) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Apostolic terms for Life in the Spirit

We first need to unlock the Apostolic language and usage on this Gospel Truth of LIFE OF (living after
Rom 8:5-6/living in Gal 5:25) THE SPIRIT as specially expounded in Rom 8 and Gal 5 which Truth has been
long abandoned and ignored by the modern paganized Church.
Rom 8:5-6
(5) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are
after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
(6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Gal 5:25
(25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

DEEDS (Grk=PRAXIS operational practices) of the Body (physical Human Nature Rom 8:13) comes from
the WORKS (Grk=ERGON operational powers/passions) of the Flesh (perishable Human Nature Rom
8:14; Gal 5:18).
Rom 8:13-14
(13) For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do put to
death the deeds of the body, you shall live.
(14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Gal 5:18
(18) But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.

FRUIT of the Spirit (Gal 5:22) comes from the LEADING by (Rom 8:14; Gal 5:18) the Spirit, or our
WALKING in (Rom 8:4; Gal 5:16) the Spirit.
Rom 8:4
(4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit.

Gal 5:16
(16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

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 Gal 5:22
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith,

The DELIVERANCE or ENJOYMENT is that Christ has through the Cross MADE “the spirit” in us to BE
ALIVE in past tense (Rom 8:10) for the believer (though the body is still dead in sin).
The DUTY or ASSIGNMENT is that we must through the Spirit MAKE the “deeds of the body” to BE PUT
TO DEATH in present continuous tense (Mortify Rom 8:13; Col 3:5) in the believer (till we put of the
body).
Rom 8:10
(10) And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness.

Rom 8:13
(13) For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit do put to
death the deeds of the body, you shall live.

Col 3:5
(5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Since the fall of Adam, all humanity born of Adam is under the sentence of death in body and spirit
because of sin. However, since the exaltation of Christ, all humanity who believe in Christ has the free-
gift (GRACE) of salvation to life which is the regeneration of conscience and spirit in the present age
(Rom 6:22-23; Heb 9:14) but has the blessed-hope (GLORY) which shall be the resurrection of the body
in the come age. While we wait for this hope, Christ has given His saints the enabling GRACE and POWER
for the stewardship of PRESSING ON in the RACE which includes mortifying/putting-off of our
flesh/body/old-man (Rom 8:13; Eph 4:22-24; Php 3:12-16; Col 3:5-10). This is the help for the hope
which this generation has abandoned!
Col 3:5-10
(5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
(6) For which things' sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience:
(7) In which you also once walked, when you lived in them.
(8) But now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy talk out
of your mouth.
(9) Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds;
(10) And have put on the new man, that is renewed in knowledge after the image of
him that created him:

MORTIFICATION of “deeds of the body” that PUTS TO DEATH the “works of the flesh” is a spiritual
warfare ministry for the believer which must be mandatorily stewarded to be reckoned as faithful and
fruitful. Mortification that resists the ‘reign of sin in our body’ (Rom 6:12) and resigns to the “reign of
grace in our heart” (Rom 5:21) is true worship in the Spirit and Truth. To do otherwise is to deny Christ
(Jude 4).
Rom 5:21
(21) That as sin has reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

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 Rom 6:12
(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Jude 4
For some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. They were written about long
ago as being deserving of this condemnation because they are ungodly. They turn
the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust and deny our only Master
and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Any Repentance for Grace that could only Remiss and Justify from sin but not for Grace that could also
Resist or Mortify sin is futile to be likened to a purported birth of grace that could only empower life in
grace but could not empower growth in grace. The Grace which has power to Save (through the
quickening of justification and regeneration) from penalty and power of sin, also proves (through the
enablement for mortification) to have power to Sanctify from the pollution of sin, else how could we
that works out or shine the light that shows we have been saved?

Mortification is Spiritual Warfare

All who are saved by grace are called upon to the warfare of continuously mortifying sin of the flesh in
thought, word and deed unto the end; while they grow in their walk in the Spirit in thought, word and
deed unto eternity. Mortification is the victorious warfare and wrestle, fight and race in which the Saints
must ensure they always overcome the works of the flesh to rather walk in the Spirit.
1Co 9:24-27
(24) Know you not that they who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So
run, that you may obtain.
(25) And every man that strives for self control is temperate in all things. Now they do
it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
(26) I therefore so run, not with uncertainty; so fight I, not as one that beats the air:
(27) But I roughly treat my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means,
when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.

Steps to Victorious Mortification

When you were saved, you were freely given the enabling Grace to relentlessly Walk, War and Race by
the Spirit of grace, never let the enemy succeed to ensnare you again.
 Be fervent in unceasing watchful prayer. Eph 6:18
 Bring your body under subjection. 1Cor 9:27
 Insist always to serve only righteousness and never sin. Rom 6:19
 Count all things dung but press to Christ. Php 3:8
 Lay aside every weight. Heb 12:1
 Let the Word dwell in you. Col 3:16

Updated January 1, 2023

by Very Rev. Dr. I. U. Ibeme
Copyright  © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre
http://priscaquila.6te.net ; http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo