Detoxify

Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.

Many people in the world are addicted to certain things. They might be addicted to playing a game station, or engaging in sexual activity. They might be addicted to the internet. An addiction is something that you don’t want to let go of, and can slowly begin to consume your life. One time when I was in high school I walked about 7 miles to a gas station just to get tobacco. This is why fasting towards the Lord Jesus is such a good thing, because it causes us to step back from certain activities, or abstain from them completely. Many people will claim that they don’t have an addiction, but if they can’t give it up for a few days, no matter what it may be, it’s an addiction. It can be just anything in your life that you tend to have too much of, or show too much of a concern for, such as sugar, rich foods, tobacco, caffeine and even alcohol. To detoxify your body is to physically refrain yourself from partaking in certain things, until your bloodstream is completely free of toxins. 

This reminds me of the Christian Life

Although many people will physically detoxify their bodies, many of them refuse to take a deep look inside of their own hearts, and recognize that they must Spiritually detoxify their own souls. The toxin of sin flows throughout the carnal mind, and it needs to be eradicated from our lives. Although things in your bloodstream can add up, things in the mind can as well, filled up with secret sins and carnal activities that are very deep and hidden from view. The heart must be completely purified, Spiritually detoxified, through confession, repentance, and mortifying the sinful deeds of the flesh.

Romans 8:12-14  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Mortification means to deaden off and subdue the desires of the sinful nature. After all this is what we need to do with the old creature inside of us. We need to put him away with his deeds.

Colossians 3:9-10  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Through the preaching of God’s Word, we begin to be filled with wisdom, conforming ourselves to His purpose. God gives us Grace in time of need, so ee can completely overcome the carnal nature and its desires.  Mortification is putting to death the sinful deeds of the flesh.

Galatians 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Just like you would abandon your car on the highway, we must depart from iniquity with no desire to return.

2 Timothy 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Even the Apostle teaches that we are not supposed to keep on sinning, but move on to perfection, eventually eliminating repentance from dead works. We are not supposed to receive God’s grace in vain, but rather, take advantage of the mercy He grants us. Jesus died to take our sins away, and we must walk in the newness of life as forgiven sinners. 

Romans 6:1-7  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.  For he that is dead is freed from sin.

You don’t want sin to get a hold of you and control you like an addiction, but rather yield yourself unto the will of God.

Romans 6:12-13  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

We must restrain and subdue the harmful sinful appetites, denying ourselves for the way of Christ.

Titus 2:11-12  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

As obedient children, we must set our affection on things above, rather than the things of the flesh, refocusing our minds on Spiritual things rather than things of this world.

Colossians 3:1-6  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

So you see, just like people cleanse their bodies, we need to cleanse our hearts. It’s all a matter of going through……

….. Spiritual Detox

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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