Mortification and Rest

MORTIFICATION (Col 3:5)

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry”.

“… mortification may be considered as to its continuation, and the carrying on the life of grace, in the making dead all that is contrary to it; even the renewed person should be continually solicitous to have the old man killed outright without any reprieve. This is it that the apostle put the believing Colossians upon, not to spare any remaining ill dispositions or depraved habits of the old man; but by the assistance of the Spirit, (for it is not a natural, but spiritual work), #Ro 8:13 Ga 5:24, continually to resist to the killing of it, or putting it to death: never to desist in this war.”

M. Poole
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Col 3:5

"MORTIFY therefore"—wherefore? The previous words give the reason. Because "ye died" with Christ, and because ye "were raised together with Him." In other words, the plainest, homeliest moral teaching of this Epistle, such as that which immediately follows, is built upon its "mystical" theology. Paul thinks that the deep things which he has been saying about union with Christ in His death and resurrection have the most intimate connection with common life. These profound truths have the keenest edge, and are as a sacrificial knife, to slay the life of self. Creed is meant to tell on conduct. Character is the last outcome and test of doctrine. But too many people deal with their theological beliefs as they do with their hassocks and prayer books and hymn books in their pews—use them for formal worship once a week, and leave them for the dust to settle on them till Sunday comes round again. So it is very necessary to put the practical inferences very plainly, to reiterate the most commonplace and threadbare precepts as the issue of the most recondite teaching, and to bind the burden of duty on men’s backs with the cords of principles and doctrines.

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Christ Our Sabbath

“There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (Hebrews 4:9-10).

Brethren, we who, by the power of God the Holy Spirit, have believed in Christ and repented of our own dead works have entered into a true, spiritual, eternal sabbath rest. Our rest is not one day of the week on which we cease to work physically. Our rest is a Person who by Himself finished a work for us and rested from that work. Our sabbath rest is CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED! Christ on the cross finished the work He was sent to do in the redemption and justification of His people, God’s elect. He put away our sins and gave us His righteousness, and we rest in Him. When we by the Holy Spirit enter into our sabbath rest, we enter into HIS rest. We rest in His redeeming grace and love for us. The call of the Gospel is a call, not to work for salvation, but to rest in Christ for all of salvation. All good works are by the power of God and motivated in us as fruit unto God that flows from our rest in Christ our Sabbath.

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