Sin and Temptation: The Challenge of Personal Godliness (Classics of Faith and Devotion) [Paperback]

John Owen (Author)

Book Description

Series: Classics of Faith and Devotion | Publication Date: October 1996

A Call to Personal Accountability

Sin and Temptation helps us recover the concepts of sin and individual responsibility our world has all but destroyed. John Owen, an English statesman and theologian of vast learning, has dealt with the nature of sinful humanity as no writer has done as keenly or thoroughly, arguing that sin is always a self-deceiving, blinding folly. Owen embodied the best of Puritan devotion: the awe of God, humility, wisdom, and an awareness of God's grace. J. I. Packer's introductory essay describes how Owen's writings shaped his own spiritual vision.

Dr. James Houston, editor of the CLASSICS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION, is a highly acclaimed scholar and pioneer in the field of evangelical spirituality. He came to North America from England in 1968 to lead Regent College in Vancouver, Canada, a worldwide center of spiritual formation.

THE CLASSICS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION meet the growing hunger of many Christians for a deeper understanding and application of faith. The series presents easy-to-read translations and paraphrases of some of the greatest Christian works of all time.

Each book includes a helpful study guide for individual or group use.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

size : 5.4 x 8.3

Product Details

• Paperback: 210 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (October 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556618301
• ISBN-13: 978-1556618307
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #956,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to Mortify Sin, April 14, 1999

By 

[e-mail] -Gustavo Nix (Bolivar, Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sin and Temptation: The Challenge of Personal Godliness (Classics of Faith and Devotion) (Paperback)

This is much more than a deep theological treatise. The editors have distilled three short wirtings of the great Puritan thinker and preacher, John Owen: The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin; Of Temptation; and Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers, and made them accessible to the modern reader. Because the doctrine of indwelling sin has been mostly forgotten or ignored by even conservative and evangelical preachers and writers, this book serves as a much needed slap on the face, reminding Christians that we NEVER, in this life, "get out of Romans 7 and into Romans 8". Using his comprehensive knowledge of Scriptures, he relentlessly pounds home the message that sin is a constant inhabitant in every human heart, and that, although (in believers) it is weakened and irreparably damaged in its ultimate goals, it nevertheless continues to harass and frustrate and cause great damage all our days. He proposes that the only antidote is to acknowledge sin's constant presence, noting from Rom. 7:21 that it is a "LAW present in our members, that WHEN WE WOULD DO GOOD, evil is present in us". In other words, it is especially at times when we want to do good and have every intention of being obedient and feel the desire to honor God that sin reveals itself as not an intruder, but a natural inhabitant of our heart, and sallies forth to sabotage and mar our best performance. In the section on mortification of sin, he addresses an issue mostly relegated to the Catholics of previous centuries.

This book is without doubt essential reading for any Christian who wishes to live a holy life and please God. I have made significant practical changes in how I live my life as a result of reading it. Initially, it is shocking and painful to realize the truth of the extent of sin's presence and power in our lives- but it is the only way to learn the vigilance required to fight it.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A needful reminder for a culture that has forgotten sin, December 20, 1998

By 

C. Benson ([e-mail]) (Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sin and Temptation: The Challenge of Personal Godliness (Classics of Faith and Devotion) (Paperback)

What happens when a culture forgets the doctrine of original sin? What happens when people turn their sinful nature into self-flattering, euphemistic terminology, using words like "wrong" and "mistake" instead of "wicked" and "depraved"? What happens when we hold to an anthropological view that claims humans are basically good creatures? Puritan thinker John Owen answers these questions in the most exhaustive and lucid treatment of indwelling sin, the temptation of believers, and the mortification of sin. One cannot read this book and remain unchanged. A humble self-examination will reveal that we are inherently sinful and in need of the imputed righteousness made possible by Jesus Christ on the cross. In addition, an accurate understanding of our sin will help make sense of the moral meltdown and cultural decline in America, hopefully encouraging the reader to find regeneration in a personal faith and relationship in Jesus Christ.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a Roaring Lion Looking for Someone to Devour, June 29, 2004

By 

Jonathan A Blevins (Duluth, MN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sin and Temptation: The Challenge of Personal Godliness (Classics of Faith and Devotion) (Paperback)

Owen has a piercing understanding of the human heart and its sinfulness. The overwhelming majority of this work deals with understanding sin, the power of sin, our adversary the Devil, the nature of temptation and the allure of evil. Expect to be cut (and cut deep) when you read this book. For anyone who has ever cried with Paul, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24), this book will expose the bone and marrow of your inner depravity and leave you with only one recourse--the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Owen deals only briefly with the actual practice of mortification (ie. destruction of sin), but his advice is to-the-point and very profound. He offers only two suggestions: look to Christ & seek the Holy Spirit.

Owen's book is virtually an exposition of Romans 7 and Galatians 5. I would recommend Martin Luther's commentary on Galatians as a follow-up to this book. While Owen will expose the sinfulness of your heart, Luther will lift up the righteousness of the Savior Jesus Christ. (And do not be decieved, the first is as necessary as the second).

This book is most highly recommended--both to those who have a deep sense of their own sinfulness and those who have no sense of sin at all.