I'll take your life!" Then more than 80 years of age, the saint re sponded, "Sire, you cannot take my life, for I am dead, and my life is hid with Christ in God." What confidence this truth brings to our hearts! Colossians 3:4 tells us, "When Christ, who is our life, shall ap pear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory." Basically, the goal of a Christian is not some cemetery grave, mausoleum, crypt orcolumbarium urn. It is rather the glory that shall be revealed when we see Christ. This is not the Rap ture or the bodily resurrection of the believer into the presence of the Lord. This is rather the second phase of Christ's return when He comes to this earth in His glory bodily, visibly, when every eye shall see Him. In Colossians 3:5 we are given a very strong exhortation and com mand which cannot be overlooked, "Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth: fornica tion, uncleanness, inordinate affec tion, evil concupiscence, and cov etousness, (which is idolatry." The word "mortify" simply means that we are to kill or to crush the life out of these things. They are to become like a corpse. (This does not refer to our physical members. Scriptures does not advocate or condone suicide. It is talking about that which comes as a result of the sinfulness of man.) The problem is that like a beset ting secret sin, we sometimes en joy it a little too much to want to be done with it entirely. It is like the two society matrons who were solving the world's problems. One asked her friend, "What do you Page 14
think of capital punishment?" The other thought a moment and then bravely asserted, "I think I am for it, just as long as it is not too se vere!" Some Christians act this way about sin. They are willing to mor tify the flesh, just as long as they do not have to kill it all, especially in those areas where they do not really want to be rid of sin. God says that we cannot compromise in any of these areas. Impure affections, fornication and immorality represent the look, the thought and the dead. Keep it in mind that men do not suddenly fall into the sin of adultery. When a person's mind continually dwells upon such a subject, these desires become a part of the emotions. The Spirit of God has not been al lowed to work. We are told here to "deaden" uncleanness. While fornication deals more with the act or deed, this represents thoughts, words, looks and gestures. It is both men tal and moral. Many years ago a blacksmith was well-known for his ability to forge the finest chains in the area. He boasted that he could break anyone else's chain brought to him. He was always successful in finding their weakest links, while his own were impervious to de struction. For some reason he es pecially displeased the king and was taken away to the prison area to be bound. Secretly he laughed to himself for he knew he could get free when alone by simply breaking the chains. When the guards had him securely fastened, they moved away. He began sifting through each link. Several times he went through them until he came up with the horrible realization that he had been bound by his own
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