www.servingjesuspoetry.com
  • Author's Testimony & Introduction--FAQS
    • Table of Contents
  • 1 His Kingdom to Prepare
  • 2 My Choice Companions
  • 3 Companions
  • 4 Companions II
  • 5 A Mother's MTC Farewell
  • 6 Who Will Dare for Christ
  • 7 To a Chosen Generation
  • 8. I Feel Such a Strangeness
  • 9. Not Me
  • 10. My Brother's Father
  • 11. Not Far Away
  • 12. Questions for Our Leaders
  • 13. Questions From Our Leaders
  • 14. The Visit
  • 15. Show and Tell
  • 16. Within Our Slumber We Will Dream
  • 17. Servants in the Shadows
  • 18. Joya Escojida/Chosen Jewel
  • 19. Las Aguas Del Senor/The Waters of the Lord
  • 20. Come Fasting to the Meeting House
  • 21. As Voices Join in Sacred Sabbath Worship
  • 22. A Child's Baptismal Day
  • 23. In Temple White
  • 24. Temple Hill
  • 25. This Precious Day
  • 26. The Translators
  • 27. I Your Husband Who Have Fallen [First Poem of The Repentance Trilogy.]
  • 28. The Wife's Song
  • 29. Remember Not Past Years
  • 30. A Priesthood Lullaby
  • 31. The Season of Our Need
  • 32. Cherished Daughter, Valiant Servant
  • 33. Daughter, Hear and Heed Your Savior's Voice
  • 34. Bird Mom
  • 35. Eric's Song
  • 36. A Wedding Song of Praise
  • 37. Testimonies to My Daughters
  • 38. Prayer for a Caring Granddaughter
  • 39. Firstborn Son and Firstborn Daughter
  • 40. Father's Day
  • 41 The Hospital
  • 42. The Children of the World
  • 43. For the Healers of the World
  • 44. Simple Heroes of Our Day
  • 45. To This World So Prone to Peril
  • 46. Somewhere
  • 47. Servant of Servants
  • 48. We Wish That You Were Here
  • 49. The Teacher
  • 50. To Protect Marriage and Family
  • 51. Earth's Unborn Children Weeping
  • 52. Prayers for the Peacekeepers
  • 53. That Patriot Dreams Will Come to Pass
  • 54. We Would Do It All Again
  • 55. So Much More
  • 56. Passage and Pilot
  • 57. Because of the Son
  • 58. Growing Up
  • 59. The Olive Leaf
  • 60. Until All Are One With Him
  • 61. Death Has Not Won, But Lost
  • 62. Call to Arms
  • 63. When All Is Done
  • 64. How Rarely Have I Come This Way
  • 65. At a Place So Very Different
  • 66. My Best Years Lie Ahead
  • 67. Sons of Zion, Jesus Calls You
  • 68. Come, Sing Your Song to Me
  • 69. May It Be Always So
  • 70. Until Safe in Heaven's Embrace
  • 71. Seek the Spirit
  • 72. Undertow
  • 73. If I Am Given Time
  • 74. Sons and Daughters, Heirs of Promise
  • 75. Wrestling for a Call
  • 76. When Everything is Ready
  • 77. One Thousand Times
  • 78. Tearful and Fearful I Prayed Through the Evening
  • 79. Tell Us, How Do Servants and Teachers Like You Come Along?
  • 80. Blessings for Beloved Servants
  • 81. Our Gayla's Free at Last
  • 82. I Am a Witness of Your Worth
  • 83. I'll Live With You Again
  • 84. Brother, Friend, and Fellow Servant
  • 85. Grieve Not for Him
  • 86. Press On From Payson's Hill
  • 87. The Righteous Live in Me
  • 88. Homecoming
  • 89. In Honor of My Friends Unseen
  • 90. [An Invitation] We Call to You
  • 91. Fellow Americans, Let Us Talk
  • 92. Brothers and Sisters, Fulfilled Together
  • 93. What We Have Lost in Our Digital Paradise
  • 94. Running Out of Time
  • 95. Ere You Hear the Sound of Battle
  • 96. 21st Century Gadiantons
  • 97 The Setting Apart
  • 98. What Do You Say?
  • 99. To a Woman of Tempered Steel
  • 100. A Correction Soon Begins
  • 101. The Quiet of the Morning
  • 102. Slippery Slope
  • 103. Stormy--We've Got to Stop Meeting Like This
  • 104. Warriors of the Mind and Soul [Poetic Process Discussion]
  • 105. He Wrote Just as He Lived
  • 106. Life Singer
  • 107. Zion's Daughter Leanore
  • 108. Does Your House of Worship Now Seem Lonely
  • 109. Crucify the "Old Man of Sin"
  • 110. We Loved Them Once
  • 111. Winter's Mothers God Holds Most Dear
  • 112. Lord, Please Forgive Us Anew
  • 113. Patriot's Faith Will Triumph Yet
  • 114. Indexing
  • 115. I Am Liberty
  • 116. The Beauty
  • 117. To Aid the Innocents Abused
  • 118. A Noble Bugler Has Returned
  • 119. The Music of the Lord
  • 120. Frog Cat
  • 121. God's Storms
  • 122. The Daughters of the Lord
  • 123. Come Back, Before Our Souls for Error Yearn
  • 124. Don't Tell Me That My Time Has Come
  • 125. From the Dust [Comes The Book of Mormon]
  • 126 To See the Sun Again
  • 127. Mourning America
  • 128. For Baby Adam
  • 129. Despedida Ansiosa/Anxious Farewell
  • 130. Between the Lines
  • 131. Will You Ever Ask the Questions
  • 132. The Days I Spent With You
  • 133. For Nelda
  • 134. The Covenant Path
  • 135. Heartland Dream
  • 136 We Sent Our Very Best
  • 137. Sisters of the Covenant, Daughters of God
  • 138 Sisters Share Their Cheerful Hearts
  • 139 God Looketh On the Heart
  • 140 What of Me?
  • 141 The Return
  • 142 Latter-day Defenders
  • 143. "Come and See, Come and Help, Come and Share"
  • 144. The Best of Father's Seed I've Known
  • 145. [Complete, but pending.]
  • 146. When the Days of Wait Are Over
  • 147. Red Kettles and Silver Bells
  • 148. Victory
  • 149. He Lacks Not Faith
  • 150. "Am I a Friend of Jesus?" [Spring 2020 Semi-Final Examination]
  • 151. Christ is Our Refuge Once Again
  • 152. Until We Kneel at Our Savior's Feet
  • 153. Where You Stand, You Should Still Lift
  • 154. No Day Shall Pass nor Night Shall Fall
  • 155. We Pray for You
  • 156. Bountiful Harvest
  • 157. A Message of Peace and Love
  • 158. Israel, Israel God Shall Save Thee
  • 159. For Those Who Wait
  • 160. Friends Who Intercede
  • 161. Young Women's "Frog Camp"

109.  Crucify the "Old Man of Sin"

The Key 


A recent Sunday School lesson focused upon Matthew 6 and 7, and the Savior's supernal presentation of His new law encapsulated in The Beatitudes.  To prepare to participate, not teach, that lesson, I read Elder McConkie's trenchant discussion of the same, found in The Mortal Messiah, Book 2,  and was impressed with the following excerpt from pp. 124-125: 

"Jesus is speaking to the members of his earthly kingdom.  In our day that Kingdom is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is composed of those who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ--covenanting in the waters of baptism to honor that name and do nothing that will hold it up to contempt or ridicule.  It is composed of those who have forsaken the world; who have crucified the old man of sin; who have become meek, submissive, willing to conform to all that the Lord requires of them." 

That single phrase echoed in my head all day long. However, the motivation to record a new poem did not come until later, as explained below.  (Note: the "old" man refers to "former" or "previous", in the same sense as Paul wrote to the Romans, below.  It does not mean "elderly" or "of old age".  Saints, of any age seek rebirth; to become "new in Christ".)


Crucify the "Old Man of Sin"

There was within, a man of sin
A greedy man, and vain.
He ruled my heart with hate within
And sought but wealth and fame. 
He gloried in his own might,
And knew no self control.
He did not seek the Lord’s light,
This miser of my soul.

Yet Jesus, God’s beloved,
Reached out to rescue me.
My misery, uncovered,
Christ died to make me free.
Just as He rose from mortal death,
He bid me live anew 
By giving God my every breath,
Christ changed my heart and view. 

I crucify that “man of sin”
I kill his selfish ways.
In Jesus Christ, I start again, 
And find such happier days!
This baptism, as by fire, 
Transforms my troubled soul.
Now purged of base desire,
I grow both strong and whole. 

I humbly seek to live in God
And pray that every day
I’ll walk the path that Jesus trod, 
And find His “better way”.
For just as Christ rose from the dead  
I rise, from sin released.
Partaking bread and water
Improper passions cease. 


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The Key is Applied by Motivation

Our inspired teacher led a particularly fervent discussion, after lamenting upon her profound concern to find better ways to support our young people--a choice generation confronted with both great opportunity and terrible peril.  

Later, I felt, strongly, a desire to attempt to lend aid to her and other Ward leaders challenged to apply the Restored Gospel to our youth.  Yet I also felt totally inadequate, and questioned how and why I, who have no known qualifications, should even attempt to render counsel--however well intentioned.  

I fell asleep, pondering and pleading for guidance.  In the early morning hours, I arose, and quickly recorded the modest lines above.  I had my answer.  God, indeed, calls upon the "weak things of the world" to serve Him.  

Pertinent Scriptures

In connection with the poem, two passages of scripture were brought to my attention.  First, Mosiah 27:24-29, where Alma the Younger recounts his deliverance from sin: 

24.  "For, said he [Alma], I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. 

25.  "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; 
26.  "And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. 
27.  "I say unto you, unless this be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to be cast off.
28. "Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God.
29.  "My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more."

[Alma's conversion is illustrative:  He and his four apostate companions were deemed "the vilest of sinners", yet they were saved from spiritual death and both mortal and immortal Hell by the Savior.  For an incredibly powerful, updated musical treatment of that subject, I overwhelmingly recommend Michael Webb's CD, "Marvelous Light"--how is it that this inspired piece only has one review (albeit five stars) on Amazon? I'll add my own review soon.]

Next, I read Romans 6:3-13:

3.  “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

4.  "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  
5.  "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6.  "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 
7.   "For he that is dead is freed from sin. 
8.   "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 
9.  "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 
10.  "For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 
11.  "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  
12.  "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  
13. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”