Is this a once-off thing or an ongoing thing?

[Zao is life]

This isn't a poll. It's a question I'm interested to hear your answer to.

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

Colossians 3:1-5 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.
So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.

We have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God, and even though we have died, we are to put to death whatever in our nature belongs to the earth.

Is this putting to death of our sinful nature a once-off thing or an ongoing thing?

 

[ScottA]

This isn't a poll. It's a question I'm interested to hear your answer to.

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

Colossians 3:1-5 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.
So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.

We have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God, and even though we have died, we are to put to death whatever in our nature belongs to the earth.

Is this putting to death of our sinful nature a once-off thing or an ongoing thing?

The act of "put to death", is not our part. Our part is to hear the knock of Jesus on the door (of our heart) and open it. It is then He, by the Holy Spirit, who puts to death our sinful nature. It is rather us stepping up or answering the call, that we (in a manner of speaking) put to death our sin nature. Meaning that we must act, but otherwise have no power in and of ourselves to do what is required.

 

[Randy Kluth]

This isn't a poll. It's a question I'm interested to hear your answer to.

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.

Colossians 3:1-5 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him.
So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.

We have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God, and even though we have died, we are to put to death whatever in our nature belongs to the earth.

Is this putting to death of our sinful nature a once-off thing or an ongoing thing?

Paul is able to say complex things in an abbreviated way, without too much explanation. He is saying that we *legally* identify with Christ and obtain the promise of what he went through by agreeing to live by the Spirit he gave us. And so, when we choose to live by Christ, we do as Christ did--we deny ourselves, and so are able to replace our sinful tendencies with the virtues of Christ.

We are not completely dead to sin, since we still have a Sin Nature following conversion. But we are able to overcome our sinful tendencies by setting our minds on Christ and on his gift of the Spirit to us, to enable us to live as he did.

As such, we are promised a legal outcome, enabling us to rise from the dead in an unbroken relationship with God in the same way he rose from the dead and lives in an unbroken relationship with God.

It is certainly not "one off" to put our sin tendencies to death. But legally, it is in fact "one off" to obtain the promise of Eternal Life, assuming we have truly put Eternal Life into motion spiritually in our lives.

I admire Paul for being able to say this. I fear I fall short....

 

[Randy Kluth]

The act of "put to death", is not our part. Our part is to hear the knock of Jesus on the door (of our heart) and open it. It is then He, by the Holy Spirit, who puts to death our sinful nature. It is rather us stepping up or answering the call, that we (in a manner of speaking) put to death our sin nature. Meaning that we must act, but otherwise have no power in and of ourselves to do what is required.

I very much disagree. Paul is asking *us,* the Christians, to "put to death" our sinful tendencies. I do very much agree that Christ is the source of this virtue to be able to succeed in this. But unless we choose to do so, it won't be done. We are invited to do so by Christ. And we must follow up with obedience to that call.

 

[Zao is life]

It is certainly not "one off" to put our sin tendencies to death. But legally, it is in fact "one off" to obtain the promise of Eternal Life, assuming we have truly put Eternal Life into motion spiritually in our lives.

I admire Paul for being able to say this. I fear I fall short....

Thank you both. That's what I believe too, and I wondered for the first time how many see it this way. I believe @ScottA is also correct in that he basically says we are powerless to put our sinful nature to death without Jesus.

 

[Enoch111]

Is this putting to death of our sinful nature a once-off thing or an ongoing thing?

Ongoing mortification of "the flesh" (the sin nature). Don't feed the bad wolf.