That’s me on the left, just in case you couldn’t tell.

Look at those massive pythons! (Noticed I put this in the “Guns” category too :D)

In the last entry I established the first reason Dr. Owen gave for publishing his work. Today, we’ll look at the second.

Preface 1b

1.  
   1.  
      1.  
         i. superstition
         ii. self-righteousness
         iii. anxiety of conscience in those who try to carry such an operation out.

      -such a burden produces         

   1. Ignorance of both the gospel and the efficacy of Christ’s death (i.e Justification) as can be seen in their:         2. Imposition of the yoke of self-wrought-mortification that none could bear.

B. The Observation of Some Men’s Dangerous Mistakes Concerning the Method of Mortification. These mistakes being due to:         

So, in essence, there are 2 reasons he has written the book. And like any good pastor, his reasons are borne from necessity. Not only did he see the foolishness of the culture’s easy-believism…the kind of “faith” that would send them straight to hell, but he also saw the need to warn those who trusted in themselves for righteousness and mortification.

In some form or another, this perfectionism has been seen in the likes of the teachings of Jonathan Wesley and Charles Grandison Finney. It is a misunderstanding of the purpose, power, and provision of Christ’s death on the cross. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not mixing justification and sanctification here. But that is the very error that can come out of such a lifestyle of self-mortification.

Owen is not arguing for the believer to not put forth effort in their mortification (as seen in his first reason given for publishing), but he’s arguing for the right understanding of the roles men play in their own sanctification. You see, his two reasons for publishing the work are the two extremes that he found in his time were most prevalent. And we also see these 2 extremes prevalent today.

How do we differentiate and distinguish? Dr. Owen shall give us some guidelines. Let us take the initiative in mortifying the deeds of the flesh and to be always watching, always vigiliant against the devil. For such an endeavor as we are about to execute, temptation may be all the more present, trials may be all the more painful, and persecution may be all the more difficult.

Series Introduction

Preface 1a

This last Lord’s Day I began re-reading John Owen’s The Mortification of Sin in Believers. Other than certain quotes, it’s as if I were reading a brand new book. As noted in my previous entry, this work has immense value in the life of the believer, both theological and practical. Thus, I hope to embark upon a series concerning the subject of mortification. Using Owen’s book, I would like to outline his thoughts and communicate how it is the believer should execute the practice of the mortification of sin.

In this particular entry, I would like to consider the first part of Owen’s preface:

I. The Reasons He Wrote and Published the Work

1.  
   1. “the visible evidences of the frame of their hearts and spirits” as manifest in their:      2. “disability of dealing with temptations” due to their:

   3. “peace” with “the world” and

   4. “divisions…among themselves”

A. “the present state and condition of the” common mass of professing Christians as exemplified in:      

In this first paragraph, Dr. Owen clearly states his reasoning as to the publishing of this work. It is not to flex his theologically adept biceps. Nor, is it to display his prowess and command of Biblical principles. Rather, it is with the most pastorally practical and spiritual reasons in mind that he takes on such a task. Much like our day, Owen was observing and seeing a pseudo-Christianity that much encompassed the minset of professing yet not possessing. What I mean is that he saw in most professing Christians a disconnect between their “faith” and the works which they did (or the lack thereof).

Due to the division amongst professing Christians, and these same people’s comfort and contentedness with the things of the world, there was an overtly evident and widescale surrender to temptations of all manner; thus, showing “the visible evidences of the frame of their hearts and spirits.”How could the knowingly lost people look at these “Christians” and see anything different if these professors of Christ’s salvation were participating in the same sinful revelries? None. Why? Because these professors of the Christian religion were not true possessors and partakers of Christ’s imputed righteousness. Their faith was no different than those of the demons who have faith and believe in God, and yet they tremble. For their “faith” is not a saving faith, but only one that heaps upon them further condemnation.

So be wary, you who profess Christ yet bear not fruit “worthy of repentance”, lest you sear your conscience with a false sense of security that only heaps upon you further condemnation before the Almighty God. Heed the words of Dr. Owen, as expounded by Scripture, that you may surely “examine yourselves, to see whether you be in the faith.”

Though proven to be an effort to read, John Owen’s ingenuis (no doubt due to the grace of God in His studies) is something to be appreciated by all. Just a (re)cursory glance at his The Mortification of Sin reminds me again of one of the works in which I need to actively involve myself as a believer: RIGHT! Mortification

Anyway, just a few quotes from our beloved John Owen:

“Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who hath once smitten a serpent, if he follow not on his blow until he be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel. And so will he who undertakes to deal with sin, and pursues it not constantly to the death.”

“Temptation is like a knife, that may either cut the meat or the throat of a man; it may be his food or his poison, his exercise or his destruction”

“When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone; but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion.”

As I think on it, I’m reminded the times that I’ve misquoted, or heard misquoted, the passages where Jesus says, “Watch and pray that you will not _____ into temptation.” I’m so accustomed to having heard (and even said) fall, when Jesus said enter. In other words, my heart is so deceitful that Jesus told me to be alert so as to not even ENTER into temptation, much less try to keep from falling while under it. God grant me grace to submit myself to Him, resisting the devil, while he flees as the fading foe that he is.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

Well, it looks as if I have no direction whatsoever in this series or any hopes of concluding it soon, but as I happen upon something in Scripture that I think may speak to it, I’m gonna share. Consider this:

1 Samuel 15:1 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction [1] all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves [2] and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.

10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”

17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.”

In this we see another example of someone a) not completely obeying God in what He has commanded and b) bringing “worship” that God had not authorized.

You say, “Josh, this is not an example of someone going beyond what God has required in a worship service. Rather, this is simply a picture of someone not fully obeying God’s command.” In a sense, you are correct! How much more then, ought we be fully obedient in the worship of God!?! This may not be per se a command of worship or story particularly about it; however, a principle of the RPW (Regulative Principle of Worship) can be extrapolated from it, I believe.

Not only did Saul fail to thoroughly snuff out the Amalekites, but he then had the nerve to mock God (regardless of his sincerity) by offering what God had told him to annihilate as a sacrifice of worship! Then we have Samuel’s response to Saul’s foolishness.

“Saul, God wants obedience to what He has specifically commanded, not your own will-worship of sacrifice. You have presumed what God wanted, instead of doing exactly what He commanded. You are in rank rebellion!”

Let us be careful to do all that God commands and not be presumptious in what we think pleases Him. May it never be so.