In preaching through the book of Colossians at my church, we have come to Colossians 3:5: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…” Precious little is written or taught these days on how to put sin to death. But thankfully, our forebears spent some ink on this issue—the most notable work being John Owen’s marvelous treatise On the Mortification of Sin.
Even the most educated scholars find Owen’s writing style to be dense. J.I. Packer states that Owen is “heavy and hard to read;” and an earlier biographer observed that Owens “travels through (his subject) with an elephant’s grace.” I pray that some of the more daring will read Owen’s work firsthand, because despite its cumbersome nature, it is some of the finest theological writing in the English language. But for those who don’t wish to do so, I am posting below my summary outline of Owen’s treatise. This outline was organized for preaching, so it is not exactly correlative to Owen’s layout. However, it does preserve the general logical flow of the original. For those who prefer a more thorough and analytical outline, including some of the more memorable quotes from Owen’s pen, you can download my 12-page reading summary in PDF format.
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Why Must We Mortify Sin?
- Because sin is always active
- Because unmortified sin weakens and darkens the soul
- Because unmortified sin hardens others to the gospel
What Does It Mean to Mortify Sin?
What It Does Not Mean
- To mortify sin is not to utterly destroy it. (That’s Jesus’ job, not your job.)
- To mortify sin is not to outwardly forsake its practice. Those who do this are just “more cunning; not more holy.”
- To mortify sin is not to have a quiet, sedate nature. “Some men have an advantage by their natural constitution… they are not exposed to unruly passions and tumultuous affections as many others are.” This does not mean they have mortified sin.
- To mortify sin is not to divert it. “He that trades sensuality for Pharisaism has not mortified sin… He has changed his master, but he is a servant still.”
- To mortify sin is not to experience “occasional conquests” against it.
What It Does Mean
- A habitual weakening of sin.
- A constant fighting against sin.
- Success. Victory over sin!
How Do We Mortify Sin?
4 General Principles
- You must set your faith on Christ. (Fill your soul with the consideration of who Jesus is and what he’s done for you)
- You must rely on the Holy Spirit. “A man may easier see without eyes and speak without a tongue, than mortify a sin without the Spirit.”
- You must be truly converted.
- You must intend universal obedience. If you don’t intend to obey God in every area, you don’t hate sin; you hate the particular sin that is bothering you. Which means you don’t love Christ; you love yourself. A particularly strong, besetting sin commonly issues from a careless, negligent spiritual life in general.
9 Specific Directives
- Get a clear and abiding sense upon your mind of the guilt, danger, and evil of your sin.
- Load your conscience with the guilt of your besetting sin.
- Long for deliverance from the power of sin. “Longing, breathing, and panting after deliverance is a grace in itself, that has a mighty power to conform the soul into the likeness of the thing longed after… Unless you long for deliverance you shall not have it.”
- Consider whether you are prone toward a particular sin because of your personality or disposition. This should awaken your zeal. “So great an advantage is given to sin and Satan by your temper and disposition, that without extraordinary watchfulness, care, and diligence, they [sin and Satan] will prevail against your soul.”
- Consider what occasions your sin uses to exert itself, and watch against them all.
- Fight strongly against the first actings of your lust. “Sin is like water in a channel – once it breaks out, it will have its course.”
- Dwell on thoughts that humble you and remind you of your sinfulness.
- Know the warning signs of particularly dangerous sin patterns: persistent, habitual sin; secret pleas of the heart to leave sin alone; giving into sin without struggle; ignoring the conviction of the Holy Spirit; avoiding sin because you fear punishment. If a lust has any of these symptoms, it cannot be dealt with by an ordinary course of mortification; it requires extraordinary measures.
- Do not speak peace to yourself before God speaks peace to you.
Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.
Vintage Jesus
A theological journey chasing Jesus through Scripture and pop culture. Timeless answers to timely questions about the most important man who has ever lived. Find out more.
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The topic of sleep is rarely far from the newsstands. Studies link sleep to everything from academic scores to obesity. A new line of sleep drinks features a shot of melatonin to help you fall asleep (think anti-energy drink). And of course the news is filled with reports of a major pop musician’s sleep problems and of his doctor, who is accused of inducing permanent and irreversible slumber. 
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