The culture of the day is mortified by the concept that a higher life can be achieved through mortification.  Christ Jesus repeatedly taught mortification.  Two examples are John 12:24-25 and Luke 9:24, respectively, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” and “For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.” Others include Luke 14:26, Mark 9:42-47, and Matthew 7:13-14, 11:12 and 16:24.

Mortification is a fundamental law of nature, dismissed by the culture of our time.  Mortification consists of dying to live, a seed must die to become a plant, man and woman die to self to become one in marriage, plants and animals die to be food for others, sperm and egg die to create a new life, and so forth.

For a Christian, mortification means dying to self, surrendering our lower life, our sinfulness for a higher life, a life lived for the love of God, a life yoked to Jesus Christ, a life lived in communion with the Holy Spirit.