Life Confession and Tongues
(week 41/03)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we saw that having the mind of Christ meant having a mind-set that was ready to deny the lusts of the flesh, and crucify them to do the will of God. This ultimately will give us greater pleasure and blessings than indulging in the temporary pleasures of the lusts of the flesh.
This week we will see how to make crucifying the flesh easy to do.
Galatians 5:24(KJV): And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Romans 8:13(NIV): For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
Romans 8:13(KJV): For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Here, the scripture reveals to us that we are to crucify the sinful nature in our flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Ordinarily this is a very painful process just as physical crucifixion is a very painful process.
In fact, the decision to no longer live the rest of our lives to the lusts of men but to the will of God, backed by deliberate action to do the same, is called the “circumcision of the “foreskin” of the heart” (Deuteronomy. 10.16).
Deuteronomy 10:16(KJV): Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
Being born-again is the creation of a new heart or spirit (Ezekiel. 36.26) but crucifying the flesh is the circumcision of the “foreskin” of the heart, which refers to the soul (mind, will and emotions) and the physical body.
Just like physical circumcision is initially very painful, so also spiritual circumcision is initially painful and unpleasant.
However, like with physical circumcision if you apply some ointment and healing balm after a short while the bleeding will stop and the wound will heal.
Similarly if you will daily apply the healing balm of the life of God to your daily confessions to deny the flesh, walk in the spirit and do the will of God, and then pray in tongues, while determining in your heart to practice the Word you have just confessed, for a short while immediately after making the confession, you will find it easier and easier to crucify the flesh.
In fact, this will cause you to be healed of this spiritual circumcision just as the children of Israel were made whole of their physical circumcision just after they had crossed the River Jordan to enter into the Promised Land (Josh. 5.8).
Joshua 5:8(KJV): And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
So to make the yoke of crucifying the flesh easy daily we:
1. Receive the life of God using the name of Jesus (John 20.31):
By saying “In Jesus name I have life”
2. Confess the Word of God by faith saying:
“I no longer live the rest of my time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but rather to the will of God which is for me to enjoy all things richly in His time in this life time” (1 Peter. 4.1).
3. Pray in tongues immediately after the confession to allow the Lord Jesus Christ, the High Priest of your confession, to release the necessary grace and mercy to make the yoke of doing this confession easy and light (Hebrews. 3.1, 4. 14-16).
So these three things: the life of God, the confession of the Word and praying in tongues, when practiced regularly with a heart kept in the love of God act as a healing balm that heals us of the circumcision of our flesh, making the crucifying the flesh an easy yoke and a light burden.
