Wednesday 14 November 2007

Kill Sin - John Owen

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One of the books on 'Reading Classics Together' on Tim Challies Blog is 'Of the mortification of sin in believers' by John Owen.

I've read it before but decided to join in as it is excellent, but reading through it again has brought many thoughts, one of which is my concern in overcoming sin, or rather my lack of it.

(I hope I don't get in trouble since I'm quoting from Overcoming Sin And Temptation, which is an excellent edition of 3 of Owen's works by Justin Taylor and Kelly Kapic).

"Do you mortify;
do you make it your daily work;
be always at it while you live;
cease not a day from this work;
be killing sin or it will be killing you."

This phrase from Owen is a nail driven hard into apathy toward sin in our lives!
"Be killing sin or it will be killing you."

Do we really believe that, does the solemnity of this truth take its grip, cause fear and drive me/us to our knees to plead that God would help us to kill sin in our life?

If fear is not motive enough to war against sin consider this;
"The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh."

Killing sin in our lives is a battle for greater joy.

In killing sin I think another phrase from Owen is helpful to keep in mind;
"All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit."
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About Boaly
Gary has been involved in printing the Scriptures for 20 years, enjoys photography and rambling online

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