Mortifying Sin
Slip-Sliding Away

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Teaching Ministries

November 24, 2002
Adult Sunday School
Class #11

Key Points:

Indwelling sin (the flesh) aims to rob us of our "first love"—our love of Christ. We must not underestimate its power. We see in Scripture the power of violent sin upon numerous believers. And these were not "little people" but "giants of the faith"—men like Noah, Lot, David, and Hezekiah. These men fell not as "novices" but as ones long experienced in the ways of God?s grace.

Our "first love" burns bright when we have an accurate picture of our sin (Paul called himself the Chief of Sinners, this at the end of his life) and a sense of how much God has freely forgiven us in Christ.

Here are some of the ways the flesh attempts to diminish our "first love": it takes advantage of our natural laziness and negligence in spiritual matters, it wants us to "just go through the motions" without any sense of awe or fear of God, and perhaps its greatest destroyer of "first love fire" is its attempt to have us neglect our private communion with God.

When we see believers pining away, getting leaner in their souls, we know it is indwelling sin they must rid themselves of.

When indwelling sin cuts a person off from diligent and constant communion with God, then a decline of the whole person's obedience will inevitably follow.

The flesh brings an ocean against your love for Jesus. It would drown your love for Christ. Don't wait till you are treading water to defend yourself. Cut him off now. Murder the flesh.