Showing posts with label Mortify. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mortify. Show all posts

Thursday, 27 August 2020

Ways to Redirect Your Focus 1: Devotion for Friday August 28, 2020



MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Friday August 28, 2020

Topic: Ways to Redirect Your Focus 1     

Text: Colossians 3:5 – 7                       

Yesterday, we read Paul’s call on us to redirect our focus from worldly things to heavenly. Today and tomorrow, we shall be considering ways to redirect our focus on things eternal instead of the things worldly.

Paul noted in this epistle that if the Colossian believers were to live as examples of Christ, they had to put to death certain aspects of the sinful earthly things lurking within them, the sinful nature; the old self.

Two sets of sins are listed by Apostle Paul, which he advised that they should put to death or mortify. The first five refer to sexual sin; the second five to sins of speech/action. We’ll discuss sins of speech/action tomorrow. The first five relates to the cultural background of the Colossians and were particularly deadly to the life of the church: Sexual sin, impurity, lust, shameful desires and greed for good things of life which he called idolatry. These five sins mentioned here directly affect our spirituality and they attract God’s anger too. Every true Christian should be cautious so as not to fall prey of these sexual sins.

It is necessary to mortify sins, because if we do not kill them, they will kill us. Although Paul told them in Colossians 3:3, that they were dead to sin, yet here, in Colossians 3:5, he charged them to mortify sin; intimating, that the work of mortification, at the best, is but imperfect, and must be carried on daily and progressively.

How are you mortifying your body so that you could be focused on Christ and heavenly things? Note that mortification is not a thing of once and for all.

Food for Thought: What are the ways you can mortify sin in your life?

Memory verse: Colossians 3 v 5      

Prayer: Grant me the grace O Lord to put to death all sinful desire in me in Jesus name. 

Sunday, 21 June 2020

Manifesting In the Flesh: Devotion for Monday June 22, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL
Devotion for Monday June 22, 2020
Topic: Manifesting In the Flesh                            
Text: Galatians 5:19 – 21                             
We all have evil desires, and we can’t ignore them. Pretences can’t help. We must deal with them or else they will manifest and distort our relationship with God. In order for us to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we must deal with them decisively by crucifying them (Galatians 5:24).
These desires include obvious sins, such as sexual immorality and demonic activities. They also include less obvious sins, such as hostility, jealousy, and selfish ambition. Those who ignore such sins or refuse to deal with them reveal that they have not received the gift of the Spirit that leads to a transformed life. Are you one of the people that ignore these sins when they manifest in your life?  
Our fallen human nature (called “flesh”) betrays itself in the work which a man does. These demonstrate that such person is not living under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In our text, Paul enumerated seventeen sins, while he listed only nine fruits of the Spirit as we shall see on Tuesday. Neither list is exhaustive, but both are representative.
The Galatian Christians had come out of a pagan background where sensual sins were not only tolerated but encouraged by the pagan priests and rituals. Thus Paul had to deal with this issue in this way so that they will understand the requirements of true Christianity. Beloved, if you are still living in the flesh, it will betray and disgrace you. Therefore, beware! Mortify that flesh now.
Food for Thought: Living in the flesh is a way of betraying your Christian faith.
Memory verse: Galatians 519, 20 
Prayer: Help me my Lord and my God to crucify flesh so that your Spirit will take full control of my life in Jesus name.

Friday, 29 July 2016

WAYS TO REDIRECT YOUR FOCUS 1: Devotion for Saturday July 30, 2016

WAYS TO REDIRECT YOUR FOCUS 1: Devotion for Saturday July 30, 2016

Text: Colossians 3:5 – 7                        Memory verse: v 5

Yesterday, we read Paul’s call on us to redirect our focus. Today and tomorrow, we shall be considering ways to redirect our focus on things eternal instead of the things, worldly. Paul noted that if the Colossian believers were to live as examples of Christ, they had to put to death certain aspects of the sinful earthly things lurking within them, the sinful nature; the old self. Two sets of sins are listed by Paul, which he advised that they should put to death or mortify. The first five refer to sexual sin; the second five are sins of speech/action. We’ll discuss that tomorrow. These first five relates to the cultural background of the Colossians and were particularly deadly to the life of the church: Sexual sin, impurity, lust, shameful desires and greed for good things of life which he called idolatry. These five sins mentioned here directly affect our spirituality and they attract God’s anger too.

It is necessary to mortify sins, because if we do not kill them, they will kill us. Although Paul told them in 3:3, that they were dead to sin, yet here, in 3:5, he charged them to mortify sin; intimating, that the work of mortification, at the best, is but imperfect, and must be carried on daily basis and progressively. How can you mortify your body so that you could be focused on Christ and heavenly things? Note that mortification is not a thing of once and for all.

Food for Thought: What are the ways you can mortify sin in your life?

Prayer: Grant me the grace, O Lord, to put to death all sinful desire in me.

Awake From Sleep: Devotion for Friday October 9, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL Devotion for Friday October 9, 2020 Topic: Awake From Sleep                                Text...