Mortification of sin by John Owen (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Preface and Chapters 1 and 2.
Now we begin Owen's famous work.
In the Preface Owen tells us why he published the book.
In Chapter 1 Owen explains that the book is based upon Romans 8:13 'if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' He then gives a brief exposition of the text - breaking it up and explaining its parts.
Then in Chapter 2 Owen gives reasons why we need to mortify sins all our days:
(i) Indwelling sin always abides whilst we are in this world; therefore it is always to be mortified;
(ii) Sin does not only still abide in us, but is still acting, still labouring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh;
(iii) Sin will not only be striving, acting, rebelling, troubling, disquieting, but if let alone, if not continually mortified, it will bring forth great, cursed, scandalous, soul-destroying sins;
(iv) This is one main reason why the Spirit and the new nature is given unto us - that we may have a principle within whereby to oppose sin and lust;
(v) Negligence in this duty casts the soul into a perfect contrary condition to that which the apostle affirms was his;
(vi) It is our duty to be perfecting holiness in the fear of God; to be growing in grace every day; to be renewing our inward man day by day.
Particularly enjoyed the encouragement to kill sin because that is one of the main reasons why we have the Holy Spirit: 'Not to be daily employing the Spirit and new nature for the mortifying of sin, is to neglect that excellent succour which God hath given us against our greatest enemy. If we neglect to make use of what we have received, God may justly hold his hand from giving us more. His graces, as well as his gifts, are bestowed on us to use, exercise, and trade with. Not to be daily mortifying sin, is to sin against the goodness, kindness, wisdom, grace, and love of God, who hath furnished us with a principle of doing it.'
To neglect mortification of sin is to neglect the Spirit. You want more of the Holy Spirit? Mortify sin.
Read Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
7 comments:
Thank you for chosing this work for us to read! It's been on my short (long!) list for a while, and I'm sure I'll wish I'd read it earlier if the opening is any indication of its worth.
I was taken with Owen's opening chapter and exposition on the text and the sheer amount of edifying and erudite information he extracted from it! Astonishing and convicting (as really the entire reading today was), and proof positive (once again) that God raised up true spiritual giants in the Puritans.
I also found the section on sin's evil especially eye-opening that "[s]in aims always at the utmost; every time it rises up to tempt or entice, might it have its own course, it would go out to the utmost sin in that kind." Only by God's grace are we not all the most vile, heinous, murderous, drunken and depraved creatures imaginable, and to let the beginning of sin out is to open a breach through which any number of acts may follow. May God give me grace to keep this thought before my eyes when I'm tempted with that 'little bitty sin.'
This book must rank as one of the most important Christian books of all time. Joel, I'm thrilled you have chosen it.
It is also available free in audio at LibriVox. This audiobook is extremely well read.
J.I.Packer has an excellent chapter on this book in his 'God's Words'.
The encouragement in mortification is crucial:
"The promise unto this duty is life: “Ye shall live.” The life promised is opposed to the death threatened in the clause foregoing, “If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die;” which the same apostle expresseth, “Ye shall of the flesh reap corruption,” Galatians 6:8, or destruction from God. Now,perhaps the word may not only intend eternal life, but also the spiritual life in Christ, which here we have; not as to the essence and being of it, which is already enjoyed by believers, but as to the joy, comfort, and vigor of it: as the apostle says in another case, “Now I live, if ye stand fast,” Thessalonians 3:8; — “Now my life will do me good; I shall have joy and comfort with my life;” — “Ye shall live, lead a good, vigorous,comfortable, spiritual life whilst you are here, and obtain eternal life
hereafter.”
I'd be really intrigued to know what Owen's view of Romans 7 is: is the man unregenerate or regenerate. I like that he's based the book of Romans 8:13, which is an amazing verse about Christians waging constant assault on sin.
But do you have any idea on the Romans 7 question Joel?
Good question Josh.
Did a little research and it turns out that the very next book in Owen's Works Volume 6, 'The nature, power, deceit, and prevalency of the remainders of indwelling sin in believers' appears to answer your question.
I haven't read the book, but from the first paragraph we read: 'It is of indwelling sin, and that in the remainders of it in persons after their conversion to God, with its power, efficacy, and effects, that we intend to treat. This also is the great design of the apostle to manifest and evince in chap. vii. of the Epistle to the Romans. Many, indeed, are the contests about the principal scope of the apostle in that chapter, and in what state the person is, under the law or under grace, whose condition he expresseth therein. I shall not at present enter into that dispute, but take that for granted which may be undeniably proved and evinced,- namely, that it is the condition of a regenerate person, with respect unto the remaining power of in dwelling sin which is there proposed and exemplified, by and in the person of the apostle himself.'
OK. I've only just started looking into the question of Romans 7 having done a study on it last week. It makes sense that Owen takes this view because he is Packer's hero and Packer says the man is regenerate.
I'm not exactly sure what Owen means by "undeniably proved and evinced". It seems to me that it's not so clear cut. Furthermore, the main point of that chapter seems to be the law rather than the Christian experience.
However, I don't want to railroad this thread with talk of Romans 7. I just imagine it will be an important question to address during the reading of the Mortification of Sin.
You might want to take a look at Schreiner's excellent commentary on Romans (other decent commentaries on Romans are Cranfield and Moo).
On this point Schreiner nicely lays out the options for both views - although strangely he appears to sit on the fence (most annoying!).
For what it's worth, I take the regenerate view, primarily because of Romans 8:7: 'the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.'
The unbeliever cannot truly want to do what is right - he hates what is right.
Yes, I read Moo's commentary in my preparation and he does the same thing - compares both the arguments. He then arrives at the conclusion that the man is unregenerate. I was thinking the same, even before reading Moo.
I think: v.14 "sold as a slave to sin", v.23 "prison of the law of sin", v.25 "in the sinful nature (flesh) a slave to sin" all indicate that the man is unregenerate based on prior verses about the regenerate person's relationship to the law and sin (such as 6:18 and 7:4).
But then, my view is tentative because I don't read Greek.
Post a Comment