Dangerous Symptoms

I'm pasting one of Owen's six "dangerous symptoms that accompany a sin" below for further reflection:

Dangerous symptom #3: Correcting sin only because of punishment due unto it (i.e, reverting to a law-based system of morality as opposed to a gospel-centered mortification of sin).

Owen: “If a man be so under the power of his lust that he has nothing but law to oppose it with, if he cannot fight against it with gospel weapons, but deals with it altogether with hell and judgment, which are the proper arms of the law, it is most evident that sin has possessed itself of his will and affections to a very great prevalency and conquest.” (Owen, p. 94)

Owen: "If your contendings against sin be all on legal accounts, from legal principles and motives, what assurance can you attain unto that sin shall not have dominion over you, which will be your ruin?...If your lust has driven you from stronger gospel forts, it will speedily prevail against this also. Do not suppose that such considerations will deliver you, when you have voluntarily given up to your enemy those helps and means of preservation which have a thousand times their strength. Rest assuredly in this, that unless you recover yourself with speed from this condition, the thing that you fear will come upon you.” (Owen, p. 94)

Fight with gospel-weapons and stay strong in gospel-forts! Don’t give up such a great weapon we have “in Christ” to fight sin with! If you find that you have slipped into a law-based way of thinking and are trying in your own strength to stop sinning through fear of judgment/hell, come back to Jesus and the gospel that formerly freed you, and re-embrace that freedom!

"Arm yourselves" (1 Peter 4:1) with a gospel-way of thinking!

Chris

Mortification is a part of our salvation!

In beginning to address the question of why mortification is critical for the believer we talked today about how it’s not optional for the believer, but a necessary part of every Christian’s salvation experience. One is saved through belief in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of his sins, but usually we tend to leave our definition of salvation there and not fill it out biblically to include the fact that we’re being saved as well. Part of God’s continuing work of salvation in our lives comes with our sharing in Christ’s sufferings—i.e., putting off the old self, killing sin, etc. As Christians we must seek a true gospel that encompasses the whole of life. It’s the only kind of gospel! Anything short of it is a cheap unbiblical grace, at best. So Owen comments,

“He that is appointed to kill an enemy, if he leave striking before the other ceases living, does but half his work.” (Owen, p. 51)

And Paul:

Romans 8:13-14: 13 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. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

There’s freedom in this message in that it’s the Spirit who is the sovereign cause of mortification in our lives. Christ has set us free and re-created us in his image to do good works…and those works are a gift from him, not from us, lest we should boast. The challenge, however, is that we must continually believe this to the point of action, keeping in step with what the Spirit is doing in us daily (Gal 5:25), and heeding the warnings of scripture that tell of a hardening of heart and disbelief if we neglect mortification of sin (e.g. Heb 3:12-14).

Chris

A lazy diverting versus an intentional killing

Chapters 5 & 6 deal with the question of "What is Mortification?" Though we looked at several of Owen's points on this issue, here are a couple that stand out:

Killing sin is not simply diverting sin:

“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 suffer the same corrupted habit to vent itself some other way; as he who heals and skins a running sore thinks himself cured, but in the meantime the flesh festers by the corruption of the same bodily fluid and breaks out in another place.” (Owen, p. 71)

But rather, it’s a constant fighting and contending against sin:

“Such a one never thinks his lust is dead because it is quiet, but labors still to give it new wounds, new blows every day.” (Owen, p. 77)

Colossians 3:5, Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Matthew 16:18, (Jesus speaking) “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Galatians 5:24, And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Chris