Customer Reviews

Mortification Of Sin: A Puritan's View on how to Deal with the Sin in Your Life (Christian Heritage)

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Also available in The Works of John Owen Vol. 6, this is a masterpiece on how to kill corruption in one's personal life. It is less than 100 pages long (in my copy!), but it is packed with some of the most insightful thinking regarding sanctification, that I have ever read. Owen packs much into this brief book leaving hundreds of rocks just turned over for the reader to search out treasures for himself. There are nine preliminary steps to mortifying sin which were of great practical help to me. They are: 1. Consider the dangerous symptoms of your lust; 2. Get a clear sense of the guilt and danger of the sin; 3. Load your conscience with the guilt of the "perplexing distemper"; 4. Have a vehement desire for deliverance; 5. Determine whether the sin is rooted in your natural temperment; 6. Prevent the opportunites for sin; 7. Vigorously oppose the first actings of sin; 8. Think deeply about the majesty of God; 9. Speak no peace to your own disquieted heart - let God speak it. These principles form the bulk of the book, but they are fenced in by strong opposition to all legalistic methods of dealing with sin and with hearty exhortations to focus on Christ and be empowered by the Spirit in the whole task of mortifying sin. An excellent treatment of the subject and worthy of repeated readings. In fact, it is in the top ten on my "Master Reading List" (which is a short list of the best books I have read and which deserve to be mastered - if you are interested email me at brianghedges(at)gmail(dot)com)

*SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE* Read this book! *END SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE*

I usually give a book a month or more to ruminate so I can weigh the value of its contents against all that I have learned from scripture, but in this one case I'm breaking that rule. I swear John Owen just drove the sword of the Spirit into the very midst of my still-beating heart like a surgeon's scalpel. This book is life-changing. It is biblical, powerful, relevant and Spirit-filled. Owen has made all the questions which lingered in my mind with regard to sanctification and the means by which we are to pursue holiness by the power of the Holy Spirit suddenly coalesce into a coherent, scriptural, practical, spiritual whole. In 130 pages (Puritan Paperback edition) he did this! And how foolish I feel for not having seen it all before when it is so clear and simple and plainly biblical! But don't take my word for it. Here's the opening statement of the section on the actual work of mortification:

"Suppose a man is a true believer, and yet finds in himself a powerful indwelling sin. This sin makes him captive to its power, and consumes his heart with trouble. It perplexes his thoughts, weakens his soul in communion with God, takes away his peace, defiles his conscience, and exposes him to hardening through the decietfulness of sin. What shall he do? What course shall he take to mortify this sin, lust or corruption? How can he gain victory enough, even though it is not utterly destroyed, yet, in his contest with it, he may be enabled to maintain his power, strength and peace in communion with God?"

This paragraph launches the reader into the answer to these very questions. How can we "by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the body, [so that we] will live" (Rom. 8:13)? Of particular worth to me was Owen's pointing out that superficial application of the promises of God is NOT mortification. He points out (rightly so) that the peace and mercy of God are only lasting and effective when imparted by God Himself, not by any means we possess in ourselves. I have been foolishly speaking "peace, peace" to my heart when there was no true peace because I would not wait upon the Spirit to apply the true peace that comes from God. I have been applying the ointment of the promise while it is yet devoid of the healing medicine of the Holy Spirit.

"This is to bless ourselves, without the blessing of God."

I honestly don't think I can praise this volume highly enough. In its abridged, modernized version it is a simple enough read for any Christian. In its depth and soundness of doctrine it is worthy even of the consideration of the most astute biblical scholar. In the blessedness and value of its subject it stands head-and-shoulders above most modern Christian literature. How great would the visible church be today if all of those who belong to the church invisible would read and follow "The Mortification of Sin"! And for a mere $8, who among those who profess the name of Christ ought not to have this volume in his hands?

About the Author: Owen was considered one of the greatest minds of the seventeeth century, serving as vice-chancellor at Oxford and publishing extensively. He also was very politically active during much political turbulence in England at the time. Owen was a contemporary of John Bunyan's and once was able through his political connections to arrange to have Bunyan released from prison. Owen is also widely considered to be the most difficult of all the major Puritan theologians to read, because of his highly intricate and frankly not very readable prose. Most people (including me!) find a modern re-written edition much more palatable than his originals, and many editions of The Mortification of Sin (including this one) are a modern abridgement.

Mortification is a word meaning to put to death, and this book explains how we both have a duty and a necessity to actively fight against every outbreak of sin in our lives daily. His most quoted advice from the book sums up his position, "always be killing sin or it will be killing you." He urges us to "always be at it while you live; do not take a day off from this work."

There are chapters on the importance of putting sin to death, the work of the Holy Spirit in mortification, how our spiritual health depends on it, what mortification is and is not, seeing sin for what it is, keeping a tender conscience and a watchful heart, waiting for God, and the work of Christ and the power of the Spirit.

No cute word pictures, no self-affirmations---just a blunt and comprehensive examination of what every Christian must do to become more holy. As Owen says, "Live in the light of Christ's great work, and you will die a conqueror." Read this book.

I was dissappointed when I received this book to find that it is an abridged version that has been re-written into easy to read language. Although I find the original language difficult, it wasn't just re-written in modern language, it was dumbed down and parts cut out. Some of the original punch was lost. However, it is available for free as a download online since it is so old. Look for vol 6 of his works and have lots of paper.

This review refers to the copy Amazon has pictured, i.e. the Christian Focus edition in the Christian Heritage series.

Prior to starting at the beginning and slogging through, you may wish to take a peek at the structure the book is organised around:

General Rules:

1. p84
2. p89

Particular Directions:

1. p106
2. p109
3. p123
4. p129
5. p130
6. p133
7. p134
8. p137
9. p151

A totally refreshing read. I plan to follow my local Christian bookseller's advice as soon as possible: "This book needs to be read and reread". The reason for this is that it is so easy to become complacent about sin and sins. Praise God for Puritan literature such as this!

Owen's first General Rule (p84) is absolutely essential: "Be sure to get an interest in Christ if you intend to mortify any sin." He is in complete agreement with Arthur Pink in The Life of Faith, (p54) who says "None can possibly make any progress in the Christian life unless he first be a Christian." Logical? Obvious? Not to all in our time of universalism and pluralism unfortunately.

One difficulty I had (and I am unable to find a page reference for it) was that Owen says that even if we have stopped acting out a sin, we have not mortified it, because its root remains. This needs to be looked at in light of what our Lord said (Mt 5:29 NIV): "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away..." and again (vs 30) "And if your right eye causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away..." I know Jesus uses the word "cause" here, but surely what he is actually referring to is the avoidance of acting out an internal sinfulness through any part of the body. Removal of limbs per se will not change the heart, and Jesus wasn't pretending that. But we can see here that, in contrast to what Owen says, it is worth dealing with the symptoms of a sinful heart, regardless of the existence of the internal unmortified root.

I was disappointed to see that this was not Owen's work, but rather a paraphrasing and abridgment of it. I'm sure it'd be easier to read, but that's like saying The Message is easier to read than the NASB or ESV. (Yes, I know Owen is not inspired.)

This book would be great for a student in middle school or high school.

I returned this book and opted for the one edited by Taylor and Kapic.

Excellent exposition of Scripture on the subject of indwelling sin in believers. This book is not about the next fad or greatest new method that will cure all your problems in 30 days, Owen simply explains the Scriptures and gives wise pastoral advice. I highly recommend it for anyone struggling with sin, or anyone confused about what the Bible teaches about continuing sin in the lives of believers. You will probably need to read it with a dictionary on hand, but the content is worth the trouble of deciphering the archaic language.

A must read for any Christian seeking to grow in Christ.

I do not write that lightly. I do believe that every believer in the triune God should read this treatise if they hope to ever have a firm grasp on what sin is and how to conquer (and how not to conquer) sin in their own lives.

Owen does not perpetuate this idea of self-effort, pull-ye-up-by-the-bootstraps idea of sanctification but grounds everything he says in the authority and finality of Christ's incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and session. I was moved to deep, deep reverence for our God through the reading of this text; I discovered a spite for sin which I had never before held; I was amazed at the patience and love and wisdom of our God.

I did read the original version which utilizes Old English words and syntax--I found it enjoyable as it offered a change in prose very different from the common style found amongst authors today. However, if you are not versed in Shakespearean speak (though this be more modern)you may have difficulty at times of understanding what is being said. I do not for this reason suggest reading an abridged text--rather, I suggest you struggle through the original text as Owen originally intended it.

I would also suggest reading through Romans beforehand to have a better grasp of what he frequently refers to. (He often quotes and expounds upon the Prophets, the Corinthian epistles, and others, but Romans is he predominant text.)

I cannot urge you enough to read this book.
Buy it now. Begin reading tonight.

recommended by one of my favorite pastors, Mark Driscoll.... most challenging book i have ever read on sin... so clearly pinpointing sin in the deepest recesses of my heart, i am surely being pushed closer to Jesus... I am going to be buying more of john owens stuff.

"The mortification of sin in believers" by John Owen is a Christian classic written in 1656 by a Puritan and Oxford don. Owen was greatly respected for both his deep and exhaustive exposition and his practical application based on a transparently godly life. I, too prefer the original version, but such is the power of the thought of that original that even with omissions the text, the message comes through. Unfortunately, his language in the original is antiquated amd ponderous, making it difficult for the modern reader to understand (though those used to the Authorised Version should cope), but the content makes the effort worthwhile. Much of his strongly worded statements are directed against "Papists," the legalists and ceremonialists of his day. This may be off-putting to some, but all of what he says is just as relevant today if the reader does not restrict what is said to Roman Catholicism, for legalists and ceremonialists, obvious and hidden, are in every denomination and church.

His purpose in writing the book (based on a series of sermons) is to give advice on how best a Christian believer can defeat sin in their lives. He begins by explaining the second half of Romans 8:13 - "but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live," making five points that: (a) the duty, means and promise are conditional; (b) they are for believers; (c) only by means of the Holy Spirit can sin be defeated; (d) what duty of "mortifying the deeds of the body" means; and (e) the power and worth of the promise "you shall live".

One by one he deals with these points in depth, showing that even the best of believers will have to battle against sin all their lives and that only the Holy Spirit can successfully do this work. It is work worth the labour for a believer's life, energy and comfort is dependent on putting sin to death to live a life of godliness (Col 3:1-10). In defining what he meant by mortification of sin, he follows Paul's lead and shows what it is NOT, then what it IS, emphasising that only a believer can truly mortify sin and that mortification is not defeating a particular sin, but it is laying the axe to sinful attitudes and inclinations at their root in the fallen nature.

He then gives nine directives of HOW to mortify sin:
1. Check that a besetting sin is not fatal
2. Constantly remind yourself of the guilt, danger and evil of sin
3. Load your conscience with the guilt and evil of sin, the offence against God's love
4. Develop a vehement desire for deliverance
5. Some sin is rooted in character - this is no excuse but a challenge to greater battle
6. Avoid sources of temptation
7. Oppose sin at its very beginnings and do not wait until it emerges full-blown
8. Learn your true status and value by considering the greatness of God.
9. Speak no peace to yourself until God does

Finally he gives advice on the preparation of the heart for victory over sin by fixing on Jesus and the work of the Spirit.

If we are really serious about overcoming the evils of pride, selfishness and lust in ourselves to enjoy the wonder of God's unconditional love and grace and to live the life of the Spirit of Christ, then this is a book worth reading. And more than that: study it with your Bible open, building into your way of life the principles it gives.