The World Is Crucified Unto Me - Bible Witness Media Ministry

Christian and Worldlinessmercy, has led you to read this article to wakeyou up and enlist you to fight a good fight.Be prepared for an aggressive, ‘no-mercy’approach to your sins. Read what Jesus has said,“Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee,cut them off, and cast them from thee:it is better forthee to enterinto life halt ormaimed, ratherthan having twohands or two feet tobe cast into everlastingfire. And if thine eyeoffend thee, pluck itout, and cast it fromthee: it is better forthee to enter into lifewith one eye, ratherthan having twoeyes to becast intohell fire”(Matthew 18:8-9). Itis a picture of the most radical kind of assaulton our own sin. The Lord is calling you toconsider the vanity of entertaining the fleshlylusts, for they will soon give you a deadly blow.So He says cut off your hand or your foot ifyou must keep it from stumbling your soul.You deal aggressively with your sins, not thesins of others.Jesus’ words call for very intense self-control.You don’t let the flesh call the shots. You musthave all the passions of your body and mindunder control. You take them captive anddecapitate them.There is something about war that sharpensthe senses . . . You hear a twig snap or therustling of leaves and you are in an attackmode. Someone coughs and you are readyto pull the trigger. Even after days of little orno sleep, war keeps us vigilant.So make no peace with yourears, eyes, tongue, hands andfeet. They will betray you likeJudas who betrayed ourLord. If you allow themto control your life,you are permittingthem to make waron your soul. Put todeath the sinful deedsof your body.The only way ofobtaining self-controlis by engaging yourselfin an all-out war againstevery out-of-control desire.Self-control is a declarationof all-out war!Self-control is a total attack against all theimpulses in us that would be destroyingour spiritual pursuit. It is a quick slaughterof all the impulses in our own selves thatwould make peace with our own sin andsettle in with a peacetime mentality. It is theimmediate crushing of every unwholesomecraving. Kill right away the thoughts about thepraise of men, fame and power, love for moremoney, temptations towards pornography,craving for more than food and drinks, desirefor sensual satisfaction, etc. It is an absolutesnubbing of every violent passion such as anger,jealousy, envy, unforgiveness, impatience, etc.It is also a total eradication of a sluggish orindifferent spirit towards spiritual and moralobligations.12Bible Witness