Mortification of Sin, Part I

I had drafted a post "Making War with Sin" and still hadn't gotten around to finishing it, when I endeavored to take up The Mortification of Sin in Believers by John Owen. What great stuff! I intend for this post and subsequent posts to make comments, chapter by chapter.

It is important to first set the stage as to what "mortify" means. Mortify is defined as killing or putting something to death. It is a term that is not used often today, except to state that someone was embarrased. Before just recently, I found myself very complacent towards my sin, not being truly convicted about it. It is easy to simply be reactive towards sin, saying, "well, I'm a sinner saved by grace, I'm not perfect, etc." Being contrite of heart is something that we as Christians should strive for, because it is not that this is required for actual forgiveness (being justified, our sins past, present and future are paid for and forgiven), but it is an attitude of heart that needs be fostered. Being complacent as I mentioned above is a false comfort. It shows a misunderstanding of the grace that a Christian possesses as an adopted child of God.

Owen points out that "[m]ortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world."

This not only applies to other religions, but to us as Christians as well! Those who would call believers to a moral reformation not based in help from the Spirit do their hearers a GREAT disservice. Owen focuses on Romans 8:13, which reads from the ESV as follows:

"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."

Owen divides his analysis into five parts, and I will not try to improve upon it, but I will put forth his two thesis statements from this:

1. The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.

Owen later goes on to say that this is the "constant duty of believers." The apostle Paul bolsters his statement against those who would say that they should keep on sinning so that grace would abound by indicating that not only do you need to not sin, but meet it where it stands! We cannot merely be reactionary, but go on the offensive, being proactive!

Notice too that the means by which this is done is through the Spirit--we cannot do this on our own.

2. The vigour, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.

Notice Owen does NOT say the comfort of one's physical life. My problem with the various prosperity gospels being promulgated is its grand attachment to having many things and successes of this life, which are the result of God's blessing. But what does it profit a man to gain a whole world of things and yet lose his soul? If you get all of these things, but your spiritual life is in ruins, what then? Paul, in calling believers to mortify the deeds of the flesh, indicates that if they do this, "you will live." Owen indicates that this "living" is not living eternally, but knowing true joy and comfort here on this earth. And no, joy does not necessarily equal happiness! True joy is resting in the grace and mercy of Christ--progressing in our sanctification by mortifying these sins of the flesh brings us closer in our walk with God and in trusting Him, in spite of our physcial situation or suffering.

To conclude, I wanted to insert this observation that I found in a commentary on Owen's book:

Is it any wonder that so many Christians today are shallow, lethargic, and disillusioned with their experience of the spiritual life? Since they spend so little time reading Scripture or listening and meditating on good teaching, they are unacquainted with these truths; they try to live the Christian life by instinct alone—not a good plan, and one that puts them practically in not much better stead than an unbeliever. Such a posture either degenerates into emotionalism with no solid ethic or into hardness of heart, with little love for God and fellow man.

Christian, where are you today? Are you reading and meditating on Scripture--do you even have a desire and hunger to read it? Or are living by "instinct" or by what you think the Bible says? To stand firm, you must have a solid foundation and to do so must be done by reading and hearing the Word preached faithfully. Ask the Spirit to open your heart to the Word and mortify the sin in your life with His help.