I finished reading the part of Overcoming Sin and Temptation, The Mortification of Sin, and learned some invaluable things. Although, I’ll admit, the things I read need to become more a part of my everyday life. It’s too easy — way too easy — to finish reading something and leave much valuable information trapped within the pages. It’s entirely possible that what is read never leaps off the page into our hearts. I feel this has happened to a good degree with Owen. Nonetheless, there are some things that have stuck with me thus far that have helped me already in the fight against indwelling sin.
1) This first one I had heard about previously, but reading what Owen actually wrote was much more helpful: “God says, ‘Here is one, if he could be rid of his lust I should never hear of him more; let him wrestle with this or he is lost.’” Owen was writing about how, in certain instances, some sins plague us for a long time, and we wonder why. In answering said conundrum, Owen explains that many times we plead with God to take away a certain sin merely because that sin is a bother to us, not because it prevents us from knowing God. Thus, instead of hating sin for what it is and how it keeps us from knowing Christ more fully, we hate it because it cramps our style. If God were to deliver us while we are in such a state, we would no longer seek God. God would become just a means to rid us of a bothersome habit, as opposed to being the reason why we want to be rid of the sin in the first place.
2) This will sound familiar to anyone who has read or listened to John Piper: When fighting sin, threats of consequence and hell (referred to as “restraining grace”) are not sufficient. Indeed, we should heed the warnings of Scripture concerning perseverance and not continuing in sin. However, Owen argues that if punishment is the only thing keeping us from sin, then our heart is in a much worse state than we thought. Rather the message of the gospel and the riches of Christ should be what we employ against temptation. Owen calls this “renewing grace.” Perhaps one of the more haunting statements I’ve read so far has been in relation to this very topic. Owen says, “Rest assuredly in this, that unless you recover yourself with speed from this condition, the thing that you fear will come upon you.” I find this to be absolutely true. How many times have you railed against sin by convincing yourself only of the punishment that comes along with it, only to end up falling headlong into it?
3) “Do not speak peace unto yourself until God speaks it.” Now, the Christian might wonder at such a statement. After all, peace with God is a cross-purchased gift from Jesus. Why would we not want to speak peace to ourselves? But this is not what Owen is referring to. His explanation is that many Christians, in fighting sin, speak a word of peace to themselves in such a way that they stop fighting the sin. Thus, there is a false peace. The battle rages about them, but they posture themselves as if their enemies were their friends.
