Mortification of Sin, Part 3

This is my third post in the series on Owen's Mortification of Sin. This chapter deals with the means through which God effects mortification of our sin, that being the Holy Spirit.

I want to begin from a quote from the family pastor at my church, who wrote an article on being the King's fool, rather than being a fool who believes he is a king:

How often have we condemned the idolatry of others while allowing our own little gods to live in our houses and play in our hearts simply because we have dressed them up in a Christian t-shirt? Christ-exalting desires and habits are not the edited versions of worldly desires and habits. Are we really making the gospel beautiful today by the words we use, the thoughts that come spontaneously into our minds, the way we eat or sleep or plan? Or, are there patterns of speaking or behaving in my life that are like an old favorite shirt or pair of shoes? They are so comfortable and have been a part of my life for so long that I don't even realize how ugly, stained and smelly they are to those around me. Let us see our personal idols in light of Scripture and throw them in the trash. Then let us strive by the Spirit's power to clothe ourselves with new and better things [Col.3:1-17].

Now, in approaching the third chapter, I want to focus on the aspect of our desires as Christians. Owen begins with the fact that many, including Papists, have a focus on mortification, but in the end does not bring about the result desired. They fast, they prescribe penance, and even preach about mortifying sin, but it is not connected in any way to Christ or the Holy Spirit.

Owens does not condemn the actions of fasting, praying and meditating but points out that their focus is on "the natural man instead of the corrupt old man, -- upon the body wherein we live instead of the body of death."

What does this mean? Simply put, the focus is on living a better life here, and also deals with how such sin affects others living here--not how it affects our spiritual growth or relationship with God. In a sense, it is a moral reformation, a promise to do better--not to commit this sin again, and to either physically or spiritually whip oneself into such a resolve, without involving the Holy Spirit at all. Owen says: "they watch over themselves, and pray for a season, until this heat waxes cold, and the sense of sin is worn off: and so mortification goes also, and sin returns to its former dominion. Duties are excellent food for an unhealthy soul; they are no physic for a sick soul."

The problem? The desires were NEVER dealt with--you could put a criminal in a nice suit, clean him up, but it still doesn't change his nature--who he IS. Similarly, we as sinners can work ourselves to death and promise we won't do that again, we're GOING to do better, and it is all for naught. We either as Owen says above, pray and work for a while and think that sin is beaten--or worse, we despair that we are not beating it and give up. Either way, sin again enters in, taking control.

Now, the Spirit being given to us by God as the means, how does He work?

1. Owen says that our hearts are caused to "abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the flesh."

The great promise from Scripture is that in changing our desires through our justification and ongoing santification, a vacuum is not created--our old nature and desires are replaced with new, God-honoring ones. In mortifying, it is simply not enough to try and not sin, as I have said before--we must ask the Spirit to grant measures of grace to replace sinful desires with desires to glorify God (reading the Scriptures, listening to the Word preached, etc.).

2. Next, Owen says that not only does the Spirit assist in replacing desires, but on a real physical level, by "weakening and destroying" the root and the habit of the sin. I'm sure that all of us can look back on some struggles we used to have that we don't have anymore, due to His grace in not only changing our desires in the mind, but in the body.

3. Most important, Owen points out that the Spirit by granting faith gives us the Cross of Christ, in communion with Him. What a glorious truth.

To close the chapter, he answers the question of some who might say, "If it is the Spirit, then what am I to do?"

One misunderstanding of those who are opposed to Reformed doctrine and perhaps Lordship salvation (monergism) is that they believe our formulation of doctrine leads to the conclusion that the will of man is violated. This is simply not the case--we argue that the will is in fact empowered. Being dead in sin and without Christ, all would perish by their own decisions and actions, because their desires lead them to willfully choose sin. Those who are awakened to the truth have their desires changed and thus willfully follow Christ.

Similarly, Owen correctly points out that the Spirit "works upon our understandings, wills, consciences, and affections, agreeably to their own natures; he works in us and with us, not against us or without us; so that his assistance is an encouragement as to the facilitating of the work, and no occasion of neglect as to the work itself."

So, for those who do not seek the Spirit's help but try it on their own will ultimately be frustrated, and will expend all their energy and not be any further in winning the battle against sin. For these Christians, having lost all hope in the battle, they simply dress up their habits and actions (possibly idols) to make them appear Christian from anyone who would look, but on closer inspection, their desires toward some sins have not changed.

May we be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and seek the Spirit's help in the ongoing battle against sin!