Water's Edge

I AM THINKING MURDER

“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth” ~ Colossians 3:5

There is a mean, violent streak in the true Christian life! But violence against whom, or what? Not against other people. It is a fight against all the impulses in us that would be violent to other people, impulses in our own selves that would make peace with our own sin and settle. It is war against lusting and enslaving desires for food or caffeine or sugar or chocolate or alcohol or pornography or money or the praise of men and the approval of others or power or fame.

Murder is to kill in a deliberate way or to defeat an opponent very badly. Just the sound of the word causes one to want to disassociate themselves from it. Most of us in our right minds would not want the word murder and our name mentioned in the same sentence. The punishment for murder varies depending on the way the murder was committed. Typically a convicted murderer is given a life sentence or the death penalty. A person sometimes commits murder because they act out of fear that the individual they murdered would have taken their life instead – the act of self-defense.

As children of God we are encouraged to think and practice murder on a daily basis – Yes we are! Paul to the Colossians, “Mortify therefore your members” – to mortify means to subdue, deaden or to destroy the strength of. We are also asked to crucify the flesh and the deeds of the flesh. While this may not be a physical put to death, we are still required to render these things lifeless. If we do not put to death these things then they in turn will kill us, this could be both spiritually and physically. We need to strike while the iron is hot, be proactive and KILL the works of the flesh. Allowing these things to live in our lives causes the wrath of God to come upon us.

Whatever we give attention to we make important; you want to kill something just ignore it. Feed it and it will live; starve it and it will die. I encourage you to feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death. Kill the works of the flesh and the fruit of the spirit will be manifested. You will now become a carrier of God’s glory. Each day we should have a mind to commit murder when sin raises its ugly head in our lives – kill it before it kills you. Saying no to the flesh is like crucifixion and it is an act of faith to do so. Paul states, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down of stronghold.” 2 Corinthians 10:4.

The enemy does not play fair he will snuff the last breath of life out of us. We need to always be on the offensive with our full armor ready to defeat the enemy and to vanquish all our foes. We must suffocate the sinful deeds of the body; we must cut off the life-line and the blood flow. Loved ones, this is only time murder is rewarded with eternal life. If we put to death the works of the flesh and yield our members as instrument of righteousness eternal life is assured. “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.” Romans 6:13. Today let us examine ourselves see what we need to mortify and cut off the life-line. Pinch the air pipe. Stop the blood flow. Keep thinking murder!!!