Mortifying Sin
Posted on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 at 12:45 PM by David Zavadil
Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you. - John Owen, The Mortification of Sin
As many of you may know, I am taking part in the Challies dot com book club. We are reading Owen's The Mortification of Sin. This book is a must read, that is being said after just two chapters. In a Previous Post I posted the address to download a copy of the book. You should also be able to find it at your local bookstore. Download or purchase it and join is in our reading, it is not too late.
In Chapter one, Owen set about to clarify and define what is meant by the term mortification. It is a term we rarely hear any more. We may here that someone is mortified, "scared of or afraid of something," but ask if they have mortified anything and most people will go, "Huh?" Taking Romans 8:13, "If you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body you shall live," as his foundation, Owens demonstrates that mortification means to put to death. We are to put to death the sin that reigns in our bodies. He writes:
"The mortification of indwelling sin remaining in our mortal bodies, that it may not have life and power to bring forth the works or deeds of the flesh, is the constant duty of believers.... The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh." (pg 49)
Chapter two begins, see quote at top of this article, by challenging the reader to make mortification a daily habit. He warns of that happens when we allow sin to abide and do nothing to resist and fight temptation.
"When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone; but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion." (pg51)
"If sin be subtle, watchful, strong, and always at work in the business of killing our souls, and we be slothful, negligent, foolish, in proceeding to the ruin thereof, can we expect a comfortable event? There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed on; and it will be so while we live in this world." (pg 52)
What a challenge to us in this day and age. Though the author was writing in the 1600's, the issue is timeless. In a day when everyone wants it easier, the true road is one of constant fighting. We are to be daily putting our sin to death. To rest even one day is to give victory to the evil one. Though he has lost the war, through our slothfulness he is daily winning battles and leading "professors" into sin at astounding levels. We have become so enraptured with our needs, our wants, our work, our families our everything that we forget the challenge to forsake it all for the cause of Christ. Anything that causes us to take our eyes off of Christ leads to sin. Think about it. Is it any wonder that our churches are so weak and ineffective today? Listen again to Owens.
"If vain spending of time, idleness, unprofitableness in men’s places, envy, strife, variance, emulations, wrath, pride, worldliness, selfishness (1 Corinthians 1) be badges of Christians, we have them on us and among us in abundance." (pg 56)
I read that passage and stood condemned. Like Paul, I find myself crying, "I am chief among sinners!" How often during the day do I spend my time allowing sin to fester instead of putting it to death. I have begun a diet and workout regimen and have become a legalist with it. I want to discipline my body and must also work to discipline my soul. Daily I, WE, must be seeking out the sin in our lives and be putting it to death. "The root of an unmortified course is the digestion of sin without bitterness in the heart." (pg 56) Oh that we, the Church, would get past our complacency and learn to hate sin to the point of wanting it to die, totally. "The good Lord send out a spirit of mortification to cure our distempers, or we are in a sad condition!" (pg 56)
Posted in Bible Study (RSS), Commentary (RSS), Fear of God (RSS)
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