The Mortification of Sin

Today we continue our study through John Owen’s book, The Mortification of Sin. The idea is we read this together and that we read the corresponding chapters prior to the blog post each week. This week we consider chapters 5 and 6.

As we read, may we keep in mind Owen’s goal in writing this book as stated in the preface: “to promote the work of gospel mortification in the hearts of believers and direct them into safe paths where they will find rest for their souls.” (viii)

Chapter 5, What Mortification Is Not

Maybe the first thing we ought to consider from this chapter is that Owen assumes you can be a true believer and still experience an intense struggle with sin. Owen asks, What shall we do if we find ourselves in this situation? He believes we must first consider what mortification is not:

1. Mortification is not the utter destruction of sin in our lives, although we seek this utter destruction, both of sins fruit and its root in the heart and life. 

There may doubtless be times of wonderful success by the Spirit and grace of Christ, and such a great victory that a man may have almost constant triumph over it; but the utter killing and destruction of it, we cannot expect in this life. . . We are complete only in Christ, not in ourselves (Colossians 2:10).

I appreciate how Owen often points us to the grace of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. We are absolutely dependent on God in our efforts at mortification. And while this chapter may seem discouraging, pointing out how far we fall short in our fight, and how much there is left in the battle when we may think we have won, we can take heart, knowing not only that our guilt has been taken away and our sin atoned for by the blood of Christ, but that we will triumph over sin completely through Jesus Christ!

2. Mortification is not the utter destruction of outward sins alone.

Here Owen emphasizes the importance of the heart and the danger of thinking we’ve made progress in mortification when in reality we may have simply substituted one sin for another.

3. Mortification is not just the improvement of our natural condition.

We cannot evaluate our progress in mortification based on our natural tempers.

4. A sin is not mortified when it is only re-directed.

A man may be aware of a lust and set himself against the outbreakings of it, but in the meantime suffer the same corrupted habit to vent itself in some other way...As men grow older they do not usually persist in the pursuit of youthful lusts, although they have never mortified any one of them. One may leave one lust, so that he may serve another. . . He has changed his master, but is a servant still.

How have you seen in your own life the same ‘root sin’ expressed in different ways at different times?

5. Occasional victories over particular sins do not necessarily mean they are mortified.

Chapter 6, What Mortification Is

Owen says the mortification of a lust consists in three things:

1. A habitual weakening of it

2. Constant fighting against it

3. Evidence of success in the face of it

First, a habitual weakening of the lust. Owen reminds us that our lusts wage war against our soul. He says that lust gets its strength by temptation. In our fight against sin we must begin by striving to weaken the lust, or by “crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).

How is the habitual weakening of our lusts related to the death of Christ on the cross (Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:24)?

Second, constant fighting against the lust. There are three things required in this fight:

1. We must recognize the enemy we are dealing with and resolve that it is to be destroyed by all means possible. If you see your sin as a trivial thing you will not put forth any effort at mortifying it.

2. We need to be intimately acquainted with the ways, wiles, methods, advantages, and occasions which give lust its success. We must not let our guard down. Just because a struggle is not current does not mean we are not vigilant. Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The start of the fight is to always be ready. “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

3. We need to continue to attack our lusts daily with the spiritual weapons that are most detrimental to it.

Third, evidence of success in the battle. Here Owen does well to point out that if you are fighting against pride you will see growth in humility. The fight against any vice should see fruit in the corresponding virtue (If I want to care less about the things of this world, such as rooting for the Detroit Lions, I will begin to care more about eternal things). Owen says, “These graces of the Spirit, as they are expressed in various ways, weaken the perplexing lusts that wage their warfare against us.

NEXT WEEK

Read chapters 7-8 by next Wednesday, November 18. We are only a few weeks in so there is still plenty of time for you to get the book and read along.

YOUR TURN

It would be great to hear what you gained from these chapters. Feel free to post comments below or talk with one another about what you are reading. Do not feel that you need to say anything shocking or profound. Just share what stirred your heart or what gave you pause or what confused you. Let’s make sure we’re reading this book together.

WSC Q&A #45

Q: What is the first commandment?
A: The first commandment is, You shall have no other gods before me.
Revelation 14:7 And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."

There are a few things to notice as we look now at the ten commandments. The first is to notice that many of the commandments are stated in the negative. We generally, today, do not like this. Were we to write the 10 commandments, we'd probably try to state the positive instead of the negative. So instead of saying, "you shall have no other gods before me", we might try to put a positive spin on it by saying, "God shall be your only God" or something like that. But, as James Fisher pointed out in his "Catechism on the Catechism", the commandments are intentionally put in the negative because, "negative precepts are the strictest obligation, binding always, and at all times".

Secondly, as Fisher points out, this first commandment is set out in front of the rest to show us that God alone should be our God, and that the law serves to show us and remind us of this fact. The law is given to show us, to teach us, to point us to obedience of the one true God. And so the 10 commandments begin with a strong reminder that it is God alone that we should be striving to please in our obedience, in our worship, in the whole of life.

On the surface, it seems like such a simple commandment. But as we move into the next few weeks, we will see how complicated things get as we begin to unpack the idolatry that is in all of our hearts. We will begin to see just how high the standards of the Holy God truly are, how far short we fall of keeping them, and how glorious and gracious God truly is.

Worth Reading

As we continue this weekly series we remind you that the inclusion of links to various articles does not mean we endorse everything written by the author or even necessarily agree with everything in the linked article, but we do think it's worth reading and thinking about with discernment.

Mark 10:32-52

Do you come to our gathered worship service expecting God to speak to you through his Word? We encourage you to prayerfully read through the passage that will be preached prior to the service to help you prepare.

How Do I Know that God Loves Me?

How do we know God loves us? Because Jesus died for us. Through his sacrifice sin is paid for and God’s wrath against us came to an end. When we are wondering what God thinks of us as his people, when we are in doubt of God’s affection for us, we look back. God’s love is not seen today in our satisfaction in this life, but yesterday in his own satisfaction in his Son. God’s love is best seen, not in a pleasing providence in our lives, but in divine propitiation in the death of Jesus Christ.

When Routines Become Idols

While routines are a good thing, life doesn’t always fall perfectly into place. Life in a fallen world is often unpredictable. Accidents happen, people get sick, someone in the Body of Christ needs us, and sometimes God simply has a better plan for our day. When it comes to our routines, the wisdom of God’s word tells us that “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). . .

If you find that you cling too tightly to your routines, seek God in repentance. Pray for a heart that desires him above comfort, ease, and predictability. For as Tim Keller wrote, “Jesus must become more beautiful to your imagination, more attractive to your heart, than your idol. That is what will replace your counterfeit gods.”

Let us make our plans and set our routines. But let us hold them loosely and cling instead to our only source of hope and peace, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Putting the Mini in Ministry

Every member, from the youngest to the oldest, is important and needed in the body of Christ, and is gifted by God for the good of the body. Here’s a great list of small things we can all do to make a big difference in our church.

The Mortification of Sin

Today we continue our study through John Owen’s book, The Mortification of Sin. The idea is we read this together and that we read the corresponding chapters prior to the blog post each week. So hopefully if you are joining us you have already read the first four chapter, but if not, we’re not too far along for you to catch up or simply join in. Each Wednesday I hope to post a blog that will contain thoughts, quotes, and questions related to the previous week’s reading.

As we read, may we keep in mind Owen’s goal in writing this book as stated in the preface: “to promote the work of gospel mortification in the hearts of believers and direct them into safe paths where they will find rest for their souls.” (viii)

Chapter 3, The Work of the Spirit in Mortification, begins with this great reminder:

The Holy Spirit is our only sufficiency for the work of mortification. All ways and means apart from Him have no true effect. He only is the great power behind it, and He works in us as He pleases.

He then begins by discussing vain methods of mortification, which can be man-made means that were never appointed by God for this purpose, or even God-given methods that are not used in the proper place or order. Owen says in the latter case many consider them as the fountain and not the stream coming from the fountain. He also believes we often seek to accomplish our own victory and that we may fight against sin for a time, but as the pain of conviction wears off we give up the fight and then sin returns to its former dominion. His conclusion: These ways are not sufficient. There is no self-endeavour that can accomplish mortification. Almighty energy is necessary for its accomplishment.

Some questions for you to consider:

1. In what ways do you attempt to destroy the sins that trouble you?

2. What are you trusting in to change you?

3. What are the reasons such things do not work?

4. How do you often use the right things - such as reading the Bible, prayer, fasting, etc. - in the wrong way to accomplish mortification?

In the second half of chapter three Owen focuses on the Spirit’s work in mortification and says that God promised His Spirit to be given to us for this very work. He lays out three ways the Spirit mortifies sin in the lives of believers:

1. He causes our hearts to abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the works of the flesh (See Galatians 5:19-24). If you have just finished a delicious, healthy meal prepared for you by your spouse, you will be too satisfied and full to even consider then eating at Cactus Willies or Old Country Buffet (and if you would choose one of those buffets over a home-cooked meal, you need to come eat at our house sometime!). Perhaps not the best analogy, but something kind of like that.

2. By the effective destruction of the root and habit of sin, to weaken, destroy, and take it away. Praise God the Spirit does this in our lives. He takes away our stony heart and burns the very root of our lusts.

3. He brings the cross of Christ into the heart of a sinner by faith, and gives communion with Christ in his death, and fellowship in his suffering.

Some are concerned that all this focus on mortification and fighting against sin will move us away from the gospel of grace, but notice how often and careful Owen is to ground this mortification, not only in the work of the Spirit, but in our communion with Christ!

So how does our role line up with the work of the Spirit? (Jerry Bridges has a great book on this, The Discipline of Grace: God’s Role & Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness). Owen contends that the Spirit does not so work in us that it is not still an act of our obedience.

The Holy Spirit works in us and with us, not against us or without us, so that His assistance is an encouragement as to the accomplishing of the work.

Philippians 2:12-13

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

God provides the way of escape, he gives us the desire to escape, he inclines our heart to turn from the temptation, we turn by his grace and enablement, and he removes the temptation.

In Chapter 4 Owen seeks to show the joy of our spiritual life depends greatly upon the mortification of sin.

He wants to make clear he is not saying this joy proceeds from our success, as if it were tied to it. Yes, the use of means for the obtaining of peace is ours, but the bestowing of it is God’s prerogative.

Mortification is not the immediate means that God has instituted to give us life, vigour, courage, and consolation. The immediate cause of these privileges is our adoption...Our spiritual life, vigour, courage and consolation, then, come at the hand of the Spirit as we sense and understand our adoption and justification.

So here’s a big question: What is the relationship between justification, adoption, and mortification?

And here is a huge truth about the deceitfulness and deadly danger of sin:

Sin untunes and unframes the heart itself, by entangling its affections. It diverts the heart from the spiritual frame that is required for vigorous communion with God. It lays hold on the affections, rendering its object beloved and desirable, so expelling the love of the Father (1 John 2:15; 3:17). The umortified soul cannot say uprightly and truly that God is its portion, having something else that it loves. The soul and its affections, that should be full of God, cannot be full of Him, since it is entangled in worldly pursuits.

Owen ends chapter four with a helpful gardening illustration on pages 24-25, another reminder of the need for daily mortification and daily fixing our eyes on Jesus!

NEXT WEEK

Read chapters 5-6 by next Wednesday. We have only just begun so there is still plenty of time for you to get the book and to read along.

YOUR TURN

It would be great to hear what you gained from these opening chapters. Feel free to post comments below or talk with one another about what you are reading. Do not feel that you need to say anything shocking or profound. Just share what stirred your heart or what gave you pause or what confused you. Let’s make sure we’re reading this book together.

WSC Q&A #43 & #44

#43 Q: What is the preface to the ten commandments? 
A: The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exodus 20:2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

#44 Q: What does the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
A: The preface to the ten commandments teaches us that because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.
1 Peter 1:14-19 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

I am doing something a little different this week by combining last week's and this week's catechism. As you can see from the Q&As, they build off of each other and I felt they were too connected to separate them into two blog posts. 

Perhaps some may find it odd that God would give a preface to his law. After all, he is God! He does not need to preface anything he commands. Notice, though, what God is doing here. He is reminding the Exodus community (and us) of who he is and what he has done for his people. Why should we obey this law that we're about to receive? Because God is Lord over all. He is our God, and he is our Redeemer. God, in this preface, is revealing something about himself. Yes, he is the sovereign Lord of all. He has a right to command what he wills and he has a right to demand and expect perfect obedience to his law. But here he is revealing that what he desires is that his people obey and follow his law out of a sense of joy and gratitude for who God is and what he has done for us in delivering us out of the bondage and slavery of sin and the devil. Why should we strive to keep the commandments of God? Not simply because he is God, but because he is our God, the God who has made us a people when we were not a people. The God who has made us into a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a chosen race, a people for his own possession. When we reflect and meditate on this truth, how can we not have a deep longing and desire to serve and please God as he has commanded?