John Owen’s On the Mortification of Sin in Believers, Part 1

I’m very, very excited to start the summer ACTS series. We’re looking at Puritan classics, and Mortification of Sin by John Owen is the first classic we’re going to look at this week and next week. Those of you who put books on order, we’re expecting them any day. The outline that I’ve given you tonight, it will pretty much stand alone, but you’ll want to read the book for yourself. What I’d like to do is give you a little bit of background so that you know what we mean when we think of Puritans, the Puritan Classics. What we’re doing is we’re kind of anchoring ourselves in a time of church history, and it’s very helpful for us to know what that time was. You know of the Reformation that was started in the early 16th century through Martin Luther. Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle in 1517 and began the Reformation.

Up to that point in the west, the church had been entirely Roman Catholic. The Roman Catholic church had gotten into false doctrine and false practices. Most of the attempts at reformation before Luther focused on the false practices, the bad lifestyle of the priest for example, or some of the others. But Luther zeroed in on the doctrine, and he taught the doctrine of justification by faith alone. He didn’t invent it; he found it in the Bible. The apostle Paul taught it in Romans, and in many other places we see this doctrine. Little by little the Reformation started taking over Germany and other parts of Europe were affected greatly as well. Now, one of the parts of Europe that was affected by Luther’s writing was England. Now, England was under a monarch, very famous monarch at the time. Do you know what his name was? Henry VIII.

That’s right. What is Henry VIII known for? His wives. How many wives did he have? Six. Six. Six wives, not all at the same time, but he had six wives. He vigorously opposed Luther’s reformation. He wrote treatises defending the sacraments and was called the Defender of the Faith by the Roman Catholic Pope. And so, they were best of buddies until Henry VII began to discern that his wife Catherine of Aragon was barren, was not producing him a son. Well, she did produce him one child, Mary, but not a son. And he wanted a son so that his line would be able to continue in power in England. And so, as a result, he was having some serious problems, began to seek an annulment of his marriage, really a divorce. And the Pope would not grant him the divorce. Now realize that politics are all over this thing, all over it.

King Henry VIII had no desire to leave the Catholic church, none at all. He was Catholic to his bone, but he wanted to divorce his wife so he could have a male heir. He wanted to marry Anne Boleyn. And so eventually since the Pope refused to give him the divorce, he said, fine, I’ll start my own church. And that’s what he did. He started the Church of England with himself as in effect the Pope. Everything else was about the same. It was just the Catholic church with a different Pope, and the Pope was the king of England. And so, he divorced his wife. He married Ann Boleyn, and she produced him the heir that he wanted, Edward. And as a result, from there also he had another daughter by another wife, and that was Elizabeth. Those were the three that were going to reign after Henry VIII. 

Now, the first that reigned in his place was Edward. Edward reigned in his place, and he was Protestant. Of course, he had to be Protestant because if he embraced the Catholic church then he would be an illegitimate son. You understand that? So, he embraced Protestantism, but also from his heart, he embraced it. He really did believe in the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The problem was that he had some genetic disorders. His father had some physical problems with his reproductive abilities and other things. And he was born weak and sickly, and he only lived until he was about 16 years old. Then he died. Well, Mary took over. Now Mary has got to be Catholic. You understand why? Because her legitimacy to the throne is tied to Henry not getting a divorce from her mother. And so, they go right back to Catholicism, and she is given the nickname what? Bloody Mary, because she murdered a lot of Protestants.

You understand how that works? So, England’s going back and forth, you understand? Well, Mary died of a tumor just a few years after she took the throne, so she didn’t last long, and she didn’t produce a child either. So, who’s next in line? Elizabeth. Now Elizabeth’s got to be Protestant, you understand that? Or else she’s illegitimate, but she didn’t want the struggle to continue to rip England apart. So about a year after she took the throne, they came up with the Elizabethan settlement called the Via Media, the Middle Road And it was going to kind of compromise, kind of be a mixture, church, kind of Catholic, kind of Protestant. Some significant things, the Pope’s authority and all that could not continue obviously, but some other things were going to be very much kept in place. And so, you have a kind of a lukewarm middle of the road reformation.

Well, there was a group of people that got weary of that and wanted a genuine reformation, a genuine change in the Church of England. And those folks were given the insulting name Puritans. They wanted to purify the church of papist theology and practice. They wanted a reformed church. And the Puritans, roughly speaking, you’re looking at a movement from about 1550 to 1700 generally somewhere in that range. And so, we’re looking at some of the classics. Now, some of those folks crossed the Atlantic and set up in the Bay Commonwealth at Massachusetts. They were not the Pilgrims that settled down in Plymouth, but up in the Boston area. They were Puritans, they were wealthy, they were educated, and so they kind of spread out and kind of took over England or New England, sorry. And as a result, you’ve got a movement called New England Puritanism as well. And one of the authors we’re looking at, Jonathan Edwards, was a descendant of that movement.

So that’s kind of a general overview when you talk about Puritanism. But when I think of Puritanism, I think mostly of their doctrines more than this history that I’ve given you a very brief overview of. I think of their doctrines. They understood, I think, salvation as a whole better than any other movement that there’s been in church history. By salvation as a whole, I mean justification, sanctification, glorification –  all of what God does in a sinner to bring that person from being lost and dead in transgressions and sins until they’re glorious in heaven with him. And they did a lot of thinking on this and a lot of writing. And the work we’re going to look at tonight by John Owen is a classic, and it really has arranged my thinking when it comes to this issue of sanctification. Now sanctification is that process of God taking you from the moment of justification when by faith alone you trust in Christ and all of your sins are forgiven to the fact, to the moment of your death when you are taking up into his presence, and you’re made perfect.

The Spirit works, but we also must work. If we don’t work, we won’t make progress in sanctification.

It’s a gradual process of becoming more and more, little by little, more and more like Jesus Christ. And it’s a mysterious process, isn’t it? It’s gradual and it involves a partnership between us and the Holy Spirit, and therein lies its mystery. The Spirit works, but we also must work. If we don’t work, we won’t make progress in sanctification. Owen is going to be talking about that tonight in this issue of the mortification of sin in believers. We’re going to be looking at this. Owen gave these as a series of addresses to basically a college chapel, and at that time the students who listened to him would’ve been basically teenagers. And it’s a good thing for us to keep that in mind. We think that teenagers can’t really handle the solid meat of the word, but these addresses are as thick and meaty as you’re going to find anywhere, and he’s giving them to 16-year-olds.

I think we think too little these days. We have this idea of adolescents that they can’t handle this kind of thing. They handled it, they understood it. As a matter of fact, they loved it and pressed him to publish it. That’s why we have it. These were just a series of sermons and messages that he gave to these folks so that they would have power through the Spirit to put sin to death. So why don’t we look at the outline. I’ve given you a brief background, and what I’m proposing to do is that we just kind of go through these chapters, the summaries, and try to understand the message of what Owen is giving us on the mortification of sin in believers. In chapter one, he gives us his foundational text, and you can take your Bible if you’d like and look at it. Open up to Romans 8:13. If you look at Romans 8:13, you get his key text. Now, the reason I’m having you look at it right in your Bibles rather than just on the page of the outline is you’re going to see something very important, a very important point that Owen is going to make.

Could somebody read Romans 8:1 for me? Okay, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Is that encouraging to you? The idea that there is no condemnation for you if you’re in Christ? Does that mean however, that there’s no labor for you to do in your soul now that you have no condemnation? You’re free from anything, you can live however way you want? Is that what Paul would say? Absolutely not. But it is for those for whom this is true, there is no condemnation, that he’s going to give us this burden or this commitment or duty of mortification. Those who are genuinely freed from the condemning power of sin. Alright, somebody read from me, verse 13, Romans 8:13. (inaudible) “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.” So, in the KJV, they’re printed on your outline. It says, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Now one of the things is you have to learn in terms of theology. These little FY endings – you’ve got justify, you’ve got sanctify, you’ve got glorify. They’re all tied to the Latin root, the Latin verb, which means to make, the little FY ending to make. So, justify means to make you just, to make you righteous judicially before God, to make you just in God’s sight. Sanctify would be to make you holy, to make you sanctus as the Latin word for holy is sanct. So, sanctify means to make you holy. Well, what would glorify mean then?

It is pretty straightforward to make you what? Glorious. To make you glorious. It’s the action of God to make someone glorious. Is that going to happen to us? Oh yes, it is. We are going to be glorious. We’re going to shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father. Isn’t that exciting? That’s a thrilling thought. Well then what does mortify mean? To make dead. That’s right. To make something dead. To make it dead. Now what are we going to try to make dead? We’re going to make sin dead, and that’s what he’s getting at. “If you are living according to the flesh,” it says in the NASB, “you must die. But if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Notice the subtle change in the tenses. There is a sense of ongoing. If you are in an ongoing sense living according to the flesh, you will die.

But if an ongoing sense you are in the process by the Spirit of putting to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. What does die mean? What do you think it means, “You will die”? Well, what does it mean in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It’s got to be damnation because the eternal gift of God is, or the gift of God is eternal life. So, the parallelism there is death versus eternal life. So, we’re really talking about eternal death, we’re talking about hell. So, if you live according to the flesh, if you’re under the dominion of the flesh, you will go to hell. That’s what the verse says. If on the other hand you are in the process of putting to death the misdeeds of the body, you’ll go to heaven. I think it means more than that. No one’s going to make that point, but it at least means that, well this is kind of important then, isn’t it? I guess so it really is.

I thought all I needed to do was pray the prayer. Apparently not. Apparently, there’s more to salvation than simply praying the prayer. Alright a lot more. And that’s what Owen’s getting at. Now Owen begins by making some observations on the text. First, he notes that there is a duty prescribed. It says mortify the deeds of the body. That’s a duty, something you must do. It speaks of the persons to whom it is prescribed: “Ye,” in the King James, you are the ones who must do it. There’s a promise next to that duty: you will live. That’s the promise. Alright? The cause or means of the performance of the duty is given: the Spirit. “If you through the Spirit,” it says. Also, the conditionality of the whole, the duty, the means, the promise are all contained in this one word, if. There’s a condition here. So that’s what Owen does.

Just pause right there. Note his methodology. He’s chewing on this, isn’t he? He’s working on it. Some parts of scripture lend themselves to this kind of analysis better than others. You wouldn’t want to do this with one of the Old Testament narratives. That’s going to read differently. You’re not going to pick it apart and work over each word. But Paul’s epistles really do lend themselves to this kind of careful analysis. And so, Owen is just working over every word, every phrase. So, the conditionality gives us a sense of the uncertainty of the event. The condition is necessary to the outcome and also of the certainty of the connection. There’s a connection between the two. If you mortify, you’ll live. So, there’s a connection between the two. The illustration he gives is saying to a sick man, if you will take such a potion, medicine or such a remedy, you will be well.

What if I don’t take it? Well, the implication is you’ll not be well. But there’s a connection between a taking of the medicine and the healing that will come as a result. There’s an absolutely certain connection between mortifying the deeds of the body and living. There’s a connection between these two. The emphasis is given on who must mortify: ye or you, you must do it, okay? People of whom it has spoken, there is no condemnation for them. There is no condemnation, and yet they are the ones who must mortify the deeds of the body. People of whom it has spoken, also, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit in verse 9. People of whom it has spoken, they are quickened, are made alive by the Spirit of Christ. Verse 10 and 11, that’s an illustrious resume that you have. All of these things are said of us, and yet he’s telling us we have to mortify the deeds of the body.

These are the ones who must mortify the deeds of the body. Therefore, he makes a key doctrinal conclusion on this point. This will be a primary kind of foundation on his whole argument. “The choicest believers who are assuredly free from the condemning power of sin ought to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.” I’ll read it again. “The choicest believers who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin ought to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.” So, we have some work to do. That’s what he’s saying. It’s not enough to say yes, but Romans 1, one says such and such, oh yes, but Romans 8:13 goes beyond that, doesn’t it? And tells us we must mortify the deeds of the body. We’ve got to do it. It is essential then to focus on the efficient cause of mortification, namely the Holy Spirit.

This is going to be a major focus later, even in our evening tonight. But right from the outset, he wants you to know the efficient cause of our mortification. He says this, all other ways of mortification are vain. All helps leave us helpless. It must be done by the Spirit. This is the work of the Spirit. By him alone is it to be wrought, and by no other power is it to be brought about. Mortification 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. Isn’t that true? That’s what it is. That’s the religions. That’s what they have out there. Clean yourself up, make yourself better. Change the sin in your life. Get yourself work together. No, that’s what makes Christianity different. By the Spirit is this mortification done.

Alright, well, what is mortification then? What is this duty to which we are commanded? Well, first he asks the question, what is meant by the body? We’re to mortify the deeds of the body. It is the same as the flesh in one sense, the old man, the sin nature, the indwelling sin, the corrupted flesh, a seat and instrument of lust and distempered affections. It’s the body. Now Martin Lloyd Jones disagreed a little bit with Owen here. You disagree with Owen at your own risk by the way, but he thought the body was just your physical body. But as a result of long habit and training and sin, you get habits that are kind of programmed into your body. It’s a subtle difference, and I tend to agree with Lloyd Jones, but he’s saying here, Owen is saying that the body is that seat of lust.

It’s the physical kind of resting place where the lusts of the flesh are found. That’s the body. Well, then what is meant by the deeds of the body? Now the word deeds denotes kind of outward actions chiefly. That’s the sense in the Greek word, but I think we do sense that it goes beyond that, doesn’t it? It really starts inward. There’s an internal motion or deed of the body, an inward root from which the deeds of the flesh spring. The ax is already laid at the root of the tree. So, every lust intends to conceive and bring forth a perfect sin even if it ends up aborted before that end. So, there’s a root to this bitter fruit of sin, isn’t there? And I think that’s what Owen’s getting at. The deeds of the body, therefore, really start within us. The root of our sin is within our hearts. It’s within our true natures.

Well then what is meant by mortifying them? Well, Owen says to kill a man, or any other living thing is to take away the principle of all of his strength, vigor, and power so that he cannot act or exert. And so, it is in this case. Therefore, he gives us this definition, “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.” That’s the definition. You’re wanting to suck it of its life force, its energy, its ability to bring forth things in your life. Now he’s later going to be very careful to say that you’ll never kill sin. You need to be killing sin, but you can’t kill it.

Now if you could kill sin, that would mean that you’re teaching what? If you could say it’s possible in this life to put sin finally to death so that it cannot spring back to life? What would you be teaching at that point? Perfection. The idea that it is possible while in the flesh now to be perfect and holy, and Owen will distance himself from that. We are not ultimately called to kill sin, but to be killing sin because sin can’t be killed in this world, but it will be killed in the next. Glorification is very effective at killing sin. It’ll be gone forever. Praise God, hallelujah! Finished it last with sin. In the meantime, do you really think anybody can ever say, “Well, I put that one to death. Never need to worry about that one again?” Can you ever say that? No. “If any man thinks he stands take heed lest he falls” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

You’re never going to be able to say that one is finished. I know I have a certificate from heaven on that one. I’ll never do that one again. We can’t, but we’ve got to be killing sin. And so, he’s going to define mortification that way: to suck it of its life strength and its ability to bring forth fruit in our lives. That’s what the act of mortification is. Well, what is the promise attached to this duty? Well, life- you shall live. Well, we already said that the life must be at least eternal life because we have that parallelism in Romans 6:23. Wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. But I think it means more than just heaven, going to heaven. If you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will go to heaven. I think it means more than that.

He says the life promised as opposed to the death threatened in the clause, foregoing, if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But the word may go beyond our eternal life in heaven but include our ongoing experience of spiritual life here on earth with Christ. Thus, it means you shall live, you shall have a good, vigorous, comfortable, spiritual life while you are here, and you shall obtain eternal life hereafter. So, there is a sense in which there’s life here now, and then there’s eternal life in heaven. And I think this is accurate. There’s a relationship between the two. If you are in the process of putting sin to death now, you will live now with Christ. “I’m the vine, and you are the branches.” (John 15:5) There’s a life that’s going on now, but then even better, there’s going to be eternal life in heaven. So, the vigor and power and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.

The vigor and power and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.

Bottom of the page 2, you can just take your pen and circle that. That is huge. “The vigor and power and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.” Okay? That means if you don’t mortify the deeds of the flesh, you will have no vigor and power and comfort. One could also add fruit to that list. Fruitfulness comes from this as well. Okay, turn the page. That’s chapter 1. You got 13 more chapters to go. We’re not going through ’em all tonight, but chapter 1. So, he’s saying, if you want to have a vigorous, energetic, powerful, spiritual life here on earth, you must put sin to death. Now you don’t hear this on the TV preachers, do you? I mean you just don’t hear this message. They promise different ways. If you touch the screen where he’s touching it, if you get the spiritual hanky for $19.95, you can get power in your spiritual life.

There’s kind of an instant power thing going on. Owen says, you want power. This is the way to do it: put sin to death, put it to death. Chapter 2, The Duty of the Best Believers, he speaks of here and also the evil of neglecting this duty. He’s going to unfold his first key principle here. The choicest believers, we’ve heard this before, the choicest believers who are assuredly free from the condemning power of sin ought to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin. So, he is zeroing in now on this phrase, “the choicest believers,” he gives us a supporting text, Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed which is idolatry.” Well, to whom is Paul speaking? Well in Colossians 3:3-4 it says that we “have died, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then we also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature.” So, we are those who are going to appear with Christ in glory, and yet we are the ones commanded to put this sin to death. And so, he’s saying that this is for Christians, this is for even the most mature Christians. So, he’s arguing, he is going to argue from the greater to the lesser. If this is true, if the most mature Christians must do this, how much more should you do it? You are not the most mature Christian. That’s the point. We must take this to ourselves and say, well, if this mighty man or this mighty woman of God had to do this than how much more me, I’m new in Christ, I need to do this then. And so, he’s going to say, the choicest believers, you must mortify. He says, you must make it your daily work.

You must be constantly at it while you live, cease not a day from this work. And this is a very famous quote, “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you.” Isn’t that great? I mean that’s just one of those ones you just write on a card. “Be killing sin or sin will be killing you. – John Owen.” It’s true. Are we in mortal combat here? Yes, we are. We’re locked in mortal combat. Later in one of his other works, I think he’s maybe in this one, I’m not sure. He’s going to talk about wrestling with a poisonous viper. And he says basically you cannot begin a wrestling match with a poisonous viper and not see it through to its conclusion with the viper dead at your feet, lest you regret you began the struggle. Halfway through the wrestling match with the poisonous snake can you say, I’ve gone about as far in this as I’d really like to go?

You’ve had your moments and I’ve had mine, but I’d like to set you back down now on the path. And I’m going to go that way, and I’d like you to go that way. Is that what’s going to happen? That viper’s going to pursue you until you are dead, so you must pursue until the snake is dead. Absolutely must. I’ve thought of an analogy here and I’ve shared this before, but I’ll share it again. I love history and I love to study military history, World War II in particular. And I like to think about the events that led up to World War II and the rise of Nazism and specifically how the nations of Europe were so weary of war after a horrible war. World War I, they called it the war to end all wars. How wrong they were. Little did they realize that a much bigger war was soon to come, and it was a terrible, terrible thing and they would do it seems anything to avoid war.

Neville Chamberlain was in charge of England, and he tried to court Hitler. He tried to make deals with him. He tried to be his friend to whine him and dine him, and to give concessions to him and to build a kind of an understanding and a friendship with him. That’s what he tried to do. And so, he gave away part of France, he gave away all of Austria. He gave away part of the Czech, Czechoslovakia, the Sudeten land, and then Hitler just gobbled the whole nation. And then somewhere in the British government and said, okay, we get it. We see what’s happening. If you touch Poland, we’re at war. Alright? And he didn’t touch Poland. He invaded Poland, and they’re at war. Neville Chamberlain lost his job, obviously. There was behind him somebody else who understood Hitler, and that was Winston Churchill. You don’t make deals with a Hitler.

It’s impossible because he is going to keep pressing until you are his slave, and he will not be satisfied until you are his slave. And so therefore Churchill is going to say, “We’ll fight him on the seas and oceans, we’ll fight him on the beaches, we’ll fight him on the landing strips. We’ll fight him on the streets and the towns until the last British man is fighting whoever’s left.” That’s the determination we have. We can’t ever surrender ever. Now you see the two different approaches. Which of those approaches is us and sin? It must be the second, but we live like the first, trying to appease to make a deal, to cut a separate arrangement. Billy Sunday said the problem with sin is that we treat it like a cream puff when it’s really a rattlesnake. That’s a homey way of saying the same thing. The fact is we must be killing sin or it’s going to kill us.

Now who must do this? Is there a special club of people exempt from this duty? Well yeah, they’re in heaven now. They’re dead, they’re gone. But those who are still alive must do it. John 15:1-3, Jesus said, “I am the true vine, my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” Now the English translation does us no favors here because the Greek actually says this, “he cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he cleans,” same Greek word from which we get catharsis, that word, “so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I’ve spoken to you.”

So those who are already clean, the Father cleans. How is that? Well, that’s justification and sanctification. And so, if you are cleaned by the word that Christ has spoken to you, you’re forgiven of all your sins and held to be guiltless in the sight of God. The Father’s going to do what to you? He’s going to clean you up, and you know need it. You feel it in your heart and your conscience, your lifestyle testifies that this cleaning must happen. And this is sanctification. Who then must receive it? Those who have been cleaned by the word of Christ, those who are justified. They must be cleaned up. Paul’s own example is very poignant in this matter.

1 Corinthians 9:27 says, “No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I’ve preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” What does that mean? I beat my body and make it my slave. He frustrates the motions of his flesh. He does things that frustrate with the flesh wants. He’s at war in one sense with himself. Now this is the point. If this were the work and business of Paul who was so incomparably exalted in grace, revelations, enjoyments, privileges, consolations above the ordinary measure of believers, where may we possibly bottom an exemption from this work and duty? Whilst we are in this world, he’s arguing from the greater to the lesser, if Paul had to do it, you have to do it. That’s what he’s saying. How can you get out of it? How can you say there’s an exemption, I don’t need to do this. 

Indwelling sin always abides while we are in the world. Therefore, it is always to be mortified.

Well now he goes in, Owen goes in, to discussing why is this constantly necessary? Why should this be the case? Well first, indwelling sin always abides while we are in the world. Therefore, it is always to be mortified. Owen refutes any possibility at this moment of perfectionism in this world against some who have taught that it is possible. Some in church history have taught a perfectionism, the eradication of sin for example. That sin can be removed. You can put some things to death and then they are permanently dead. Some people in the kind of spiritual warfare camps will say it’s almost like there was a demonic element, and then at one point I named and claimed something and then from then on it was never an issue. But I don’t think this is biblical. And Owen certainly didn’t think it was biblical that there is a possibility of kind of a cauterization or something in a certain area so that from then on you never struggled with that sin ever again. He cites Philippians 3:12. Paul says, “Not that I have already obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” So, Paul says, I’m not perfect and I won’t be, but I’m pressing on daily to take hold of perfection in heaven.

Now page four, “It being our duty to mortify, to be killing of sin while still in us. We must be at work. He that is appointed to kill an enemy, if he stops striking at it before the other ceases living does but half his work.” I actually think that a lot of the military imagery of the Old Testament is to help us in this battle. You think about for example, how Saul was to wipe out the Amalekites and you’re supposed to say, oh, I’m squeamish about that. I mean I’m kind of a pacifist. Why would you have to kill them all men, women and children and all the animals and the whole thing wipe ’em all out. Well, that was part of the original taking of the promised land. As you remember Joshua and all that they were commanded to do this, and they just weren’t doing it, and it was causing them nothing but trouble. But then he commanded, God specifically commanded Saul through Samuel that he should go and wipe out the Amalekites. Well, he didn’t do it. He killed a lot, but he kept the best cattle and sheep for himself, and he kept the king, Agag alive. You remember that? And Agag thought, well surely the bitterness of death is passed. And it wasn’t, because he was in front of a man of God, And, his name wasn’t Saul, his name was Samuel.

And Samuel put him to death before the Lord, it says. They say, what’s that story in there for? A lot of reasons. But I like to think of my sin that way, standing in front of me like Agag this evil man, and you have to put it to death. And what he’s saying is if you just kind of wound him at that moment, you’ve not obeyed God. Saul lost his kingship over this. It was torn from him because he did not obey. To obey is better than sacrifice, 1 Samuel 15. He had to kill him. And so, I tend to think in this way, that it is our duty to put sin to death completely. Now we know it won’t ever completely die in this world, but there’s a ruthlessness in this matter. We’re not going to spare sin at all.

Alright, why then do we have to keep doing it? First, because sin continues with us as long as we’re in the world. So, we have to keep at it. Secondly, not only does sin still live in us, but it is also acting in us. It’s hardly quiet and dormant, now, is it? Would you say this is kind of an active virus or just one that’s laying low? Well, I would say that you’re tormented by it every day. It’s not a little quiet part of your life. It’s actually a very big part of your life. It’s a very active part of your life. It’s acting. It’s still laboring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh. And another great quote from Owen, I love this: “When sin leaves us alone, we may leave sin alone.” Is sin leaving you alone? Has sin left you alone today? Did you get the day off today from sin? No. Sin is a viper. Sin is coming after you every day relentlessly.

By the way, is it okay to personify sin this way? Well, I think so because Paul says, “As it is, it is no longer I myself who does it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:17). So, he gives it a kind of a life of its own. It is sin living in me that does it. So, when sin leaves us alone, we may leave sin alone. But as sin is nevertheless 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 when there is least suspicion. Even when things are seeming quiet, they’re not. There’s emotion or movement of sin, and you have to be aggressive in working on it at all times. Galatians 5:17 says, “The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They’re in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want.” There’s a constant battle going on, isn’t there? Romans 7:19-21, “For what I do is not the good I want to do. No, the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So, I find this law at work when I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” That is the case, isn’t it? Do you feel that? Do you sense it in your Christian life?

Owen puts it this way. “Who can say that he ever had anything to do with God or for God that indwelling sin had not a hand in the corrupting of what he did? Have you ever had a prayer time that was free from sin? Have you ever had a time of evangelism reaching out with the gospel that was free from sin? Have you ever gone to church free from sin? Have you ever sung a hymn free from the effects of sin? It’s with us all the time, isn’t it? It’s a constant enemy. It’s always active in us. 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 outcome? There is not a day, but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed upon, and it will be so whilst we live in this world.”

What does that mean? If you want to grow as a Christian, you’ve got to take ground from sin. It’s not going to be yielded easily. You want to grow in your prayer life, you want to memorize scripture, you want to be more of a worshiper singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. You want a better marriage. You want to be just in general a better Christian. Do you think that territory is going to be just ceded to you like parts of the territory were ceded to us by Mexico? It’s not going to be given for free. It’s got to be taken by conquest. Sin is going to fight you every step of the way. So, every single day you’re either going to foil sin or be foiled by sin. That’s what he’s getting at. And then he puts it this way, “I will discharge from this duty anyone who can bring sin to a cessation of arms in this warfare, if it will spare him any day, even in any one duty, let him say to his soul as to this duty soul, take thy rest.”

In other words, the day that sin lets you alone, then you can take your rest in this matter. The only safety therefore is in constant warfare. Wow, you didn’t walk in the door this way, did you? It’s like, boy, I didn’t realize. Well, that’s part of my job tonight. It’s part of my job to tell you there’s a war on. And that you are the focal point of that war and that you must fight. That if you just lay back, you’ll be trampled like the Nazis trampled the countries that just laid back under them, they just will take you over, and you will be dominated. Alright, we’ve had two reasons. Sin is always with you, so you’ve always got to be mortifying. Sin is not dormant or quiet or passive but is actually active all the time. The third: sin not only is constantly acting, but if it’s let alone, it will bring forth great, cursed, scandalous and soul-destroying sins.

Well, those are big words. Aren’t they great and cursed and scandalous and soul-destroying sins. Have you not seen this in the church? Haven’t you seen it happen to others? It does happen. I think myself about pastors that it’s happened to. I know their names. Look what it says in Galatians 5:19-21, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” So, as you read that list, say this is what my flesh wants to do to me. That’s the goal of my flesh in this direction. And this is a very insightful point that he makes here. I’ve thought much about it. Sin always aims at the utmost. Do you know what I’m saying? It always aims to take you to the end.

Every time it rises up to tempt or entice, if allowed to have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin of its kind. Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could. Every covetous desire would be oppression. Every thought of unbelief would be atheism. We could add every anger would be what? Murder. That’s why Jesus linked those things in the Sermon on the Mount, it’s just from the start right to the finish. I think often in terms of getting on a train. In Japan we struggled because we didn’t know the language that well, and they had these things called these bullet trains, the Shinkansen . And it would just go fast. Two or 300 miles an hour. It was amazing. Magnetic levitation, just, and there was always a moment of tension, at least in my heart. Maybe Christi didn’t feel this, but are we going the right direction where we supposed to be on the east side or the west side of the track?

And they don’t tell you, they just take your ticket, and you sit down and whoosh, off you go. Am I heading to Hokkaido? Where are we going to end up? That’s a good question to ask when it comes to sin. Where am I going to end up if I get on this direction? We don’t tend to think that way. We don’t tend to think, where is it going to finish? When sin is finished with me, where am I then? Alright, so it is like the grave. Sin is like the grave that is never satisfied, and I think this is a very insightful point. And herein lies no small share of the deceitfulness of sin. Do you think that sin as the conductor of the train is going to say, “I’d like you to get on here, our final destination today is adultery. Alright, we’re going to end up there in all of the attendant miseries, the broken home, the loss of your career, and of your life. We’re going to end up there, so sit down and enjoy the ride.”

Is that what sin does? No sin focuses totally on the moment, while at the same time understanding the end result. Focus totally on the moment, and therefore it’s deceitful. It’s tricky. It conceals its final destination from you. Hebrews 3:12 or 3:13 says, “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Sin is deceitful. It’s tricky. Try tying your shoe with one foot in the air, that’s very tricky to do. Page five, sin makes its progress little by little by degrees, and thus has a hardening effect. The soul comforts itself that at least the maximum sin in that category hasn’t happened yet, insensible of the fact that the soul is much closer than ever before to committing those great scandalous soul-destroying sins. You’re not aware of how much progress or degeneration really you’ve made in this.

You don’t realize how far you’ve come. And so, sin is deceptive. It’s tricky. It brings you in that way in that journey. And then also this is one main reason why the Spirit is given to us. So, he’s listing reasons why we need to be at this all the time. The Spirit is given to us for this, that we might put sin to death. Again, Galatians 5:17, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.” They’re in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want. Do you think the Spirit ever lets up on sin? Absolutely not. The Spirit is in you to fight sin all the time, and neither one will change their nature. Sin will never be at ease with the Spirit or the Spirit with sin.

We’re the ones that vacillate. We underestimate the warfare. But that’s why the Spirit’s given. This is very important; this is the very verse we’re looking at tonight. “If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,” look at verse 14, “because those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.” Now I’m emphasizing what does verse 14 tell you about what it means to be a child of God? In order to be a child of God, you’ve got to be led by the Spirit of God. But in context, what does that mean? If you’re not led by the Spirit, you’re not a child of God. What does verse 13 tell you? It means to be led by the Spirit. That’s right, by the Spirit you’re putting sin to death.

So that means if you are not putting sin death by the Spirit, you are not being led by the Spirit. And if you’re not being led by the Spirit, you are not a son of God. You see the logic? That’s just how the verse flows. And so therefore, if you’re not mortifying, you’re not a child of God. That’s what we’re talking about here. That’s the logic of the verse. That’s why verse 14 is connected to verse 13 by the word, because, that’s the connection. You say, well wait a minute, I don’t see this principle of putting sin death in my life. Well, not so fast, we’ll get to that. But what I’m saying is we at least can look at the verse and understand that’s what it’s saying. You must be putting sin to death, or you are not a Christian, you’re not a child of God.

Negligence in this duty contradicts the gradual transformation Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 4:16: “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day.” In these people, those that are not mortifying sin, the order is reversed. Inwardly, we’re wasting away, outwardly renewed day by day. “Sin is as the house of David,” said Owen. “And grace is as the house of Saul.” Now I’m reading through the Bible, and I’m right here in 2 Samuel. So, I put this verse in here, I read it this morning. I thought it was incredible. You remember the struggle? There was a civil war going on between Benjamin, the house of Benjamin, Saul’s descendants after Saul was dead in the battle and all that. He had some sons left, Ishbosheph. And so that whole house was loyal still to the house of Saul.

David, however, had been anointed as king over all of Israel. And so, Judah was loyal to David, and so there was a civil war going on, alright? But they fought and they fought for a long time. And look what it says. The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. Well in the people who aren’t mortifying sin, sin is growing stronger and stronger while grace, the principle of grace growing weaker and weaker. Well, that’s a perversion of the Christian life. That is not what’s meant to be. Also, the scripture says, it is our duty to be perfecting holiness in the fear of God, growing in grace daily. You can see the verses. This cannot be done without a daily mortification of sin. He who does not kill sin in his way takes no steps to his journey’s end.

Now, do many or only few people actually do this? Well, that’s kind of a question. When you look around the church today, do you see people who are actively putting sin to death, that this is the big issue of their lives? Now realize whether you see it or not is not the issue. What matters is whether it’s really happening. Because we already said if it’s not happening, really happening, they’re not Christians. But this is what Owen saw when he looked out over the Church of England at the time. “There is a noise of religion and religious duties in every comer.” That’s what it literally says, comer. I don’t know how it says, I know, it’s a scanner took that in, it’s corner, “preaching in abundance so that if you will measure the number of believers by light, gifts and profession, the church may have cause to say, who hath born me all of these?”

In other words, look at all of this, all this noise of religion. “But now if you’ll take the measure of them by this great discriminating grace of Christians, namely mortification, perhaps you’ll find their number is not so multiplied.” Well, that was true in Owen’s day. Do you think it’s true today? Big noise of religion, lots of show, lots of stuff, lots of programs, lots of visible growth, I guess. But is there this mortification of sin? That’s the question to ask.

Now, what evils attend every unmortified professor, somebody claims to be, this doesn’t mean a seminary professor, but somebody who claims to be a Christian. First of all, evils in himself, and secondly, evils to others. In himself he’ll have only slight thoughts of sin. I like this, Owen said, “The root of an unmortified course is the digestion of sin without bitterness in the heart.”

You can eat it and it doesn’t bother you. You almost have a taste for it. But a true Christian who takes in sin finds its bitter in the stomach and would like it out, hates it. It doesn’t mean that we don’t sin, we do sin, but it’s bitterness to us. We hate it. We’d like it out. “Root of an unmortified course is the digestion of sin without bitterness in the heart. When a man hath confirmed his imagination to such an apprehension of grace and mercy as to be able without bitterness to swallow and digest daily sins, that man is at the very brink of turning the grace of God into license, really, and being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Let me put that in plain language. If you think ahead of time before sinning, “God’s grace will cover me. God is merciful. I can go ahead and live this way,” you have turned the grace of God into a license for sin. And that’s a very, very dangerous, dangerous way to be. You can’t live that way. It’s not healthy, and so you can’t be thinking ahead of time. Now if you’ve already committed a sin, and you’re grieved and broken over it, and yearning for forgiveness, God is gracious and merciful. And that’s the very thing that he’s has given us- confession. The blood of Christ to cleanse us from every sin purifies us from all unrighteousness. That’s what we have. But if you’re taking it as a coupon to go out into world and sin as much as you like now, that’s the very thing that says, we must not ever do take the grace of God and use it as permission sin. And that’s the thing that he says that happens. If you’re not putting sin to death, you’ll start to do that.

You’ll start to use the grace of God as permission for sin. What evils attend others? When others? Well, what do you think others see when they notice that you’re living an unmortified life? Other unbelievers, for example, it causes them to despise the gospel. They think, well, I’m as good as him. I mean he does this and that and the other. I don’t even do some of those things. So why should I become a Christian? They’re like this and it deceives them. Mortified professors or claim claimers of Christ, deceive unbelievers in the thinking all they need to do is come to their level and it’ll be well with them. Just live like me. And so it’s a big problem. It actually ends up being a scandal for the church. If you have people who are living like this, unmortified, not putting sin to death, they are worldly and they affect the gospel.

They affect the reputation of Christ. Chapter 2. Any questions about that so far? Take a break for a moment and ask a question. Are you understanding? Are you tracking it? Serious thing, isn’t it? Very, very important. Okay, we’ll keep going. Chapter 3, the work of the Spirit in mortification.

The great sovereign cause of all true mortification is the Holy Spirit. The principle efficient cause of the performance of this duty is the Spirit. All other ways of mortification are in vain. All helps leave us helpless. It must be done by the Spirit. Human strivings apart from the Spirit are false and they will fail. He only is sufficient for this work. All ways and means without him are as a thing of not. And he’s the great efficient of it. He works in us as he pleases. Now, one of the main focuses in Owen’s mind is Roman Catholic mortification.

Roman Catholics had a certain approach to mortification, such as: the harsh treatment of the body, self-flagellation, long fastings, deprivation of warmth, physical comforts, these kinds of things, beating themselves with thorns and other types of, like I said, harsh treatment of the body. Martin Luther went in for some of this and almost broke his health. A lot of these reformers were actually originally Roman Catholic monks and priests that went to great lengths somehow to break sin. George Whitfield did the same, almost destroyed his health. Really, really pursuing mortification by beating your body physically. Literally. This is a Roman Catholic approach to mortification, the greatest part of Pope religion of that which looks most like religion in their profession, consistent in mistaken ways and means of mortification. This is the pretense of their rough garments. The hair shirt. Have you ever heard of that? You’re wearing something that’s constantly irritating you.

Did you ever get a wool sweater like for Christmas? Something like that. It’s itchy. These guys would wear even worse garments without any undershirts, just on purpose to annoy themselves all the time to provoke their flesh physically. This is the pretense of their rough garments whereby they deceive their vows, orders, fastings, penances are all built on this ground. Well, there are other types of human effort and mortification. Colossians 2:23 covers this. Talks about such regulations: “do not handle, do not taste, do not touch.” Verse 21: “They indeed have an appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining central indulgence.” What does Paul say there in Colossians 2:23, this kind of mortification. What does he say in the end about it? You’re wasting your time. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t work.

It lacks any value in restraining sensual indulgence. It really doesn’t. Many false religious systems make use of strict regulations in the abuse of the body to help mortify sin. Others follow this same approach in a self-styled way. “Neither will the natural popery that is in others do it. Men are galled with the guilt of a sin that hath prevailed over them. They instantly promise to themselves and God, they will do so no more. They watch over themselves and pray for a season until this heat waxes cold, and the sense of the sin is worn off. And so, mortification is gone also, and sin returns to its former domination. How many people do you think are out there making resolutions against certain aspects of sin, promising that they’ll never do it again. And as a result, mortifying the sin without the Spirit? They’re just on their own, unbelievers, really just trying to reform their lives.

It happens. This is the special work of the Spirit. It is given through the Holy Spirit, for it is promised by God to be given us for this work. Would somebody read off the page here on page seven, Ezekiel 36. Is that not a glorious promise from the old covenant? I mean, that’s a fantastic promise and fulfilled in the new covenant. He’s going to take out our heart of stone, and he’s going to give us a heart of flesh, but he’s going to put within us his Spirit to move us to obey his law. Without that we have no hope. Well then if it’s the Spirit’s job put within us to move us to obey, then this is the purview of the spirit. This is his work. This is what he’s given to us to do. It’s his job. The Spirit is given to put sin to death.

Mortification is a gift given to us by Christ, and all of his gifts come by the Spirit. Jesus says, “I’m the vine, and you are the branches. If a man remains a me and I and him, you’ll bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, paraphrase) You can’t mortify any sin by yourself. You can’t do it. Only through Christ, and all of Christ’s gifts come to us through the Spirit. Now, how does the Spirit mortify sin? You wondering that? How does it happen? What does he do in us? Well, first he causes our hearts to abound in grace and in the fruits that are contrary to the flesh, and he leads us accordingly. The Spirit doesn’t just say no. The Spirit says a resounding, “Yes!” and that yes so fills you that the other things are pushed out. That’s the difference between Christianity and all these other worldly systems.

There’s no big yes being said, but instead just no, no, no, no, no. Instead, what the Spirit does is fills us and produces fruit in us, which is contrary to these fleshly things. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control, against these things there is no law. These are the things that drive out the acts of the sinful nature. You’re filled with the fruit of the Spirit, and therefore you’re not going to sin. I think that’s huge, isn’t it? It’s a big yes, a big filling, not a big no. Now there is a no going on. That’s what we’re talking about. But the no is an extension of the yes, it’s the leading of the Spirit. Now that you’re so filled, go out and put sin to death. That’s what he’s saying. Secondly, it’s given to us by a real physical efficiency on the root and habit of sin for the weakening and destroying of it. He gets into the root in you and starts to dry it up. He starts to burn it out. He said, well, what is that? What does that mean? Physical? Well, I don’t really know, but I do know that there is a physical aspect to sin. That’s what we call it, the flesh. And he is the Spirit of holiness and a fire that consumes. He’s a consuming fire.

Isaiah 4:4, “The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion. He will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a Spirit of judgment, a Spirit of fire.” He thus makes sin distasteful to us in its very nature, at its very root itself. He’s the fire which burns up the very root of lust. And then thirdly, by bringing the cross of Christ into the heart of a sinner by faith. He takes the cross of Christ right into your heart and by communion with Christ in his sufferings. Remember what Paul said? “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings becoming like him in his death. And so somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead” Philippians 3. Who put that yearning inside Paul? It’s the Spirit that does that. The Spirit makes Paul want to join Christ in the sufferings.

And what kind of suffering are we talking about? Well, at least this, the suffering of temptation. Hebrews 2:17, “He himself suffered when he was tempted.” So, Paul says, I want to join you in that. I want to be with you where you are, and I want to suffer the temptation. I don’t want to yield, I don’t. I want to say no to sin. I want to suffer Christ’s sufferings and be with him where he is so that I can be with, and it says in Romans 8, if you don’t suffer with Christ, you won’t reign with him. You won’t reign with him. So, you got to suffer with Christ. And what puts that yearning desire to be with Christ where he’s suffering? It’s the Spirit that gives you a hunger for that. It’s the cross. The cross has power to dry up sin.

If you meditate on the cross and you think Jesus died for sins like that. This is what put the Savior to the death. This is why he shed his blood for sins just like this. How can I do this? I can’t. And so, the cross has great power to dry up sin, and the Spirit is the one who presses the cross to your conscience. Alright, as with one last question, then we’ll be done for the night. If this is the work of the Spirit alone, how is it that we are exhorted to do it? Isn’t that a question? If we’ve been saying that this is the Spirit’s work in us, then what’s our job? Well, I said at the beginning that sanctification is a partnership, isn’t it? You could say, well, this is troubling to us that something that’s described to the Spirit we’re commanded to do.

No, almost every duty in the Christian life is that way, isn’t it? Aren’t we commanded to repent? The Spirit works repentance in us. Aren’t we commanded to believe? it’s the Spirit that gives faith. Aren’t we commanded to pray in the Spirit? It’s the Spirit that leads us in that prayer. He’s our leader. We follow, but in all these duties, the Spirit and we work together so it shouldn’t trouble us whatsoever that there’s a cooperative effort here. He also, he does not so work our mortification in us as to not keep it still in act of our obedience. We obey with it. And he says here a very telling thing. We should lament for those under conviction by the law, but strangers to the Spirit.

Listen to this quote, “This is the saddest warfare that any poor creature can be engaged in. A soul under the power of conviction from the law is pressed to fight against sin but has no strength for the combat. They cannot but fight, and they can never conquer. They’re like men thrust on the sword of enemies on purpose to be slain. The law drives them on, and sin beats them back. Sometimes they think indeed that they have foiled sin when they have only raised a dust that they see it not. That is, they distemper their natural affections of fear or sorrow and anguish, which makes them believe that sin is conquered when actually it’s not even touched. By that time, they are cold, and they must to the battle again. And the lust which they thought to have been slain, appears to have had no wound.”

That is a very sad warfare, isn’t it? To be driven by the law in this matter but have no indwelling powers of the Spirit. But then he goes beyond that, and he says, “But if this is the sad case of those who strive against sin without Spirit, what will the outcome be for those who make no effort at all, but who delight in the lusts of the flesh and are not convicted in the least to put on this struggle?” We’ll stop there. We’re going to continue on. Those of you that ordered books, we should get them any day. Those of you who didn’t, you really need to get this book and read it. We’ll spend another week, God willing, next week and finish up mortification. And look some more at some of the practicalities. Gets very practical on how it is that we follow the Spirit in the mortification of the flesh. Let’s close with prayer. (prays) 

1. Background
2. Chapter Summaries

Chapter I: Romans 8:13 Explained

1. Foundational text: Romans 8:13

KJV Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

NASB  Romans 8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

2. observations on the text
   1. a duty prescribed: “Mortify the deeds of the body”
   2. the persons to whom it is prescribed: “ye”
   3. a promise annexed to that duty: “ye shall live”
   4. the cause or means of the performance of that duty: the Spirit  “if ye, through the Spirit…”
   5. the conditionality of the whole (duty, means, promise contained): “IF…”
   6. i) the uncertainty of the event… thus the condition is absolutely necessary to the outcome ii) the certainty of the connection…

Illustration:  saying to a sick man:  “If you will take such a potion (medicine) or such a remedy, you will be well.”

Thus there is an absolutely certain connection between mortifying the deeds of the body  and living

3. Emphasis given on who must mortify: “Ye…”
   1. people of whom it is spoken: “There is no condemnation…” (Romans 8:1)
   2. people of whom it is spoken: “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit” (vs. 9)
   3. people of whom it is spoken: “quickened (made alive) by the Spirit of Christ (vs. 10-11)
   4. THESE are the ones who MUST mortify the deeds of the body 4. Key doctrinal conclusion on this point:

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

5. Essential to focus on the efficient cause of mortification: the Holy Spirit

“All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit…. This is the work of the Spirit; by Him alone is it to be wrought, and by no other power is it to be brought about.  Mortification 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.”

6. What is MORTIFICATION? What is the duty to which we are commanded?
   1. what is meant by “the body”?

It is the same as the “flesh” in one sense… the “old man”, the sin nature;  it is indwelling sin, the corrupted flesh, a seat and instrument of “lust and distempered affections”

1. what is meant by “the deeds of the body”?

Word “deeds” denotes the outward actions chiefly;  but here the meaning is also the inward root from which the deeds of the flesh spring:  “the axe is already laid at the root of the tree”… every lust intends to conceive and bring forth a perfect sin, even if it ends up aborted before that end

1. what is meant by “mortifying” them?

“To kill a man, or any other living thing, is to take away the principle of all his strength, vigour, and power, so that he cannot act or exert…”  So it is in this case.

Definition:  “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.”

7. What is the PROMISE attached to this duty? LIFE… “Ye shall live”

“The life promised is opposed to the death threatened in the clause forgoing: ‘If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.’”  But the word may go beyond our eternal life in heaven but include our ongoing experience of spiritual life here on earth with Christ:  thus, it means “You shall live, you shall have a good, vigorous, comfortable, spiritual life while you are here, and obtain eternal life hereafter.”

The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.

Chapter II:  The Duty of the Best Believers, and the Evil of Neglecting This Duty

1. Unfolding first key principle

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

1. supporting text

Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

To whom is Paul speaking?  To those who have been raised with Christ and will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4)… they are the ones who must put sin to death!

1. strong exhortation: THIS IS FOR CHRISTIANS… even the most mature

“You must mortify!  You must make it your daily work.  You must be constantly at it while you live.  Cease not a day from this work!  Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you!  Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work”

John 15:1-3 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes (Gk. “cleans”) so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

So, those who are already “clean” the Father “cleans” so that they will be even more fruitful.

1. Paul’s own example

1 Corinthians 9:27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

“And if this were the work and business of Paul, who was so incomparably exalted in grace, revelations, enjoyments, privileges, consolations, above the ordinary measure of believers, where may we possibly bottom an exemption from this work and duty whilst we are in this world?”

2. Why is this constantly necessary?

1. indwelling sin always abides while we are in the world… therefore it is always to be mortified

Owen refutes any possibility of “perfectionism” in this world, against some who have taught it possible.

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

“Now, it being our duty to mortify, to be killing of sin whilst still in us, we must be at work.  He that is appointed to kill an enemy, if he stops striking before the other ceases living, does but half his work.”

1. not only does sin still live in us, but it is also acting, still laboring to bring for the deeds of the flesh

“When sin leaves us alone, we may leave 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.”

Galatians 5:17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Romans 7:19-21  For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do– this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.

“Who can say that he ever had anything to do with God or for God, that indwelling sin had not a hand in the corrupting of what he did?”

“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 (outcome)?  There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed upon; and it will be so whilst we live in this world.”

“I will discharge from this duty who can bring sin to … a cessation of arms in this warfare; if it will spare him any one day, in any one duty,… let him say to his soul as to this duty, ‘Soul, take thy rest.’” The only safety is “constant warfare.”

1. sin not only was be constantly acting, but if let alone will bring forth great, cursed, scandalous, soul-destroying sins

Galatians 5:19-21  The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

“Sin always aims at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, if allowed to have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin in that kind.  Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery if it could; every covetous desire would be oppression, every thought of unbelief would be atheism… It is like the grave, that is never satisfied.  And herein lies no small share of the deceitfulness of sin.”

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Sin makes its progress little by little, by degrees, and thus has a hardening effect.  The soul comforts itself that, at least the maximum sin in that category hasn’t happened yet, insensible of the fact that the soul is much closer than ever before to committing those great, scandalous, soul-destroying sins.

1. this is one main reason why the Spirit is given to us… that we might put sin to death

Galatians 5:17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Romans 8:13-14  For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

1. negligence in this duty contradicts the gradual transformation Paul describes in 2 Cor. 4:16

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

In these people the order is reversed… inwardly we are wasting away, outwardly renewed day by day.  “Sin is as the house of David, and grace as the house of Saul”

2 Samuel 3:1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

“Exercise and success are the two main cherishers of grace in the heart; when it is suffered to lie still, it withers and decays.”

1. it is our duty to be “perfecting holiness in the fear of God”, “growing in grace” daily

KJV 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

“This cannot be done without a daily mortification of sin.  Sin sets itself against every act of holiness, and against every degree we grow to.  Let not that man think her makes any progress in holiness who walks not over the bellies of his lusts.  He who does not kill sin in his way takes no steps towards his journey’s end.” 3.  Do many or only few people do this?

“There is a noise of religion and religious duties in every comer, preaching in abundance  … so that if you will measure the number of believers by light, gifts, and profession, the church may have cause to say ‘Who hath born me all these?’ But now if you will take the measure of them by this great discriminating grace of Christians [i.e. mortification], perhaps you will find their number not so multiplied.”

4. What evils attend every unmortified professor of Christian faith? a. in himself

he will have slight thoughts of sin

“The root of an unmortified course is the digestion of sin without bitterness in the heart.”

“When a man hath confirmed his imagination to such an apprehension of grace and mercy as to be able, without bitterness, to swallow and digest daily sins, that man is at the very brink of turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

1. to others
2. it hardens them

Unbelievers may think they are in as good a condition as the best professors of Christ… since these professors are living an unmortified lifestyle little different from the world

1. they deceive them

Unmortified professors of Christ deceive unbelievers into thinking all they need do is come to their level and it will be well with them

Chapter III:  The Work of the Spirit in Mortification

1. The Great Sovereign Cause of All True Mortification: The Holy Spirit

The principle efficient cause of the performance of this duty is the Spirit … all other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit

2. Human strivings apart from the Spirit are false and will fail

He only is sufficient for this work; all ways and means without him are as a thing of nought; and he is the great efficient of it—He works in us as he pleases.

1. Roman Catholic “mortification”

Owen has especially in mind the efforts of Roman Catholic monks and “holy men” who resorted to physical torments and deprivations in order to “become holy”

“The greatest part of popish religion, of that which looks most like religion in their profession, consists in mistaken ways and means of mortification.  This is the pretense of their rough garments, whereby they deceive.  Their vows, orders, fastings, penances, are all built on this ground.”

1. other types of human effort in mortification

Colossians 2:23 Such regulations [i.e. “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” vs. 21] indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Many false religious systems make use of strict regulations and abuse of the body to help mortify sin.  Others follow this same approach in a self-styled way:

“Neither will the natural Popery that is in others do it.  Men are galled with the guilt of a sin that hath prevailed over them; they instantly promise to themselves and God they will do so no more; 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 is gone also, and sin returns to its former domination.”

3. This is the special work of the Spirit… for:
   1. it is promised by God to be given to us for this work

Ezekiel 36:26-27   I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

1. mortification is a gift given to us by Christ, and all His gifts come by the Spirit

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

4. How does the Spirit mortify sin?
   1. by causing our hearts to abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the flesh [and leading us accordingly]

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Romans 8: 14  … those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

1. by a real, physical efficiency on the root and habit of sin, for the weakening and destroying of it

Isaiah 4:4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.

He makes sin distasteful to us in its very nature, at its very root itself.  “He is the fire which burns up the very root of lust.”

1. by bringing the cross of Christ into the heart of a sinner by faith, and gives us communion with Christ in his death and fellowship in his sufferings

5. If this is the work of the Spirit alone, how is it that we are exhorted to it?—seeing the Spirit of God only can do it, let the work be wholly left to him
   1. as with all works of the Spirit, we are also exhorted to do them

Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

So also with faith, repentance, prayer, and many other aspects of the Christian life

1. He does not so work our mortification in us as not to keep it still an act of our obedience

“He 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.”

6. Lament for those under conviction by the law but strangers to the Spirit

“This is the saddest warfare that any poor creature can be engaged in.  A soul under the power of conviction from the law is pressed to fight against sin, but hath no strength for the combat.  They cannot but fight, and they can never conquer; they are like men thrust on the sword of enemies on purpose to be slain.  The law drives them on and sin beats them back.  Sometimes they think, indeed, that they have foiled sin, when they have only raised a dust that they see it not; that is, they distemper their natural affections of fear, sorrow and anguish, which makes them believe that sin is conquered when it is not touched.  By that time they are cold, they must to the battle again; and the lust which they thought to be slain appears to have had no wound.”

BUT… if this is the sad case of those who strive against sin without the Spirit, what will come of those who make no effort at all, and live daily to feed their lusts???

Chapter IV:  Usefulness of Mortification

1. Key overall principle:

The life, vigor, and comfort of our spiritual life depend much on our mortification of sin.

1. they do not proceed automatically from it

Owen cites the example of Heman from Psalm 88 (the darkest and most despondent hymn)

Psalm 88: 18  You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.

Heman walked faithfully in God, and yet enjoyed not a single day of comfort in the Spirit

However… this is not the norm!!!  But, the lesson remains—it is up to God to speak peace to the soul

1. mortification itself is not the immediate cause of life, vigor, and comfort… these come as a direct gift of God when sin is removed as an obstacle

Thus mortification is a defensive effort, to protect us from the sin which will prevent these gifts of life, health, vigor, fruitfulness from being poured upon us by God

2. Unmortified sin attacks our souls in two ways
   1. sin weakens the soul and deprives it of strength
      1. by moving the heart out of tune with God and twisting our affections

We say to some idol, “You are my portion, my desire, my joy and my treasure.”   Thus the soul is weakened from its desire after God

1. sin fills the soul with thoughts about the sin… how to provide for its needs

NASB Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Thus the mind is constantly filled with thoughts of the sin, how it can be satisfied… this greatly weakens the soul

• sin breaks out and actually hinders duty

Not just in thoughts, but in actual time spent pursuing the life of sin

1. sin also darkens the soul, and deprives it of light

“Sin is a cloud, a thick cloud, that spread itself over the face of the soul, and intercepts all the beams of God’s love and favor.  It takes away all sense of the privilege of our adoption; and if the soul begins to gather up thoughts of consolation, sin quickly scatters them.”

3. Mortification prunes all the graces of God, and makes room for them to grow in our hearts

The life and fruitfulness of the soul is likened to a garden in which the plants of God’s grace flourish when they are not competing with weeds for nutrients:

Matthew 13:22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.

If we are not active in mortification, noxious weeds of sin will crowd out the gentle plants of God’s grace and crowd them out

4. Peace is impossible without mortification

Peace must be sincere, and without vigorous slaying of sin, peace may actually be a false peace

Chapter V:  What Mortification is NOT

1. Deep, perplexing question:

What should a true believer do who finds in himself some powerful indwelling sin:  “consuming his heart with trouble, perplexing his thoughts, weakening his soul as to duties of communion with God, disquieting him as to peace, and perhaps defiling his conscience, and exposing him to hardening through the deceitfulness of sin—

WHAT SHALL HE DO???”

2. Three Great Answers
3. Show what it is to mortify any sin… both negatively and positively (i.e. what it is NOT, and what it IS)
4. Give general directions for such things as without which it will be impossible for any sin to be truly mortified

III)  Draw out the particulars how this is to be done

3. What mortification is NOT
4. to mortify a sin is not utterly to KILL, root it out, and destroy it so that it should have no more hold at all, nor residence in our hearts

“It is true that this is what is aimed at, but it is not in this life to be accomplished.”

“Now, though doubtless there may, by the Spirit and grace of Christ, a wonderful success and eminency of victory against any sin be attained, so that a man may have almost constant triumph over it, yet an utter killing and destruction of it, that it should not be, is not in this life to be expected.”

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

1. to mortify a sin is(obviously) not a dissimulation of sin (i.e. hypocritical, external ‘triumph’ only… outwardly clean, secretly just as vile as before)
2. to mortify a sin is not to develop a quiet, sedate nature

Some people naturally have this kind of demeanor, but it should not be mistaken for true mortification of sin

1. to mortify a sin is not to divert it to something else

“A sin is not mortified when it is only diverted.”

“A man may be sensible of a lust, set himself against the eruptions of it, take care that it shall not break forth as it has done, but in the meantime allow the same habit to vent itself some other way.”

“He that changes pride for worldliness, sensuality for Pharisaism, vanity in himself to the contempt of others, let him not think that he has mortified the sin that he seems to have left.  He has changed his master, but he is a servant still.”

1. to mortify a sin is not to have occasional conquests of it

Two false occasions when people may think they have mortified a sin:

1. when the sin has had some sad eruption to the disturbance of his peace, terror of his conscience, dread of scandal, and evident provocation of God

Then the man stirs himself up to a frenzy of activity in this area… he is filled with abhorrence over the sin, and cries out to God against it, and sets himself to be rid of it

He is like a city in which at midnight the sentries raise a general alarm against an enemy; the whole city becomes aroused against the enemy; the enemy finds some clever hiding place and “lays low” until the alarm has passed.  Then the enemy rises again and continues his evil work against the town

This is not genuine mortification because it does not continue, but lasts only a short time

1. in a time of some judgment, calamity, or affliction

Then the soul is troubled about other things and the sin has not an opportunity to work its mischief… but it is still alive and well in the soul.  During these times of trial, the person is roused against sin in general and resolves never to sin again, if only to be free from God’s hand of affliction:

Psalm 78:34-37   Whenever God slew them, they would seek him; they eagerly turned to him again. 35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. 36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths, lying to him with their tongues; 37 their hearts were not loyal to him, they were not faithful to his covenant.

[The Book of Judges reveals this cycle very clearly]

[Also, if someone struggled with some kind of lust, but then falls ill and is seriously sick to their stomach… during the whole  time of illness, the lust didn’t trouble them at all, but that doesn’t make it mortified!!  As soon as health and vigor returns, so does temptation]

Chapter VI:  What Mortification IS… a Particular described

1. The mortification of a lust consists of three things

a.  habitual weakening  of it

“Every lust is a depraved habit or disposition, continually inclining the heart to evil. … [It is] in itself a strong, deeply-rooted, habitual inclination and bent of will and affections unto some actual sin… always stirring up imaginations, thoughts, and contrivances about what it lusts for.”

“Thus the first thing in mortification is the weakening of this habit of sin or lust, that it shall not, with that violence, earnestness, frequency, rise up, conceive, tumultuate, provoke, entice, disquiet, as it is naturally apt to do.”

NOTE:  “Lust gets strength by temptation.  When a suitable temptation falls in with a lust, it gives it a new life, vigor, power, violence, and rage, which it seemed not before to have or to be capable of.”

NOTE ALSO:  some lusts are far more sensible than others… sexual uncleanness is different than all other sins:

1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

“Hence, the motions of that sin are more sensible, more discernible than of others; when perhaps the love of the world, or the like, is in a person no less habitually predominant than that, yet it makes not so great a combustion in the whole man.”

THUS the first work of mortification is the HABITUAL WEAKENING of the habit of this lust

Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

This is as a man nailed to the cross… at first he struggles, and strives, and cries out with great strength… but little by little he weakens

Romans 6:6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin–

This is absolutely essential to true mortification:

“A man may beat down the bitter fruit of an evil tree until he is weary; while the root abides in strength and vigor, the beating down of the present fruit will not hinder it from bringing forth more.”

b.  in constant fighting and contending against sin

1. i) first to recognize sin as the vicious bitter enemy it is ii) second to learn everything you can about that enemy’s methods of success iii) to load it daily with things which that enemy HATES… continuing to lay blow upon blow with effective weapons

c.  in success against the sin

“Frequent successes against any lust is another part and evidence of mortification.  By success I understand not a mere disappointment of sin, that it was not able to bring forth its fruit, but a victory over it and pursuit of it to a complete conquest.” .

Chapter VII:  Mortification Can Only Be Done by Believers

Owen now gives us the ways and means by which we may mortify a particular lust

1. Unless a man is a believer (i.e. truly grafted into Christ), he can NEVER mortify a single sin

1. scriptures commanding mortification addressed only to believers

Romans 8:13  “If you (i.e. those for whom there is no condemnation, who have the indwelling Spirit) by the Spirit put to death the misdeeds of the body you will live

Colossians 3:5  “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your sinful nature…”

To whom is this addressed?  Those who are “risen with Christ” (Col. 3:1), whose life is “hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3), and who shall “appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4)

1. classical philosophers who spoke much of pure lives lived debauched lives

“The lives of most of them manifested that their maxims differed as much from true mortification as the sun painted on a sign-post from the sun in the firmament; they had neither light nor heat.”

“There is no death of sin without the death of Christ.”

[or one might say, “death IN Christ”… i.e. spiritual union with Christ in His death:

Galatians 2:20  “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

Romans 6:2-3  “We died to sin!  How can we live in it any longer?  Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?” Colossians 3:3  “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”]

1. Roman Catholics make extreme efforts and don’t get very far
2. Romans 8:13 says “by the Spirit” we mortify… how can we do this if we don’t have the indwelling Spirit (i.e. are not truly Christian)??

Romans 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

1. unbelievers called not to mortification but to conversion

“I say, then, mortification is not the present business of unregenerate  men.  God calls them not to it as yet; conversion is their work—the conversion of the whole soul—not the mortification of this or that particular  lust.

You would laugh at a man that you should see setting up a great fabric, and never take any care for a foundation.  … So it is with [convicted] persons; though they plainly see, that what ground they get against sin one day, they lose another, yet they will go on in they same road still, without inquiring where the destructive flaw in their progress lies.”

Acts 2:37-38 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Peter’s answer was not “Put your sins to death!”

1. every effort at mortification by unbelievers is futile

“Unless a man be regenerate, all attempts that he can make for mortification, be they never so specious and promising—all means he can use, let him follow them with never so much diligence, earnestness, watchfulness, and intention of mind and spirit—are to no purpose.  In vain shall he use many remedies; he shall not be healed.”

2. Various evils attended efforts by unbelievers to mortify sin
   1. distraction: his mind is taken off his proper business:  conversion
   2. too much success: he can delude himself by some measure of temporary progress in mortification of this or that sin that he is fine without conversion
   3. too much failure: after long striving without success, he may become discouraged about the prospect of sin ever being destroyed that he may give up altogether

This is the process:  false mortification by lost people 1)  deludes them 2) hardens them 3)  destroys them

3. Mortification a work of faith… the peculiar work of faith

Acts 15:9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

Chapter VIII:  Universal Sincerity Required

1. “All or nothing”: Unless a man attacks ALL sin wherever it may be found, no particular progress can be made either

James 2:10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

“Without sincerity and diligence in a universality of obedience, there is no mortification of any one perplexing lust to be obtained.”

“A man finds any lust to bring him into the condition formerly described; it is powerful, strong, tumultuating, leads captive, vexes, disquiets, takes away peace; he is not able to bear it; wherefore he sets himself against it, prays against it, groans under it, sighs to be delivered: but in the meantime, perhaps, in other duties—in constant communion with God; in reading, prayer and meditation; in other ways that are not of the same kind with the lust wherewith he is troubled—he is loose and negligent.  Let not that man think that ever he shall arrive to the mortification of the lust he is perplexed with.”

2. Why is this true? This mortification comes from SELF-LOVE rather than love for God

“It is evident that you contend against sin because of your own trouble in it.  Would your conscience be quiet under it, you would let it alone.”

“Hatred of sin as sin, not only as galling or disquieting, a sense of the love of Christ in the cross, lie at the bottom of all true spiritual mortification.”

3. God’s work consists in universal obedience

2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

4. Perhaps God has allowed this one lust to trouble you so much to awake you from slumber in all the other neglected areas
5. The rage and success of sin in one particular area is usually the result of a generally careless negligent walk in many areas.

Chapter IX:  Symptoms of a Particularly dangerous Lust

Owen here begins a series of very practical steps to mortifying sin

(I) Identify the symptoms  of a particularly dangerous lust

The Marks of a Particularly Dangerous Lust

1. Inveterateness: This sin habit has been entrenched in the soul for a long time so that the believer scarcely even notices its presence, and makes allowances for it.
2. The heart speaks peace to itself despite the open presence of the sin: The heart gathers up evidence of its good standing before God, but makes no strong efforts against the sin itself. Owen points out that the grace and mercy of God are not to be applied to an unmortified lust for the purpose of allowing it to continue.
3. The sin frequently triumphs: This is especially galling when the sin entangles both the will and the affections so that the will heartily approves the sin and the affections enjoy it or are disappointed should the temptation not be consummated in the sin.
4. The sin’s danger rather than the love of God is the prime restrain: Thus, the fear of shame is more powerful than “the love of Christ constrains us.” Here, Owen makes one of his most helpful distinctions: “Such a person hath cast off as to the particular spoken of, the conduct of renewing grace, and is kept from ruin only by

restraining grace; and so far is he fallen from grace and returned under the law.” God sovereignly orchestrates our lives by His providence to keep us from temptation or from giving in to it … but He prefers to renew our hearts so we learn to hate sin ourselves.

5. God has hardened our hearts or chastised us for the sin: When we see the activity of God coming out against a particular sin in our lives, this should be a great warning to us.
6. The sin has already withstood particular dealings from God: If we have seen God do amazing things to decrease the power of a lust, and yet it keeps returning, we should stand in fear of this sin’s power.

Chapter X:  Understand How Dangerous Sin Is

(II) Understand how dangerous sin is, and how much guilt and evil come from it

“Get a clear and abiding sense upon thy mind and conscience of the guilt, danger, and evil of that sin with which you are perplexed.”

Owen recommends that we fill our minds with the following…a clear sense:

1. Of the guilt of sin
   1. we tend to minimize sin and its guilt, saying that it’s just a small thing
   2. health and protection comes from actually intensifying the guilt of sin
   3. the goal: to give your heart no room for making excuses so sin will have a chance to prevail
2. Of the danger of sin
   1. danger of gradual hardening due to sin’s deceitfulness

Hebrews 3:12-13 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

1. danger of temporal correction from the Lord (discipline, judgment, vengeance)

“O remember David and all his troubles!  Look on him flying into the wilderness, and consider the hand of God upon him.  Is it nothing to you that God should kill your child in anger, ruin your estate in anger, break your bones in anger, allow you to be a scandal and reproach in anger, kill you, destroy you, make you lie down in darkness, in anger?  Is it nothing that he should punish, ruin, and undo others for your sake?… If you fear not these things, I fear you are [already] under hardness.”

1. danger of loss of peace and strength all your days

Sin greatly destroys our peace, making us fearful and weak in our walk with God

1. danger of eternal damnation

For proper management of this consideration, observe:

• There is a strong connection between continuing in sin and eternal destruction made constantly in Scripture
• Anyone who is so entangled in abiding sin can have no “clear prevailing evidence of his interest” in the covenant of salvation in Christ

NOTE:  Romans 8:1 promised specifically to a certain category of person:

Romans 8:1-2  Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:5-8 goes on to make it very clear that those who live according to the sinful nature will die (i.e. go to hell).  “Live according to” means be controlled by as a governing principle as display in the thoughts and actions of the person… the constant bent of his life.

3. Of the evils of sin

Note:  “danger respects what is to come, evil respects what is already present”

1. it grieves the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

“As a tender and loving friend is grieved at the unkindness of his friend… so is it with this tender and loving Spirit, who has chosen our hearts for a habitation to dwell in…. He is grieved by our harboring His enemies in our hearts with Him, those enemies whom He is to destroy.”

1. the Lord Jesus Christ is wounded afresh by it

Hebrews 6:6  …they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

1. it will take away a man’s usefulness in his generation

“The world is at this day full of poor, withering professors (those who claim to be Christians).  How few are there who walk in any beauty or glory!  How barren, how useless are they, for the most part!  Amongst the many reasons that may be assigned of this sad estate is this:  many men harbor spirit-devouring lusts in their bosoms, that lie as worms at the root of their obedience, and corrode and weaken it day by day.  Every good grace God gives is corrupted by this means; and God blasts any harvest from their lives.”

Chapters XI-XIII:  Further Advice on Mortification

Third direction: Labor to load your conscience with the guilt of sin, especially using the terrors of the law, and the shame of failing in the gospel to do so. (This is perhaps his most controversial advice.)

Fourth direction: Get a constant longing and breathing after deliverance from the power of sin. Work diligently to enflame your heart after freedom… “long, sigh, cry out.”

Fifth direction: Determine if the sin is lodged in your natural temperament. This does not release you from your duty to mortify it- we can’t say “It’s just how I am.” If anything, this should heighten our shame and our determination to kill it.

Sixth direction:  Study the patterns of sin and temptation that work successfully against you, and watch more diligently for these. Know your enemy! (This is so important, Owen devotes a whole treatise to it- On Temptation.)

Seventh direction: “Rise mightily against the first actings of thy distemper, its first conceptions; suffer it not to get the least ground … it is impossible to fix bounds for sin.”  Excellent advice from Owen, it reminds me of the statement made by German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel early in 1944 concerning the German defense of the impending cross-channel invasion by the Allies: “The war will be won or lost on the beaches,” he said. He went on to say that, once the Allies got a beachhead established in Normandy, they would break out and sweep across France, and the war would be lost. “The first twenty-four hours will be critical. For both the Allies and us, it will be the longest day.” So it is, says Owen, with the battle against sin. Once sin establishes a beachhead in your life, it presses on to conquer all. For the Christian battling sin, “the longest day” never ends until death brings him to heaven.

Eighth direction:  Meditate on the glory of God for the expressed purpose of debasing one’s own pride. Here Owen is forceful in his argumentation for the need for all sinners to work constantly on pride, the great enemy of all true spiritual growth. He believes that the healthiest way to kill pride is to meditate so frequently on the majesty and immensity of God that we are swallowed up in our vileness, smallness, and impotence. He shows convincingly how little we truly know of God, even despite all our best attainments in theological studies.

Ninth direction:  Take heed you speak not peace to yourself before God speaks it; but listen to what He says to the soul.  [I.e. Don’t be in such a hurry to be done with your conscience and with the struggle before God is done with it!]

Chapters XIV:  Ready for Battle

Owen’s final word:  All of the above is merely PREPARATION for mortification… not the actual mortification itself.  Mortification only occurs at the moment of temptation.  There the battle must be won.

Also, only the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit are of any efficacy at the moment of temptation.  All the above preparation will be for nothing if the Christian does not rely totally on Christ’s finished work on the cross and the power of the Holy Spirit at the key moment.