The Mortification of Sin
John Owen wrote a book titled "The Mortification of Sin" in 1656. I found out about the book at a conference for church leadership and thought that I should get a copy and read it. Not long after I started reading the book, I found out that the intended audience was teenagers of Owen's day! If someone gave me this book when I was a teenager, albeit a Christian, I would not given it much thought. Now, at age 43, I'm finding myself wishing someone HAD given me this book -- fortunately it's never too late for sinners to come to repentance. Thank the Lord!
Owens really unpacks Romans 8:13 well -- "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" -- I didn't know there were steamer trunks full of stuff in that one line! I have read through the book and am re-reading it with my family as a morning devotional -- one suitcase at a time....
We spent a good deal of time on the chapter, What Mortification is Not, but now have progressed to What Mortification Is. The subsection is dealing with lust, which Owens defines pretty well as a depraved habit or inclination that pushes the heart toward evil. Two points to make: firs, lust born out of depravity or corruption; second, lust is acted on regularly without any thought. Given that understanding, the first point of mortification is the habitual (regularly practiced) weakening of the lust. It will not go quietly, so it must be put to death over and over. We need to remove whatever gives it life, strength, and power.
I like how Owens used fruit trees for his analogy. Simply beating off the evil fruit of the tree of our sin accomplishes nothing; the fruit comes back. Another analogy is pulling weeds. If you snap off the weed, leaving the root, it gets stronger and puts out even more shoots. You must dig down, get the whole weed. You may find there's a root system that can spread.
Paul commended the Corinthians for their zeal against their sin after they showed Godly sorrow, such that led them to repentance. That's the zeal we must have in the daily crucifixion of our sinful flesh.
Owens really unpacks Romans 8:13 well -- "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" -- I didn't know there were steamer trunks full of stuff in that one line! I have read through the book and am re-reading it with my family as a morning devotional -- one suitcase at a time....
We spent a good deal of time on the chapter, What Mortification is Not, but now have progressed to What Mortification Is. The subsection is dealing with lust, which Owens defines pretty well as a depraved habit or inclination that pushes the heart toward evil. Two points to make: firs, lust born out of depravity or corruption; second, lust is acted on regularly without any thought. Given that understanding, the first point of mortification is the habitual (regularly practiced) weakening of the lust. It will not go quietly, so it must be put to death over and over. We need to remove whatever gives it life, strength, and power.
I like how Owens used fruit trees for his analogy. Simply beating off the evil fruit of the tree of our sin accomplishes nothing; the fruit comes back. Another analogy is pulling weeds. If you snap off the weed, leaving the root, it gets stronger and puts out even more shoots. You must dig down, get the whole weed. You may find there's a root system that can spread.
Paul commended the Corinthians for their zeal against their sin after they showed Godly sorrow, such that led them to repentance. That's the zeal we must have in the daily crucifixion of our sinful flesh.
posted by RalphC at
4:54 PM
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