John Owen, On the Mortification of Sin
Are you familiar with John Owen? If you're not, get to know one of the greatest theologians to have ever lived by clicking here.I was first introduced to Owen by reading his book The Death of Death in the Death of Christ in college (note: you can digest the big idea of this classic work by reading J.I. Packer's famous introduction to the book--here it is online). The Death of Death in the Death of Christ influenced me in a powerful way during those college years. Seven years later, I'm finally get back around to reading more of Owen.Right now I'm plodding my way through Volume 6 of John Owen's Works. The first portion of Volume 6 is Owen's classic, On the Mortification of Sin. A large number of my favorite authors and preachers have said that this book, more than any other, helped them to grasp what it means to turn from sin and live out the new life we have in Christ. Recently I heard Tim Keller say that reading On the Mortification of Sin as a new Christian helped work "deep change" in his life.Here are a few 350 year-old quotes that have been stirring me:
"When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone...""Be sure to get an interest in Christ; if you intend to mortify any sin without it, it will never be done."Referring to Christ in Isaiah 53: "When we look for healing, his stripes are to be eyed...in the love, kindness, mystery, and design of the cross; and when we look for peace, his chastisements must be in our eye.""If, upon plastering thyself [dealing with your sin], thou findest thyself rather animated to the battle again than utterly weaned from it, it is too palpable that thou hast been at work with thine own soul, but Jesus Christ and his Spirit were not there.""There is not any thing that, in our communion with him, the Lord is more troubled with us for, if I may so say, than our unbelieving fears, that keep us off from receiving that strong consolation which he is so willing to give us.""Set faith at work on Christ for the killing of thy sin. His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls.""Mortification of any sin must be by a supply of grace."
If you'd rather not deal with Owen's difficult writing style, Justin Taylor and Kelly Kapic have provided a much more accessible version of Volume 6.