Make it Your Business To Mortify Sin
John Owens, in probably one of the most influential puritan classics “The Mortification of Sin”, states what many Christians today don’t understand, completely overlook or downright push aside in the American church - the mortification of sin. Mortification (or the progressive killing of sin in the life of a Christian) can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit but must also be an active duty and action of the true believer.
Why is holiness not spoken of in today’s churches? Do we not realize that if we do not have a holy hatred for sin it may very well be an indicator of the state of our soul? Can you say that the sin you once loved as a pagan you now abhor as a regenerated believer? No Christian before the second coming of our Savior will experience sinlessness but all Christians (according to Scripture) will ever increase in their awareness of sin and hatred for sin in their lives as they grow and are conformed more into the image of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through the process of sanctification. Test yourself to see if this is true of your life.
I end with a magnificent quote from Owens’ book…
“the choicest believers, who are assuredly free from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business, all their days, to mortify the indwelling power of sin.“
Amen.
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Yes, it all depends on what is fed–the spirit or the flesh. Starve the flesh and it will die. Does that mean the flesh fully dies? Not on this side of heaven but it can lessen and the Holy Spirit can sanctify us if we let Him. I can so relate to this. Romans 6:20-22 states it rather well. I knew I was regenerated by Him when a couple years ago I was absolutely ashamed of my past conduct and have never returned to it. I did a lot of stupid things in my youth, but praise God for showing me I can be free from those things in Him.