Romans 8:12-14

Romans 8:12-14: "So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being lead by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."

Verses like these rattle my very being.  Verse thirteen says that if we are putting to death the deeds of the body BY the Spirit we will live.  Thus the putting to death is resulting from the Spirit’s work in us.  Verse fourteen again points that it is God who is leading us thus reemphasizing that God’s saving work, not our killing of sin, which comes first.  A sin of a Christian is that they kill sin.  A sign of a non-Christian is that they for the most part disregard their sinfulness.  Of course, they may acknowledge their sinfulness in times and places where it is convenient for their emotional health or dreams of worldly pleasure to do so.

I see too many people who are either not putting to death any deeds of any kind (at least too my knowledge).  This shows that they are not at war win sin and that it is not their enemy and they thus no they have no fruit as evidence to their salvation.  On the other side I see too many people who wish to kill sin THAT they may be right before God.  Both are utterly tragic and often they come intertwined.  These errors are most assuredly tragic and quite possibly fatal.