Romans- Chapter Six Mortification Continued #4

Describing in the previous posts that the nature of Sanctification as described in Romans Chapter Six consists in both mortification and vivification. - We have so far seen mortification described in Romans Six as:

1. it is to "Live no longer in Sin."
2. it is that "the body of sin must be destroyed."
3. it is to "Reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin."

With this post we continue on with Rom 6:12 further expounding what is this mortification.

4. Rom 6:12 Sin must not reign in our mortal bodies Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Matthew Henry:
Though sin may remain as an outlaw, though it may oppress as a tyrant, yet let it not reign as a king.

It refers to the mortal body. Do not obey sin in the lusts of your mortal body.

Matthew Henry:
In the lusts thereof - en tais epithumiais autou. It refers to the body, not to sin. Sin lies very much in the gratifying of the body, and humouring that. And there is a reason implied in the phrase your mortal body; because it is a mortal body, and hastening apace to the dust, therefore let not sin reign in it. It was sin that made our bodies mortal, and therefore do not yield obedience to such an enemy.

LUSTS: Struggle against them - oppose them - don’t make provision to fulfill them.

John Gill:
obey it in the lusts thereof; the lusts of the body, or flesh, which are therefore sometimes called fleshly lusts, are many, and have great power and influence; and may be said to be obeyed, when provision is made to fulfil them, when these are the business of a man's life, and the whole of his conversation is taken up in them, without struggle against them, or opposition to them; and heroin lies the reign of sin.