This morning I read chapter three of Owen's Mortification of Sin and wanted to share a few points of interest from the chapter. Most notably, Owen dedicates the majority of the chapter to discussing false means of mortification, or, in other words, the incorrect ways which men attempt to destroy sin. We certainly get a healthy dose of seventeenth century anti-Popery language, but we also find at its core a very logical argument which I find rings very true today. Owen writes that the root of man's attempts to rid himself of sin is, "that [in] attempting rigid mortification, they fall upon the natural man instead of the corrupt old man,--upon the body wherein we live instead of the body of death." The main idea of his section seems to focus on the notion that man continues to try to use his natural faculties of his flesh rather than recognizing that it is that flesh, itself, which is sinful.
I find this to be one of the most difficult concepts to work out in theology, that being the truth that we are made new in Christ, and yet still sin and must fight the deeds of the flesh. Church history shows us how this idea has been shaped by Greek philosophy and taken to the extreme by the idea that the flesh is the prison cell of the soul which we all seek to escape. Such a view completely ignores the intention God has for restoring our bodies and giving us perfect resurrected bodies. However, we must recognize that "the natural man" is the very problem or origin of our sins. The habits of sin still survive though our spirits are made new. Whether from Satanic temptation or simply falling back into old sinful routines, the "natural man," or who we are apart from Christ only leads us away from Him rather than towards Him. Thus, Owen argues that any attempt to use our natural faculties or inventions to fight sin is truly illogical.
So, then, if we are regenerate in Christ by salvation through grace alone by faith alone, how is that we continue to sin? Surely, sin does not come from the Spirit, Who is Holy, who dwells in us. To offer a very simple glimpse (which most likely still has errors in it) I think we must first affirm what the Bible says about the Christian and the power of sin. Paul says in Romans 6:14 that sin holds no dominion over the believer, or is no longer his master. In 1 John 2, John says that believers will no longer walk in pattern of sin. Therefore, the Biblical witness testifies that in Christ a person is free from the bondage of slavery and is no longer ensnared in the habits of particular sins. Jonathan Edwards describes in his Freedom of the Will how its man's moral will which is set free from sin and is made able to love and follow Christ (Eph. 2). However, our memories remain from past sins which conjure up in us the desire to sin and daily we are exposed to unholiness and impurity throughout the world. Thus, while we are no longer compelled to sin, our regenerate bodies are still able to do so, and, indeed do.
Therefore, if we truly desire to mortify the sins in our lives, we can in no way expect these fragile bodies to do so alone. Rather, as Owen argues, we must submit ourselves to the work of the Spirit who first regenerated us (Isa. 57:17-18). Through faith and dependence in Christ we are conformed to His mind and His heart (John 15:5). Owen points out three ways by which this will occur:
1) By causing our hearts to "abound in grace" (i.e. filling us with the knowledge and joy of Jesus Christ)
2) By cultivating in our hearts a hatred for sin
3) By sharpening and deepening our sense and understanding of the Cross of Christ
As he points out at the end of the chapter, believers continue to have a responsibility in the process of the mortification of sin. The Spirit is able to do these things so long as the vessel is willing to be worked on. Thus, believers must engage in an active passivity in which they labour continuously to submit themselves to the work of the Spirit, choosing obedience and fellowship with Christ, and petitioning the Spirit daily.
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