We continue in chapter eight in "The Mortification of Sin." This chapter was revolutionary in my understanding of spiritual warfare. There is always that "one" sin that seems to plague us. We think that if we could just get rid of that one lust our spiritual life would abound. We think, "Why does God not take this sin away from me?" Surely, we know how to bring God more glory than He does right? Well, Owen answers these things in a way that is truly captivating.
The second rule proposed in the mortification of sin, or the rule that must be true if any one sin be mortified, is that there must be universal obedience. Owen sets this up,
A man finds any lust to bring him into the condition formerly described; it is powerful, strong, tumultuating, leads captive, vexes, disquiets, takes away peace; he is not able to bear it; wherefore he sets himself against it, prays against it, groans under it, sighs to be delivered; but in the meantime, perhaps in other duties,--in other ways that are not of the same kind with the lust wherewith he is troubled,--he is loose and negligent.
This is the heart of Owen's argument. We are prone to set are eyes on our sin, but take them off Christ. We are so depressed over this or that sin, which we should be, and seek to get rid of it because it "bothers us." In the meantime, we skim over sins that are just as heinous to God. We fail to repent from sin that Jesus Christ died on the cross to take away. Owen asks,
Now, canst thou think that God will set in with such hypocritical endeavors, --that ever his Spirit will bear witness to the treachery and falsehood of thy spirit?
Why do you desire the mortification of a certain sin? This goes back and applies to the last rule we learned. All mortification needs to have its interest in the glory of Christ. Is not your struggle with this or that sin just because it troubles your soul? This, I am afraid, is hypocrisy at its worst. You seek to rid your lust, but you are loose in conversation, you eat too much at night, you do not pray and seek the Lord with all your heart! Do not think the Lord will give you victory over your sin since your heart is not His anyways. Who knows why God has you suffer under this or that sin. God would have you suffer under this sin for years so that you may see your need of Him in all areas of your life, every second of your life. God does not desire half, or even three-fourths of your heart, God wants all of your heart. This the Great Shepherd will have.
Think about your life. "Know that every lust, every omission of duty, is burdensome to God, though but one is so to him." Your other sins are putting you on a course of apathy and spiritual death. Do you not think that your other sins will cause the sin that you desire to get rid of to become more excited in your affections? Are you neglecting time in the Word or time in prayer before God? Are you seeking to obey the commandments of the Lord? Are they your delight? This is the only way that God would have it; you must be about universal obedience in your spiritual walk if you are to mortify any sin.
