How to deep six the sin in your life By Robin Schumacher, Exclusive Columnist for The Christian Post
It’s the most important book you’ll never want to read.
In 1656, English puritan minister John Owen published, Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers, which contains perhaps the best biblical advice on forever sinking the sins in our lives. Two years later Owen wrote, Of Temptation and in 1667, he penned Indwelling Sin in Believers, with these three works being, in my opinion, the definitive biblical guide to achieving personal holiness.
The problem with them is, well, Owen himself. In his preface essay to Owen’s, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, J. I. Packer says: “There is no denying that Owen is heavy and hard to read.”
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Owen’s intellect, like other theological giants such as Jonathan Edwards, is intimidating and his skill at wielding God’s two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12) is evidenced by how deep he cuts into your conscience and soul with his biblical insights. But it’s those things that work to make a permanent change in how we view sin. It also provides us with a better understanding of the damage it causes both in us and in our relationship with God.
Stating the obvious, there is no way I can do justice to what Owen says in total about defeating sin in an article this short. But what I can do is give you the high-level framework he builds for the subject, which will hopefully inspire you to dig in and go further in your pursuit of “mortifying” (when was the last time you used that word in a sentence?) the sin in your life.
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In case you’re wondering, yes, since I have gone through Owen’s works with a fine-tooth comb and practice his concepts, I don’t sin anymore. Anger issues? Not me. Lust? Get outta here.
