Mortification of Sin

Last night at youth group we were looking at Romans 8. In our leader’s meeting before hand we were chatting about verse 13:

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death (mortify) the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

I mentioned that the other leaders should read John Owen’s book Mortification of Sin which is based on that verse. (I suggested this version as Owen himself is incredibly hard to read.)

Anyway, I got home a few hours later and found this on the kitchen bench:

 

It’s a summary of the book. But it’s pretty helpful. It had been sitting on the whiteboard above my desk for a number of months. Emma had taken it off so she could use the whiteboard.

[Coincidence of divincidence?]

I was inspired to write a blog post about it as I found the book really helpful. And by ‘write a blog post’, I mean ‘summarise the book’. And by summarise the book, I mean give a summary of Justin Taylor’s summary of the book. I did actually read it though!

Here’s the general thrust.

PART 1. 

Owen starts by considering why mortification is necessary. Answer:

“lf you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body you shall live”.

Then he gives three foundational principles for the mortification of sin:

1.     Believers, who are free from the condemning power of sin, ought to make it their daily work to mortify the indwelling power of sin.

2.     Only the Holy Spirit is sufficient for this work

3.     The life, vigor, and comfort of the believer's spiritual life depends much upon this work of mortifying sin.

PART 2

Then Owen tells what mortification isn’t and is.

WHAT MORTIFICATION ISN’T

1.     It’s not the utter destruction of sin

2.     It’s not the concealing of sin

3.     It hasn’t occurred if you’ve only concealed your sin

4.     It hasn’t occurred just because your sin has been diverted.

5.     It hasn’t occurred just because you experience occasional conquest.

WHAT MORTIFICATION IS

Mortification is the habitual, successful weaking of sin that involves constant warfare and contention against the flesh. 

CONDITIONS?

You must be a believer and you must seek universal mortification before you can mortify one sin.

SOME DIRECTIONS FOR MORTIFICATION 

1.     Consider dangerous symptoms attending the sin.

2.     Comprehend the guilt, danger and evil associated with your sin.

3.     Load up your conscience with the guilt of it.

4.     Get a strong longing for deliverance from its power.

5.     Work out if the sin is rooted in and exhacerbated by your temperament.

6.     Consider when are where this sin flourishes and watch yourseld.

7.     Right mightily the first actings and conceptions of your sin.

8.     Meditate and be self-abased at the vileness of your sin.

9.     Listen to what God says to your soul before you speak peace to yourself. But do listen to what he has to say to you. Hear the gospel!

And then we get to…

PART 3

THE WORK OF MORTIFICATION.

Owen gives two exhortations.

1.     Set your faith on Christ’s work on the cross for the killing of your sin.

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2.     The entire work of mortification must be done in the power of the Spirit.