Chapter three of this work happens to be one of the best. As I think about how I should go about communicating the truth in this chapter, I just ask the Lord to communicate to your heart through His Word. Mortification is no common act, it is a supernatural act. Why then do you seek natural means to go about this work? Owen gives us instruction and guidance in this work by reminding us that this work is done only by the Holy Spirit.
The first sentence in this chapter gives us the ground for all that will be discussed,
In vain do men seek other remedies; they shall not be healed by them.
Owen gives two main reasons why other attempts to mortify sin will lead to disappointment.
1. "Because many of the ways and means they use and insist upon for this end were never appointed of God for that purpose." I would even say that what Owen has in mind here, God never appointed for any purpose at all, but the only way to go about this work is God's way. Isn't this always the case? Who turns their own heart to God to be saved? Can a person do anything beneficial or good and it NOT be God's appointed way (John 15:5)?
2. "Because those things that are appointed of God as means are not used by them in their due place and order." So what means does God appoint for mortification? Owen lists some such as "praying, fasting, watching, meditation, and the like." Now this is to be understood that no man can truly do these acts without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Who will say that they have prayed outside of the Spirit? Who will say that they have truly fasted apart from the guiding of the Spirit? Who will say that they have meditated upon the Word apart from the Spirit? Let me answer. It is impossible to do so! Owen illustrates,
Men are galled with the guilt of a sin that hath prevailed over them; they instantly promise to themselves and God that they will do so no more; they watch over themselves, and pray for a season, until this heat waxes cold, and the sense of sin is worn off: and so mortification goes also, and sin returns to its former dominion
You may even be in this season? Why are you "so galled over your sin?" Check your motives. Are you guilty because you are mindful of the Gospel, or because you simply do not want to be embarrassed? What believer, who truly is filled with the Spirit, "only prays for a season and their fire dies?" Rely on the Spirit to do this work; He is the only One who can do it!
Owen gives two reasons why the Spirit can only do this work:
1. The Holy Spirit is promised of God to do this work and Him alone. You are not the sole agent of this work; the Holy Spirit is to empower you in this work. The Spirit is the One who "takes away the stony heart and causes rebellious unbelievers to turn to Christ." Owen then quotes Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26. Please refer to those texts before you consider any further. But Owen continues...
2. We possess mortification from the gift of Christ, and the gifts of Christ are communicated to believers by means of the Holy Spirit. Owen reminds us once again in this work that we can do nothing without Jesus Christ. What are we without the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross? Does the Spirit not communicate this reality to us? Did you come to Christ outside of the work of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:1-4)? Why are you seeking other means to mortify your sin? The Holy Spirit is needed to do this work
So Owen concludes with application, "How does the Spirit mortify sin?" Owen gives three ways the Spirit mortifies sin in believers:
1. The Spirit causes our hearts to abound in grace and the fruits that are contrary to the flesh. When believers are filled with the Spirit, they produce the fruit of the Spirit. If believers are controlled and filled with the lust of the flesh, they produce the fruits of the old man. Owen states,
This "renewing of us by the Holy Ghost," as it is called, Titus 3:5, is one great way of mortification; he causes us to grow, thrive, flourish, and abound in those graces which are contrary, opposite, and destructive to all the fruits of the flesh, and to the quiet or thriving of indwelling sin itself.
2. The Spirit gives us a real physical efficiency for taking out the root and habit of sin by weakening it, destroying it, and taking it away. This is why the Spirit is called a "Spirit of judgment and burning" (Isaiah 4:4).
3. The Spirit brings the cross of Christ into the heart of a sinner by faith, and gives us communion with Christ in his death, and fellowship in his sufferings. This is a key theme in this entire work; believers are to continually be filling their minds with the Gospel. Satan actually tempts to oppose the Gospel, so if we are filling our minds with the Gospel by means of the Spirit, this will give us victory.
The Spirit is the one who empowers believers to do this work. Owen says, "He works upon our understandings, wills, consciences, and affections, agreeably to their own natures; he works in us and with us, not against us or without us; so that his assistance is an encouragement as to the facilitating of the work, and no occasion of neglect as to the work itself." The Spirit is the one who encourages us in this work; he gives us power, strength, valor, and peace in this work.
If you are under the weight of sin, do not go to battle with your own strength or might, but be filled with the Spirit. Why would you fight an enemy with weapons that will not prevail? Owen shows the folly in this
Sometimes they think, indeed, that they have foiled sin, when they have only raised a dust that they see it not; that is, they distemper their natural affections of fear, sorrow, and anguish, which makes them believe that sin is conquered when it is not touched.
If you are seeking other means to kill the deeds of sin such as: theology, starvation, any sort of depriving the body, anger, ect., you are not even wounding your inward enemy. You are only causing other things on the horizon to cloud the ugly face of the monster that is within your own heart. Satan is a crafty enemy; do you think that your mind will rescue you? You are foolish to think you are wiser than Satan? I want to continue with this thought, but Owen deals with this in another chapter and you probably want to go to sleep as I want to go to sleep. So I will remind you once again, "Do not seek other means to kill your sin, seek guidance and counsel from the Holy Spirit who is God's appointed means to this end!"
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