MORTIFYING THINGS

The human appetite is insatiable. It cannot be tamed or controlled by any one of us—I know we would like to think we can control our appetites, but we can’t. To subdue a human appetite requires Something Superhuman. The best that we can do is to learn management techniques (contentment—not with the appetites, but with possessions). 

The Word of God teaches us to “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.”  Romans 8:12-14.

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:”  Colossians 3:4-6.

They must be subdued—those deeds (or appetites), if we are to live, but it is the Spirit that gives that process life. Being human, our flesh chooses by nature, the things that are comfortable and soothing, rather than the things that are eternally beneficial. This is the reason that we are taught so often in Scripture about the need for contentment.  Contentment isn’t being satisfied when you get everything that you wanted—it’s being satisfied, no matter what you have—abased or abounding. The content man is he who is insatiable for the Spirit, but trusts God for his necessities and isn’t concerned with accumulating more. The spiritually-content man is ready to give not simply after his desires are met—but even instead of meeting his own desires. 

John told us so very clearly about “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life”—all these need to be mortified. The definition of the word “mortify” describes 3 different processes, typically:

1.       To cause to experience shame, humiliation, or wounded pride; humiliate.

2.       To subdue and bring under control by self-denial, disciplinary exercises, etc.

3.       To undergo mortification; become gangrenous or necrosed.

Both Paul and John recognized the effect that the human appetites, lusts and covetousness have on the Christian, and so besought (and beseech) every man to become engaged in this battle where we choose to allow the Spirit to have the reins, controlling our bodies as we surrender our wills. The apostles both understood the pull of the world and its systems. They saw that the lie we often tell (that there is nothing out there, in the world!) is counterproductive to guarding ourselves against the wiles of the enemy. Better to know that it is attractive and desirable, but that it is far too costly a price to pay, and those choices have consequences even in this life that are detrimental—to ourselves and others. It is much wiser to arm ourselves with the knowledge of the enemy’s tactics and to know our weaknesses, so that when attacked we can be effective.

One of our biggest battles today is the battle of discontent. The longing to have more—and more.  There is a continual wrestling to gain more material substance and less and less emphasis on spiritual gain. Victory and faith are taught in conjunction with wealth, health and prosperity; it has become the assumption by many that faith is for getting the “things” that I want rather than for living the Truth of God’s Word, in the earth—in the midst of a perverse generation.  In our churches, we have stopped teaching people how to be “content” and have begun to teach people how to get more. The Gospel Message isn’t how to get more, but how to give more, how to bless more, how to love more, and how to sacrifice self, more. This is a new gospel and it is destroying us spiritually. We are so busy going to conferences learning how to manage our finances and sowing seeds in order to become wealthy that we have forgotten the mission. In the wake, under our feet are “the least of these” hungry, sick and in prison waiting for us to see beyond our own selfish desires.  We have rationalized and justified this false gospel by twisting Scripture and taking the Word out of context, until it becomes unrecognizable. The Gospel of Christ is sacrificial—it isn’t just allegorical or parabolic; it is the way of life of the Christ-ian. Jesus Christ came sacrificing all and we are called to lay down our lives, as well. (“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:15-17).

Colossians 3:5 says this, “So kill (deaden, ^[a]deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).” (Amplified Bible).  If we would only acknowledge that our lusts and desires are more than a little quirk to work on, but that they are indeed idolatry, would it even make a difference? Would we really care?

Lust isn’t limited to only sexual desire and covetousness doesn’t only want what belongs to others. Lust is “having a self-absorbed desire for an object, person, or experience”. Covetousness is “having or showing a strong desire for especially material possessions; implies inordinate desire often for another's possessions.”  It is of tantamount importance that we grasp this. These things, covetousness and greed will destroy us. We have rationalized them for too long, but the truth is we can test ourselves. Do we spend time daydreaming about material things? Do we have our needs met and see the needs of others around us, but still are comfortable spending Kingdom money on our desires? Check conversations—how much time is spent talking about cars, money, homes, clothing, shoes, hair, and all those corruptible things? They are distractions—clever tools that the enemy uses against us, because they work. They work because the nature of the human appetite is insatiable. The hard part is this: are we willing to do things differently, and radically—the Gospel lifestyle is a radical one. Jesus didn’t come ushering in an era of more comfort—or greater comfort and relief. He shook kingdoms and strongholds; he wrecked the status quo! He challenged those in authority who chose to deny the truth of God’s Word. Jesus was a rebel by His day’s standards and ours, too—and anyone who goes against this tide of greed and feel-good gospel will probably be labeled rebellious, today. Jesus touched the untouchable, loved the unloveable, ate with sinners, intentionally (I believe) snubbed rituals (for opportunities to teach important lessons) and kept quiet when they came for His life.

The life of Christ seems so opposite the portrait of the church today. Rather than make excuses and justify why we don’t reflect His Image, why not seek to reflect the Light and Life of Jesus. The world is searching for a people that match the Name that we are called by. We want the benefits of the Name of Jesus, but none of the responsibilities, but it cost something. Most of us say that we would rather die than deny Jesus, but we can’t give up our “things” for the sake of the Gospel, so how likely is it that we will give our lives for it???

Our attachment, our “lust” and the Object of our desire must be for Him. When we truly delight in Him, contentment will come. 

(Message to self: refocus.)