by Bret Capranica | May 2, 2007 | Christian Living
Chapter 9 in John Owen’s Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers Owen now begins to give practical guidance on how to mortify sin: Consider what dangerous symptoms your lust has attending or accompanying it – whether it has any deadly mark on it or no; if it has, extraordinary remedies are to be used; an ordinary course of mortification will not do it (89). Inverterateness [state of being hardened, habitual, deep-rooted] When a lust has lain long in the heart, corrupting, festering, cankering, it brings the soul to a woeful condition. In such a case an ordinary course of humiliation will not do the work (90). Secret pleas of the heart for the countenancing [approving] of itself, and keeping up its peace, notwithstanding the abiding of a lust, without a vigourous gospel attempt for its mortification (91). When upon thoughts, perplexing thoughts about sin, instead of applying himself to the destruction of it, a man searches his heart to see what evidences he can find of a good condition, notwithstanding that sin and lust, so that it may go well with him...
by Bret Capranica | May 1, 2007 | Christian Living
At the end of chapter 7 of John Owen’s Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers [Kapic and Taylor], Owen anticipates an objection to his first principle of how to mortify sin (one must be a true Christian). Does the suggestion that one must be a true Christian mean that unregenerate men should not be exhorted to avoid or cease from evil? Owen answers, “no.” It is to be looked on as a great issue of the wisdom, goodness and love of God, that by manifold ways and means he is pleased to restrain the sons of men from running forth into that compass of excess and riot which the depravity of their nature would carry them out unto with violence (84). However, in his exhortations to preachers, Owen warns: It will not avail to beat a man off from his drunkenness into a sober formality. To break men off particular sins, and not to break their hearts, is to deprive ourselves of advantages of dealing with them (85). Can sin be killed without an interest in the death of Christ, or mortified without the Spirit? If such directions should prevail to change men’s lives as seldom they do, yet they never reach to the change of their hearts or conditions. They may make men self-justiciaries or hypocrites, not Christians. It grieves me oftentimes to see poor souls, that have a zeal for God and a desire of eternal welfare, kept by such directors and directions under a hard, burdensome, outside worship and service of God, with many special endeavors for mortification, in an utter ignorance of the righteousness...
by Bret Capranica | Apr 30, 2007 | Christian Living, Miscellaneous
Read this account of 3 Christians recently martyred for their faith in Turkey. Pray for God’s glory to be seen and valued as a result. Denny Burk » 3 Martyrs: Men of Whom the World Was Not...
by Bret Capranica | Apr 30, 2007 | Christian Living
Chapter 7 of John Owen’s Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers There will be no mortification unless a man be a believer. Unless a man be a believer – that is, one that is truly ingrafted into Christ – he can never mortify any one sin; I do not say, unless he know himself to be so, but unless indeed he be so (79). A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit (80). This is that I aim at: unless a man be regenerate, unless he be a believer, 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 (81). Be sure to get an interest in Christ – if you intend to mortify any sin without, it will never be done...
by Bret Capranica | Apr 28, 2007 | Christian Living
Chapter 6 of John Owen’s Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers [Kapic and Taylor edition] Mortification Consists in a Habitual Weakening of Sin: Every lust is a depraved habit or disposition, continually inclining the heart to evil. . . . He is always under the power of a strong bent and inclination to sin. And the reason why a natural man is not always perpetually in the pursuit of some one lust, night and day, is because he has many to serve, every one crying t be satisfied; thence he is carried on with great variety, but still in general he lies toward the satisfaction of self (73). . . . when a man first sets on a lust or distemper to deal with it, it struggles with great violence to break loose; it cries with earnestness and impatience to be satisfied and relieved; but when by mortification the blood and spirits of it are let out, it moves seldom and faintly, cries sparingly, and is scarce heard in the heart (75). Mortification Consists in Constant Fighting and Contending Against Sin: To know that a an has such an enemy to deal with it, to take notice of it, to consider it as an enemy indeed, and one that is to be destroyed by all means possible . . . (76) To labor to be acquainted with the ways, wiles, methods, advantages, and occasions of its success is the beginning of this warfare (76). To load it daily with all the things which shall after be mentioned, that are grievous, killing, and destructive to it is the height...
by Bret Capranica | Apr 26, 2007 | Christian Living
From John Owen, Chapter 5 in Of the Moritification in Believers. This morning – “What Mortification of Sin is Not.” To mortify a sin is not utterly to kill, root it out, and destroy it, that it should have no more hold at all nor residence in our hearts. It is true this is that which is aimed at; but this is not in this life to be accomplished (69). Mortification Is Not the Dissimulation of Sin [outwardly forsaking a sin without any internal heart change – not that his heart has forsaken the sin, he has merely become more cunning in hiding it from the public view – that’s my commentary on this point from Owen] (70). The mortification of sin consists not in the improvement of a quiet, sedate nature (70). [My comment: some have naturally quiet and outwardly humble personalities. Mere natural improvements on one’s already quiet personality is not mortification of sin] A sin is not mortified when it is only diverted (71). Occasional conquests of sin do not amount to a mortifying of it...
