Mortifying the Deeds of the Body

I'll be honest....This area is one of my main struggles. Balancing the fact that all my sins have been forgiven, I can't do anything on my own, Jesus is my strength, while also knowing that we have to learn to walk that all out in our daily lives.

At first glance, I liked the questionnaire. It seemed to give some direction in stepping out and using the word of God in our everyday practical lives.

Then after reading your posts, I began to think of how many questionnaires or lists to follow that I have made in my own life and for one reason or another not been able to keep every thing perfectly. Seems the enemy used those lists as a weapon against me....to condemn me when I didn't follow every single step on my list. I let the enemy make me feel guilty and ashamed and thus would back away from God thinking that I am just a failure.

So I guess, from that I've learned that focusing on check lists and what I need to do isn't a good idea for me. I need to learn to focus more on God and what he has done for me through Jesus Christ.

I know that through Jesus, God has redeemed us and set us free from the curse, guilt, and shame of sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. Jesus is now our high priest and lives to make intercession for us.

I know there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, and also that because there is no condemnation we can now come boldly before the throne of Grace to obtain mercy.

So I guess, where my issues come from is....wanting to do more for God, wanting to completely follow scripture, and draw nigh to God. In other words, I want to live up to the standards in scripture and use it to judge where I'm at in my walk. Not wanting to judge anyone else's walk with God...just my own.

I have a struggle with how to go about doing this without creating check lists that I need to follow...which I know usually leads to some condemnation and guilt on my part when I don't follow it completely.

Is this actually just a mind set problem? Can we make lists or questionnaires from scripture on how to follow, get closer to God, walk in the Spirit, and mortify the deeds of the flesh if we have the right mindset behind it?

"mortify"?

Are you saying eliminate sin? Why do you use...mortify?

Why do we humans ...so often...look for man's book writings for guidance rather than God's inspired word...the Bible.

Amazing.

The word 'mortify' is in the New Testament. Rom 8.13. In Colossians 3.5, it says 'put to death'.

As I said earlier, it is just self-examination. Often the Holy Spirit checks us (or convicts us) from His Word, or through preaching in the church, or even directly through the pricking of the conscience.

There is a question in Hebrews 2.3. How shall we escape if we NEGLECT so great salvation?

The questionnaire or checklist is meant to keep us on our toes, and to help us to go forward. When I examine myself by my own checklist, I know how much I have failed, how much more ground I have to cover; it helps me go forward. The questionnaire is not meant to be read daily. It is just a 'help'. We should not get offended by checklists, etc.

The main focus is on Christ and His Word. And the Word works like a two-edged sword at times.

The checklist is based on the Word of God. Read 2 Cor 13.5.

oh brother. don't explain what you were talking about...no no...don't bother

No you said nothing of the sort about it being a checklist in another thread you where quite clearly using this questionare to Judge people and insisted i should answer it ,,this is what you wrote
in another thread im highlighting what you wrote else where in red


I have learnt some 'keys' to a positive and fruitful Christian life. But it applies to those who are truly born again

The first key is Obedience.
So many say that they have Faith, but they do not Obey God.

Try this questionnaire:

1. Are you in the habit of having a daily Quiet Time with God? Do you read the Bible (at least a chapter) and ask God to speak to you? Do you reflect over what you've read? Do you receive promises from God? Does the Word convict you of any negligence or omission in obeying God?

2. Do you maintain a prayer list? Do you pray for your family? friends? church members? Do you 'walk with God, talk with God' in your heart, as you go about your daily duties? Do you maintain a to-do-list and do you pray over it? Can you say that your prayer life has increased?

3. Do you spend more time on Facebook/Twitter/Internet than time alone with God? Do you share Christ on FB/Twitter/Internet, or do you indulge in trivialities and chit-chat?

4. Can you say that you have utterly surrendered to God, that you are living 100% for Him, and that you are in this world to serve Him?

5. Can you say truthfully that the world does not attract you anymore? Can you say also that you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires? Can you say that the Holy Spirit has taken full control of your life? and that you are 'led by Him'?



In another thread you acused christians of being spiritualy dead.

In another thread you said you want to hear just from born again christians. (all christians are born again) and youve allready implied there not in another thread

In another thread you came on to strong with expectations of how christians should be

i can pull them all up if you want to play games.

ouch. you called it

Some things are now being said here that I don't see happening at all. Sometimes things cut to the heart "conviction".

What I share is just me and could be wrong but my first thought was who are we focusing on? I keep playing this song I just heard yesterday "Stand in Faith by Danny Gokey". For me when I focus on sin then thats all I see and I don't feel better and my heart in this case is always convicting me. For me again when I took this before Him He never once talked about the sin but asked, got me to focus on what is righteousness and how do get that righteousness.

Then what Paul or the sweet Holy Spirit said " shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." When Christ died we died.. when Christ rose we rose. See we focus on HIM! What HE did not what we can never do. I can never die daily to sin if I am not focused on HIM! No man will ever glory in HIs sight. Side note .. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE...did I say Love? I LOVE music right now the 3 songs that have played each one was on "FAITH".

Now I think those questions were wonderful and so true! Things we all should be doing. I am a person since I was 3 that NEVER liked being told what to do haha sad that part has not changed one bit. Yet if put ME aside and listen read.. am I doing things like this believer that loves Jesus so much and seems to want to help. Maybe for some was not worded said they way they like praise GOD.

So I focus not on me not one what I can never do. I can only over come because of HIM! He is the way He is the truth He is the life. When I focus on Him.. then I can do ALL THINGS through Christ which strengths me. Then all things are possible to me since I BELIEVE/FAITH!.

So yes and amen "You have every failure God and you'll have every victory". So the part I disagree with is the focus is on "I I I ME ME ME" not Him. For me. Not here to debate lol. This is what I found works in my life. Spent to many years ME trying to change to be holy righteous by what I do in the flesh. When I was already holy righteous since the day He found me. I still have to die daily. Forgive awful with words..

From some of the angry responses I have been getting, I take it that 'modern christians' refuse to listen to great men of God like John Owen or Andrew Murray. These 'modern christians' seem to value their opinions over the clear Word of God!

I hope they will come to their senses, and stop getting agitated over the words of truth written in the Bible.

And P.S. The real Christian is a born-again Christian. Read Roman 8.9b for starters!

Nice post and thankyou blade it made me feel blessed. your quite right we should not look to self gloryfy or say thank God im not like that person.
You remeber the teaching from Jesus about the tax collector and the pharisee.
The pharisee said thank god im not like that man and the tax collecter said lord have mercy upon me i am a sinner.
The lord forgave the tax collector.

I certainly dont want to be like the pharisee .
I can turn a blind eye to it when people are more self oppionated than others or to boastful in there expectations of others.
I can turn a blind eye to it over and over again and not say a word and just have a silent prayer.
But what i cant turn a blind eye to is seeking approval to carry on in belittleling others.
Maybe i need help with my walk there.
Im praying right not for more patience in this matter.
But this is how i feel a lot of theese threads are going That seeking approval of each other is being done to condem somebody else.

I dont want to fall out with other christians as we are suppose to be one family.
I really dont want any unforgiveness to fall upon my heart.

And i dont want there to be enemies between christians. but this is all the opp keeps going on about since hes been here. That christians have done this and christians have done that and there not real christians on face book or twitter.

Ive had enough his twining and expectations is doing my head in.
Maybe some of his points are valid and i have even took him in as a freind and prayed for him and followed him. But he just keeps repeating the same old things like a parrot.

Please forgive me for my annoyance if im wrong. Its annoying me that the opp only wants to hear from truly born again christians.
That really did get my Goat up and i sence the op is doing this deliberately. I could be wrong. We can not Judge who is truly born again That would be fault finding and its dangerouse becuase it could effect our walk to think we have a weekness when we need not.
Maybe the opp thinks his walk is so good that he can teach others but i really do think hes going about that the wrong way.
Or maybe he has been genuinely hurt by others on other forums by other christians.
Any how that was a diffrent forum and this is a new forum and a new start.
We have to learn how put up with annoyance as christians its a weekness if we lose are patience.
Its allso a weakness if we react badly whilst we have lost are patience.
For that reason ill see you next week lol

I dont know whether the opp realises that quite a few people have allready have got annoyed the same way i have which does effect your daily walk.

Its time to suit up and boot up and let by gons be bygons.
Its time to pray for petty squabbles to come to an end and its now time for me to go and pull out some more weeds out in my garden lol

ps...real Christians do not join a forum and with the first post they make, create animosity and judgement on all present

it's not your personal measurement of holiness that we live by

no one is going to listen to your harsh spirit...it is not Christ's spirit you exemplify with your judgements and they type of post that states you must be the only Christian in the room because no one else is following you

that is a spirit right there and it's not of God. super egos, as you appear to have, are not of God