Well thank you Dan for those gracious words and it's a mutual blessing. I so appreciate Dan and the ministry here at this church and what God is doing and through you in the community that usually when I meet husbands and wives and the guy goes man and you write that book on husbands and they usually say I hate you. And it's usually the wives are going. Thank you. So I'm glad if it's a help. That was the intent of writing that. And it's not an autobiography. I am not the exemplary husband. It's just the standard and God's word to be more and more like Jesus. And so we're all in that race and and seeking to be more like Christ. We've been a refreshing blessed time this morning just focusing on Christ is death, burial, resurrection, and baptism, and the music, and the scripture reading on our position in Christ for those who have trusted in the Lord. In salvation, just a good reminder, and you have an insert as well that if you want to take notes, the outline's there. In our salvation, it's clear in scripture that there is a change in our status. Christ is for us now. We're not under condemnation. We've been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of His Son. So there's a change in our status in Christ. There's also a change in our nature. Now Christ is in us. And this is so important for us that now we walk in newness of life. It may describe you, but a lot of individuals, again, in their Christian life, it is a challenge to grow in our life and our struggle with sin. It gets wearisome sometimes, and sometimes it seems like a hopeless cycle. And it may sound like this, and I try to, from all of the times I'm meeting with people and in my own dealing with sin in my life, It can sound like this cycle just goes round and round even sometimes weeks months and years in Christians lives even though we've been bought with a price and we're not our own personal say well things were going along and then I was tempted and then there was this feeble struggle in my life. It's not an intense one, just I tried wrestling, I shouldn't give in to the temptation. Then I started rationalizing why maybe it'd be okay this time. And so rationalizations would take place. And then there was this unholy surrender. I give up. Maybe I've already sinned in my mind, I might as well just go ahead and sin in my behavior. Sort of a hopelessness. Then sin is committed from mind to behavior. There's real guilt when we sin. Yet at the same time, there's this momentary pleasure. In Hebrews 11, Moses talks about refusing to give in to the passing pleasures of sin. There is a pleasure in sin. It's like a sugar-coated poison. So there's a momentary pleasure. There's real guilt. And then there's sorrow and shame. Oh, I've done it again. Then there is a delayed confession to God. I can't go to him. This is like an umpteenth number of times I've sinned in this area. Then finally, you do go to him. You confess, say the same thing that I sinned against God, as the scripture says. But then Provisions for the sin still remain. Christ is not put on in the way that he wants us to excel and grow in our faith. And then there's an isolation. No outside help is sought. I'll just deal with this myself in my own life, my own walk. Then time passes. And then there's temptation. And then grows the cycle again. And I can't tell you how many times I've just heard this one form or the other sounds just like this cycle a lust cycle. Well God has given us the divine resources that we need to grow in our faith. He has given us all the resources we need through the spirit of God the word of God and the people of God. It involves a for a Christian by the spirit killing or subduing sin and its lusts in our life and its provision and exercising growing in our faith in Christ. It takes both of those to be growing in our life. The killing is often called or known as mortification. Maybe you've heard that term mortify the deeds of your flesh and exercising and growing in our faith With the early Puritan writer John Owen is was called vivification or vivify or exercise or revive Your faith don't be stagnant And so this morning, I'd like you to turn we're gonna be looking at Some of the key verses and your notes there. The first is Romans chapter 8 So if you'll turn to Romans chapter 8 This morning, Romans 6 was read in our position in Christ. We died with Christ, we were raised from Christ. We saw a visible display of that in two of the ladies' lives through baptism. What a glorious picture of what God has done for us in Christ. And so the Holy Spirit is mentioned twice in the first seven chapters of Romans. In relationship to taking the work of Christ and applying it to the life of a well an unbeliever but now a believer. So in the whole area of salvation the Holy Spirit takes the work of Christ and applies it to his elect or to his child. Then you. So that's chapters 1 through 7. Then you come to Chapter 8. And now there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. How do we live this Christian life now. What's it going to take. to live and walk out this newness of life. So, we're not in that lust cycle over and over and over again. How do we do this? Well, the Holy Spirit is mentioned 20 times in this chapter, one chapter. You're not going to do this on your own. You can't walk this Christian life on your own. So Holy Spirit has been given to us to help us walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. I want you to follow with me, if you will, in chapter 8, down to verse 12 and 13. Chapter 8, verses 12 and 13. So then, brothers, we are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. If you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit You put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Now there's what's called the mortification. Put to death the deeds of the flesh. That's Romans 8, and we're going to go to another text now, but as we talk about putting to death, when you look at, you can't You can't kill the lusts. You subdue them. You can't get rid of them in your life until glory, until we're with the Lord. So you can't remove them. You subdue them. And you subdue them so much that it's like they're killed. So this putting to death is subduing them to where they're lifeless. You're not giving attention to them. You're not making provision for them. You're not feeding them. And instead, we're pursuing and exercising our faith in Christ. Now, if you'll turn to Titus chapter two, this is another key passage. For the believer. In chapter one it gives instructions to Titus on the island of Crete on this is how church should be run and who should be leading. And so in chapter one he talks about leadership godly leadership in the church and he speaks about false teachers at the end of chapter one and beware of them. And then chapter two he turns he says now in the church in your life in your home and the family and the church. Here's the godly conduct that ought to go on among various groups of people. He starts with the older men in verse 2. He moves to the aged older women. He goes to the younger women and he goes to the younger men here in chapter 6 as well. I mean chapter 2 verse 6. So all the different groups then he goes in even to the area of slavery. The slaves who were believers in Christ at that time on that island. And at the end of Chapter 2, verse 11 through 14, he gives the reason why there ought to be this godly conduct. Not giving in to the cycle of lust, but here, live a life that reflects this newness of Christ and walking in newness. And he says, this is why and because of this. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. The grace of God there is Jesus incarnate. He appeared and he brought salvation for all the people groups that were just mentioned in verses 1 through 10. Older men, younger men, older women, younger women, whether you're free or in slavery at the time, God brought salvation to all those people groups. And verse 12 tells us what Jesus is going to do now. He appeared and now he's going to train us, verse 12. Training us, same word used for parenting. You never thought about having a personal trainer. But here you go. Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions that's putting off. And here's what we're going to be putting on and exercising our faith to live self-controlled. That's personally to be upright. That's before other people with integrity. and godly lives. That's a reverential view and position before God in this present age. And while we're doing that we're waiting. Verse 13 for our blessed hope the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works and then he tells Timothy exhort these things declare them and rebuke with all authority. Now in your notes you have some supporting passages a few of them if you wanted to take notes on that. One is this. Matthew 5 29 and 30. Matthew 5 29 and 30. That's where the Lord tells us that if Our eye offends you, he says, then pluck it out. And we want to, if we do that at all in our life, spiritually speaking, we want to tuck it in our pocket. And the Lord says, you pluck that out and you throw it far from you. This is this make no provision for your flesh. You say, well, what's the flesh? Since we have three enemies, Satan, the world, system, and teachings, and the flesh. The flesh is this, in the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. The flesh, and I'm quoting, is the outlook oriented toward the self. It's the outlook. The outlook oriented toward the self. That which pursues its own ends. in self-sufficient independence of God. It's the outlook oriented toward the self that which pursues its own ends and self-sufficient independence of God. I had a professor once who did a whole study and did one of his theses on this and I think it's his THM thesis. on the flesh. And he said, two words will tip you off really fast that you are not living by the spirit for the glory of the Lord. Two things, two words, self and independence. If you are focused on yourself, you're not thinking of God and other people. It's just all about you. That is fleshly. If you want no one telling you what to do, parents, God, any authority, that is fleshly. You go, wow, that's helpful to know. Am I walking by the Spirit for the glory of the Lord, loving God, loving others, or is it about me and my independence? I can't wait to get out from under authority. That is not of the Spirit. So it's just good to be reminded Matthew 5, 29 and 30. Take whatever means possible within reason there to make no provision for the flesh. Another verse supporting passage is Romans 13, 14. It says, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for your flesh to fulfill it and its lusts thereof. Now as I read that verse, actually I just quoted it, it's a good verse to memorize. In college, I memorized half the verse. It's really strange. You know, in memory work, I just went, oh man, I'm struggling with lust in my life in college, so God says, make no provision for your flesh to fulfill its lust thereof. That's half the verse. I wasn't dwelling on the first half of the verse. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh. This is so common. This is the way the world thinks. Let's break habits. Let's just stop the sin. I mean, you talk to believers, you go, I just don't want to sin. I don't want to sin. I don't want to sin. And so the focus becomes in support groups. Stop the sin. So they all talk around every week. There are groups meeting all over our country on how to stop a sin. But that's not what the verse says. In Christ you put on the Lord Jesus. You start reading his word which is his mind given to us is his will for us. You start loving others and serving others so it's not all self related. I think about glorifying God and taking the gospel to others. And. Make no provision for your flesh. Oh, I was just focused on stop a sin. If you look at all of the imperatives in the New Testament for believers, all of the commands, you'll find that the majority of them, 70, 80 percent are all going in the right way towards Christ. And then there'll be some commands. Oh, by the way, don't be doing these. Put this off. Make no provision for your flesh. The emphasis is on pursuing Christ. And when you get in that lust cycle, the emphasis in someone's life will be on how do I stop this sin, rather than how can I grow in my faith in Christ. So keep that in mind. That's a great verse to memorize, Romans 13, 14. Then 1 Corinthians 9, 27, where the apostle Paul said, I don't run this race just to have fun. I'm running to win. I buff at my body. I keep it under subjection less after what all said and done after he preached to many he himself would not be disqualified. First Corinthians 927 another very good verse to remember it is self-control. Self-discipline by the Holy Spirit's help. Now in your notes there and you don't have to write this and it's already there. How do you define. Killing sin. Active pursuit of faith and holiness in Christ. Well it is a discipline of grace. You can't do this on your own member by the spirit. You do this. A discipline of grace. We're by a Christian. Pursuing purity holiness and resting on Christ finished work. On the cross. Aggressively strives. against sin in his life and thus weakens it so that its power and predominance is subdued and practically destroyed at the same time aggressively strives towards a growing faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now if you in my notes I would encourage you there's two words there and that definition if you're taking notes just underline them. and then put about a hundred asterisks next to it. Aggressively. You see that aggressively strives against sin aggressively strives towards a growing faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Good to be reminded that you will not coast into godliness. You don't just drift going to be more like Jesus. If you drift, it's going towards the flesh. Self and independence. Going to the airport, usually, and so many airports, you have these escalators. The Christian life is like walking up a down escalator. If you stop and say, I'm going to take a break. I need a rest. You're going down. In your mind. Your heart. This is important for us to remember. It's aggressive. It's zeal. Romans 12, 11 says, don't be slothful in zeal. But be fervent in the Lord. Fervent in spirit and the Lord serving the Lord. So it's it's a zeal and that's it's not. Oh if I get around to it. Now the goal. What's the goal and mortifying sin putting it doing it putting it to death and pursuing faith and growing in that. It's really putting on a faithful holy walk in joyful obedience to Christ. I want to. I want to grow in this walk and joyful obedience to Christ and it's all for his honor and glory. That's why the man's cheap end is to glorify God it's it's for his honor and glory. And as I walk of joyful obedience I'm also putting off any sinful practices by the help of the Holy Spirit. Now the participants. There are three of them. We can say the whole Trinity being one three persons but one God. God is involved in this. He saved us the work he starts he perfects the Romans 8 13 that we read earlier says by the spirit. You put to death the deeds of the flesh. You can't do this on your own. So it's God is a participant in this. All three members. And we just read in Titus 2 that Christ is our trainer. He's training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions. And then to put on to live godly and holy lives and self-controlled lives. And thirdly, I'm sorry, secondly, another participant is the believer. God's at work and the believer must be at work. Romans 8, 13. You is the subject of that command. By the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the flesh. God will not obey for you. If there was one thing that's been affected me the most in so many years now, since my early days at college, I was taught at college to let go and let God. And so I was being really passive. Here I am, Lord. You just changed me. Well, all the commands have You as a believer as the subject. God's not the subject. He's not the one chain. He's not going to obey for you. You have to obey. But he will empower you. And that just revolutionized my life. I'm supposed to do something other than just lay here in my personal life. Yes. The believer is involved in an active aggressive participant. Thirdly the church body. We don't change on our own, just me and Jesus. Almost all of the commands are you all. Our. We. Very little in scripture is just you and Jesus. It's we all are the body of Christ. He's the head, we're the body. We need each other. We have 35 commands to do for one another. And so the church body Galatians 6 1 says if someone is overtaken by a sin you all who are spiritual come around them and help them grow and restore them. Even in Hebrews chapter 3 it says beware of the hardness of sin the hardening effect of sin. So exhort one another and it's you all exhort one another daily. So Hebrews 3 Hebrews 10. Don't forsake the sending of yourselves together but as men are some but exhort one another stir one another up provoke irritate the life out of each other is what it says irritate one another for love and good deeds. Lest we get selfish in involved in our own little world which is happens when you're not aggressively putting off sin and growing in your faith. So the participants God the believer and the church the other believers. Now some distinguishing factors when I was reading on mortifying sin and pursuing a faith in Christ and growing in that you can't read that anything on that without reading some of the puritans namely John Owen who wrote a whole volume on conflict with sin in the Christian's life. reading Christopher Love another Puritan brother who. Wrote quite a bit but one book he called it's called The Mortification of Sin. Not a hot seller in our Christian bookstores. Some distinguishing factors and what they said is you can almost tell some things about a person if sin isn't subdued and mortified. You can almost. There are certain factors or characteristics and then there are characteristics of those who have mortified the deeds of the flesh. They're not in that cycle and they're growing in their faith in Christ. And so first some distinguishing factors of those that have not mortified sin. First he says there is not much distance if you haven't mortified sin there's not much distance between you and your sin. This is how they said it. Your carriage is parked outside the commission of it. It's like the provision for your sin. It's just right outside the door. Instead of running and fleeing away from it, you got provision really close. I remember my wife and I, we were meeting with this one young woman who was involved in a worship disorder in her heart. But it was known as bulimia. And we asked her, because we were trying to keep her accountable, my wife was mainly working with her, and she asked one day, my wife did, to this young woman, when you get involved in that overeating and then throwing up and usually have means that you use to get rid of every ounce of food that you ate, Do you have anything in your purse right now that would be provisional for your sin? And she said yes. And in her purse, she had numerous enema things and various things that she would use to assist her in her sin. That's provision. And it's not far away. That's the terminology, your carriage. is parked right outside the commission of it. It's right there. It's like men struggling with pornography and the provision is right there on their computers or phones and there's no safeguards no accountability. That's provision. The worst case I think I've ever come across was a guy who in California said that he was struggling in the area of sexual sin. He was visiting from time to time these adult clubs out there. And I asked him where he lived and he said close. I said close to the place. Yeah right upstairs. His he had a relative who owned that place and gave him a good deal on rent upstairs of this establishment. What about plucking out the eye and throwing it far from you. And he didn't respond very well to the scripture. Which the further it went there were other issues that took place and. Ended up in church discipline with other things that was going on in his life and he didn't repent that I know of at that point in time. People go I'm struggling with sin and you're going the provision for it is really close. And what the Lord says remove it far away. Make no provision. Another distinguishing factor of the sin not mortified is very little prayer is prayed against it. It's just not on your mind to pray Lord I do not want to give in to that sin. Instead I want to pursue righteousness and love and care for others. So very little prayer is prayed against it. Another distinguishing characteristic is you can commit that sin with very little temptation. It doesn't take much to just start going down the pathway to sin in that area. They said your heart is like gunpowder to sin's touch. Your heart is like gunpowder to sin's touch. Just a little spark and there you go down and commit the sin. Instead, what ought to happen is that lust ought to be like wet green wood. A whole lot. I mean, think about going down that path and giving into it. And then another one, they said, you take more care in keeping it secret than in getting help. A sin is not mortified when you don't want anyone else to know, but you keep giving into it, you keep struggling in that area and you don't seek help. That's not a sin mortified. Then they also elaborated in their materials about factors that usually distinguish that a sin is mortified and you are growing in your faith. They said you contemplate, number one, you contemplate God's perfections. You think a lot during the day about God and his attributes. what God says about himself. He's so thankful for his mercy, his grace, his holiness, his long-suffering, his patience, and you just go on. You think a lot about God's perfections. Number two, you react strongly toward the first stirring of sin. As soon as a thought comes into your mind, and I don't even know the origin of sinful thoughts. I don't know if it's from Satan, from my flesh, or from things I'd heard from the world system. I don't know. The Bible says that's not important to know where it comes from. The fact is that's not a good thought. That's that's temptation to sin. I haven't sinned yet. The thought just comes in. Now what am I going to do with it. James 1 says I mean we're all drawn away by our own lusts and when lusts have conceived it brings forth sin. So there's a whoa there's a desire or a thought. Now what am I going to do with it? And they said, you know, the sins mortified and you're growing in your faith when you react strongly against the first stirring of it. There was a comedy show years ago, still they do replays of it, of Andy Griffith. And we thought Barney Fife came up with nip it in the bud, but now Now the Puritans were talking pretty strong about, you deal with it very quickly. And it's encouraging to know, don't let the thoughts and you start, hmm, let me see, there's pleasure there. It's a passing pleasure. Just deal with it quickly. With the scriptures and the promises of God. Another distinguishing fact about a sin's mortified is if you're seeking to live daily dependent on the strength of Christ. You're not trying to live the day on your own. You're praying you're praying without ceasing. Another characteristic they said is you will hate all sin not just one. And you know what this is like in our life of Christians and working with Christians is sometimes they're just all caught up with the one one sin in their life. This is one sin this one sin this one sin. But if a sin is mortified and you're growing in your faith in Christ you will hate all sin not just one. And you'll love all righteousness and pursuing holiness. Then you have in your notes there some personal hindrances to this grace pursuit. Some personal hindrances. The first one I'm going to say definitely is a hindrance. Matter of fact you won't make any pursuit in holiness. And that's if you're unsafe. The natural man doesn't even understand that things have got their foolishness to him. He can't. He loves to sin. He lives to sin. He has to send he's in Adam. He's in the under the law of sin. And so someone's unsaved. Oh they need to humble themselves and cry out to God for mercy and grace. And God is a gracious saving God and will bring salvation to them. So if you're unsaved they're going to the cycle of sin is a way of life and they don't even go confessing it to God. They just live in sin. Laziness is another hindrance to Christians. our own personal choices to want to pursue comfort and self-pleasure. And I just, I just don't want to work at things. Laid back is not a virtue. And this is something that our culture, it promotes. Don't work too hard. Some of us remember the Eagle Song, take it easy. Just don't be diligent, aggressiveness, but unless it's aggressiveness for self-pleasure. That's what they would teach, but the scripture says, no, no, no, this laziness, slothfulness is going to head more like going down the escalator. Not seeking to grow. Another hindrance is just growing weary of well-doing. You're just tired. Galatians 6, 9, don't go weary of well-doing for in due time you shall reap if you faint not. We grow tired of the battle against sin. I think there's a little bit there in Romans 8 when Paul says, I just long for the day when I can be with Jesus. No more sin, no more Satan, no more flesh. I would be with the Lord and other saints forever. I mean, I think about the Puritans, many of these Puritans, and they're all with the Lord now. They've relocated from here to there. And you catch that in Paul's groaning, I want to go. Another hindrance will be poor theology, poor teachings of Scripture, wrong teaching of Scripture, That hindered me in four years being taught just let go and let God. I can't fall to school. I had the Bible. I should have checked out what I was being taught. I was just a new believer and everyone else seemed to be on board there. So people around us all of us were not growing very the poor theology. And so it's important that we study well be careful with studying the gospel and the truths of scripture. Bad company is another personal hindrance. Who are you hanging around with. Who are your closest friends. You said well they're Christians. Are they growing Christians. I mean are they the ones that are subduing lusts in their life and the deeds of the flesh. Are they pursuing aggressively the Lord. Is that the kind of friends that are your Christian friends. Because bad company. Will corrupt good moral habits. And first Corinthians 1533. Then some errors to contend with. I mentioned one already and it's known as peasant theology. That was an error still prevalent. I would say it's probably the most prevalent view among Christians in America on how to grow as a Christian. Just let go and let go. It is so prevalent. When you ask people so you have a problem in your life what are you doing about it. I pray. What do you pray. Lord here I am. You just take it away. That's. That's sort of a Keswick view of growth. So that's a deadly one. It's a really. It'll cripple disabled believers they will not. They won't grow the way God intended them to grow. Another. error to contend with is legalism. And that's all for self legalists do what they do for themselves. It's not for God. It's not maybe to please others but it's always for themselves. It's a self righteous kind of thing. And the works they do they're doing it to add to what Christ has done. They'll say I believe in Jesus and I have to do these works And my faith is resting on both of us. Not on Christ alone but Christ and things I do and don't do. That's legalism. And it's abominable. It's a heresy. Another error to contend with is a free grace movement that's going on promoted by some even today. Technically it's called antinomianism. And no one goes around saying I'm an antinomious. But what they're doing is they're saying it's all about the gospel and our justification. And that's all you need is just think and dwell on your justification. Don't do anything about really your sanctification. There's nothing really. Don't obey. Jesus has obeyed for us. So just dwell on what God has done through Jesus. And it's often referred to as a free grace movement. It's works in their mind are bad rather than no grace works work out your salvation be zealous unto good works and there's can be an imbalance and an error there to contend with some principles to practice as we think through. All right. We're focused mostly on putting on Christ going in and exercising our faith and There's a somewhat view here of it's not as much as pursuing faith but at the same time make no provision. So it's both directions have to be on our minds. Don't go this way. Put most all your effort going this way. So the first principle is slowing down to meditate on the gospel of Christ every day. Just take time every day. There's a helpful booklet. The Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent, just slowing down to dwell on what have you done, Lord, who you are, what you've done for me, what you're going to be doing, his life, his death, his resurrection, his soon return. Dwell on that. That's something that I'm trying to do every day before I get up out of bed. You just you wake up and usually you're going, all right, I got stuff to do today. I mean, just unless you're running late. Just take a minute or two while you're there and waking up for a new day. Obviously the Lord wants you here today if you're his child or you wouldn't be here. So there's purpose for you today. And it's to start with. Look what you have done. I deserve help. And what you have done for me in Christ by his life his death his resurrection and faith in him. It's all up from here. You get up out of bed after dwelling on the gospel and what you deserve. There's a lot of cares going on, a lot of concerns, health issues. Yeah, but it's anything above hell is a blessing. So meditate on the gospel just throughout the day. Realize another principle here, realize that repentance and faith is a lifestyle for a believer. Repentance and faith, turning from sin, no provision for it, And pursuing faith in Christ and exercising that is a way of life. Thomas Watson the Puritan pastor said repentance is the Christian life. It's the Christian life is this. This is it describes it. You could almost go up to any believer and say what are you turning from and what are you turning towards. How's it going in the no provision area and tell me what you're doing exercise your faith aggressively. Really. rather than how's it going. All right. How about you. All right. I don't know anyone. I first met you. Yeah I was just asking questions. How are you growing in your faith. That's a way of life. Another principle to practice. No provisions for your flesh. No provisions make no provision. You go, well, let's be moderate here, right? Everything in moderation. No. Make no provisions. Don't park your car outside the commission of it. Remove it. For some who find themselves overeating, buy just what you need for the meals. Only buy what you need for the meals. Don't be stocking up at Sam's. I got I got enough snacks in that pantry for the kids for the next three years. What's that for. Well we got a good deal. There's that's just area struggle. Don't make provision the same with computers and smartphones have accountability. Just don't make the provisions. Romans 13 14 another principle. is definitely focus aggressively on pursuing, knowing and putting on the Lord Jesus. Just want to know him more. Want to walk as he walked. I want to know his mind, his will, which he's recorded here. This is his will, the will of God. I want to know him about him, and he's revealed himself in the pages of Scripture as well, as well as in creation. So make it your quest. Oh, that I may know him, Paul said. And that ought to be about 80% of your aggressive efforts. I want to know Christ more, like 80%. And 20%, I'm being really aggressive, not making provision for my flesh in this walk. And then another principle, pursue love for others. Because the flesh is self-oriented. Right. It's independence from any authority and it's pursues self pleasure self comfort self satisfaction. So Lord help me be thinking how can I serve others. How can I love my neighbor serve them. Don't just go places go. How can I be served. Jesus came not to be served but to serve and give his life a ransom for many. That's a it's a mindset. Another principle. is whatever rationalizations that you use or has been in use for to give in to sin expose them and then repent and renew them your thinking. So you go well I just I mean no one's perfect. Now there's one. I hear that all the time. No one's perfect. I'm only human. Oh that'll set you up to go towards sin. What does the Bible say about that. My God's called me to newness of life. He's called me to pursue him. He's called me to no provisions. Well I'm only. Less like I am creating an image of God. I'm a new creature in Christ. I need to be going this direction and make no provision this direction. Every rationalization you got to write it down. And then start working through it and renew your mind on that. Because it's been conformed to this world. And there are several that went to the conference yesterday that you even how to do that and walking through a thought renew your mind one thought at a time. But don't let the rationalizations to stay there. They'll come back again and again and then goes the cycle back again. Let me just talk about some of the excellent quotes. These are some some thoughts from Christopher Love. John Owen Matthew need when they were here on earth before they relocated to heaven. Just imagine them now and the presence of the Lord. But while they were here they wrote on this Christian life and how to grow. Christopher Love in his book The Mortified Christian wrote that he said a truly mortified man is like a warrior. He will either kill or be killed. He will kill his sins or else his sin will kill him. Now examine this. He says are you only fencers sporting and playing with your lusts or are you warriors who fight with an implacable opposition against sin. Do you only give a slight scare to sin or have you given it a deadly wound. Do you hear the intensity and aggressiveness there. Not sporting around but a war. He goes on to say though Christ justifies us from the guilt of sin. We must labor to be freed from the filth of sin. John Owen again who wrote quite a bit on mortification of sin and reviving exercising your faith. He said exercise and success are the two main cherry cherishers of grace in the heart. Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness who walks not over the bellies of his lusts. He goes on to say mortification can never be thought of as separated from the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He brings the work to a summation. He convinces of sin in the first place. He reveals the help that's in Christ. He establishes the heart to expect relief and he alone brings the cross of Christ into our hearts with its sin killing power for by the spirit we are baptized into the death of Christ. He is both author and finisher of sanctification. His presence gives support to this essential work. And then Matthew Meade another Puritan who wrote about the Christian life especially those who say yes I'm so sorry I'm sorry Lord forgive me. But they don't really they're not aggressive going towards the Lord and they're not aggressive and making no provisions. And he writes this. Many do their sins as mariners do by their goods. They cast them out in a storm and then they wish for them again in a calm. Many confess their sins but with no intent to forsake sin. They confess the sins they've committed but do not leave the sins they have confessed. And then people go I want accountability. Well is accountability to help you pursue Christ and accountability to help you not get into the provision of flesh or are you a policeman. I know some of you are. Are you are you policing someone who doesn't really want to change. He says this, all sin may be chained and yet the heart not changed. And so the nature of the sinner is the same as ever. A dog chained up is a dog still. There has to be a heart change. You have to want to go and do what's right. There are people who have been accountable for years. As soon as they're given the lack of accountability, they just go right back to their sin. The heart changed. That is where restoration, accountability, accountability is great. If someone wants to really pursue Christ and leave sin. Just in conclusion, where sin has increased, the Lord tells us grace increased all the more. You say, I've just sinned so much. Confess the sin and grace abounds. And grace will help you. God in his mercy and grace will help you if you apply your heart and your life as a Christian to what God teaches in his word. Remember God will not obey for you. You cannot coast in this Christian life. We pray without ceasing. We depend on the Lord but we keep our eyes on our Savior the author and perfecter of our faith. Amen. Let's pray. Father thank you for this time together. You know the hearts of everyone here. You know the struggles that they're having. You know if someone's here is unsaved and needs Christ as their savior. And for those who are that have been maybe sporting with their lusts. I pray today would be a day of repentance and faith. For those who have been working hard and in the intense battle of trying to make no provision for their flesh and pursuing faith and exercising faith in Christ and are grown weary, Lord, I pray your spirit would encourage them that they will reap if they faint not. Lord, encourage your people. Thank you for this church and for the leadership and the blessing it is to be here and worship together. In Jesus' name, Amen.