Friday, August 22, 2014

Mortifying

My friend Caleb made a comment to me the other day that I thought I'd pass on:

Romans 8:13 says we're to put to death the deeds of the body. Colossians 3:5 says we're to put to death our "members which are upon the earth". There's one sure way to put to death what comes from the first Adam: looking at the face of God (Exodus 33:20). If we want to put to death our members on the earth, we need to look at Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). As we behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, death works in us.

Frankly, I need to be reminded of that.

4 comments:

Salar said...

What do you mean when you say "death works in us"?

clumsy ox said...

Salar,

I was thinking of 2 Corinthians 4:10–12 when I wrote that. The effect of death working in us is that "the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh" (v. 11).

I don't take this to mean the same death as Romans 6. There it isn't that I must die, but that I have died. But I think the Lord uses that same principle of death as He works in us.

Do you have any thoughts on the subject?

Berlin said...

Perhaps this will help. The passage in 2 Cor. 4 is the practical side of reckoning oneself dead to sin in Roamans 6. It is the translation of Romans 6 from doctrine into practice. There is purpose of heart to keep the death of Christ, and our death with Him, between the soul and everything that would hinder the expression of His Life in and through us. "Always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body;"

Salar said...

It was interesting, right after reading your post my devotional was all about fixing our eyes on Christ.

In the OT the Israelites were given life when they looked at the serpent raised up by Moses.

We receive everlasting life by believing in Christ who is revealed by the law.

How do we fix our eyes on Christ?