Sin and Temptation

This classic work by John Owen was my favorite read at the PC. I recently started working through it again.

Owen's thesis is this:

"The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin." [mortify = kill]

His key text being:

Rm. 8:13b - if by the Spirit you put to death [mortify] the deeds of the body, you will live

Chapter 1 is then a brief exposition of this text.

•  if - It is a conditional sentence ("if you ____, then ____ will happen"... "if you mortify the flesh, you will live")

• by the Spirit - If it is not done by the Spirit, then it will not be done at all.  

 "Mortification from a self-strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self-righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world." [p. 6]

• you - Though mortification is carried out by the Spirit, yet we have a responsibility to see this work carried out in ourselves.

• put to death - Mortify.  

"To kill a man, or any other living thing, is to take away the principle of all his strength, vigour, and power, so that he cannot act or exert, or put forth any proper actings of his own; so it is in this case. Indwelling sin is compared to a person, a living person, called “the old man,” with his faculties and properties, his wisdom, craft, subtlety, strength; this, says the apostle, must be killed, put to death, mortified – that is, have its power, life, vigour, and strength, to produce its effects, takes away by the Spirit." [p. 7]

• the deeds of the body - This is what we're to be killing. Body is our flesh; the seat of our corruption and depravity. -It is where our indwelling sin lies; from which our corrupted lust arise. 

• you will live - If we perform our duty, of mortifying the flesh by the power of the Spirit, then this is the end gained. If you live according to the flesh, you will die (Rm. 8:13a), yet if you put that flesh to death, you will gain life. This being the spiritual life we have in Christ. Life gained for eternity, but its essence being enjoyed now.

Gal. 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 

"The vigour, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh."