Saint Boniface and Christmas Eve

The German missionary Saint Boniface (or Winfred of Wessex) loved Jesus and he was not afraid to die for Him.  Legend tells us that he nearly died one Christmas when he chopped down the great tree of Thor in front of an angry village of Thor-worshippers.  Click here to read May Louise Harvey’s account of that great night, “How Saint Boniface Kept Christmas Eve.”

Saint Nicholas the Gift-Giver

I should have posted this picture with yesterday's blog.  It's from the cover of Shane and Shane's Christmas album and it captures the truth of Saint Nicholas' (Santa Claus) devotion to God's glory.

Perhaps the most well-known legend about Saint Nicholas tells of him rescuing three girls from slavery:

"One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver." (from "Who is St. Nicholas?")    

The Real Santa Claus

For two millenniums people have annually celebrated the nativity (birth) of Jesus Christ.  We call this celebration Christmas.  Historically, God’s people have made this a 4 week celebration (called Advent) leading up to the actual day of Christmas.

Unfortunately, Christmas has been commercialized and conjures more thoughts of Santa Claus than Jesus.  As a teaching tool, we can bring our children into the truth that the real Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) was just a man who loved Jesus (Veggie Tales has a great movie about Saint Nicholas).

The real Santa Claus was not magical, but he loved a magical God.  He would not appreciate being the center of our Christmas celebration.  If he were here today, he would want to celebrate Christmas with us.  He would sit down and sing songs like “O Holy Night” and “O Come Let us Adore Him.”  Here are some more questions and answers to help you and your family prepare for Sunday. 

What was Santa Claus’ real name?

Saint Nicholas, born in the year 270.

Where did Saint Nicholas grow up?

Saint Nicholas grew up in a village next the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey.

What was Saint Nicholas’ childhood like?

Saint Nicholas’ family was very wealthy.  He always had a warm place to sleep and plenty of food to eat.  His parents were Christians and they taught him to love Jesus more than their wealth.  They both died when Saint Nicholas was just a boy.

How did Saint Nicholas’ use his wealth?

Saint Nicholas believed that everything he had was from God and that it was his duty to share with others who did not have what they needed.

Why was Saint Nicholas’ so generous with his wealth?

Saint Nicholas was generous because he knew God had been generous to him by sending Jesus to die for his sins.  He loved to give much because he had been given much. 

Why do we find gifts in our stockings on Christmas Morning?

The gifts that appear in our stockings on Christmas Eve remind us of the secret gift-giving of Saint Nicholas.  Some nights, the poor in his village would leave their shoes outside, and Saint Nicholas would leave in them gold coins (which is what chocolate coins wrapped in gold paper are a symbol of). 

Name something Saint Nicholas was known for?

Devotion to Jesus.

Generosity.

Love of children.

Secret gift-giving.

Merry Christmas.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo

One of the highlights of this past week (and there were a lot of highlights this past week) was caroling through downtown Roseville with Cornerstone Christian School.  I was with a team of 20 students, ranging from Kindergarten to High School, who went door to door, home to home, business to business, asking people if they would like to hear a couple of Christmas carols.  My 5-year-old Jackson was on my shoulders belting out “Gwo-whia, in ex-thel-thees, Day-O” which is Latin for… anyone?... “Glory to God in the Highest.”  Long ago, this was the song heard from the Angels on high (Luke 2:14).

I pray this will be my family’s song this Christmas - Glory to God in the highest, the giver of all good gifts (James 1:17).  For those of you with children, below is a sort of Christmas catechism that may help your family to promote the glory of God this holiday season.  Consider asking them in the car, around the table, around the tree, or next to the bed.

(“Catechism” = a summary of Christian principles in the form of questions and answers, used for instruction)

How long have people celebrated Christmas?

Christians have been celebrating Christmas for nearly 2000 years.  The day was first made a recognized holiday on December 25, 325 (that’s nearly 1700 years ago!)  This makes Christmas our oldest annual holiday.

When was the Christmas tree first used?

Legend says that an evergreen tree was first associated with Christmas by St. Boniface in the 8^th century (nearly 1300 years ago).

What is a Christmas Tree a symbol of?

A Christmas tree is an evergreen tree – a tree that stays green through the long, dark, cold winter.  This is a symbol of the eternal life we have through Jesus.  By bringing an evergreen tree into our home we remember that because we have Jesus we have eternal life.  Many decorate their trees with lights and personal ornaments – a reminder that Jesus, the light of the world, has come into our hearts and saved us (1 John 5:12).

What is the Star on top of a Christmas tree a symbol of?

A star is placed at the top of some Christmas trees as a reminder of the star that was over Bethlehem to announce the birth of Jesus.  (Matthew 2:1-2)

What is a candy cane a symbol of?

A candy cane is shaped like the staffs that would have been carried by the shepherds who came to visit Jesus after his birth (Luke 2:8ff).  As well, Jesus is called our Good Shepherd (John 10:11).  In 1670, a choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany, began giving children candy sticks bent into canes to symbolize the staffs of the shepherds who came to meet Jesus.

What does the holly plant have to do with Christmas?

Christians have historically connected the thorns and red berries of holly to the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at the crucifixion as He shed his own blood to save his people.

Why are so many Christmas decorations red or green?

Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross. 

Green represents the eternal life we have through the blood of Jesus.

How does giving and receiving gifts help us to celebrate the birth of Jesus?  It reminds us of the great gift giver – God – and his greatest gift to us, his only son Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas.

Where do I start with Reformed Theology?

This past Sunday, I began preaching on the distinctions of Veritas - trying to answer the question "What is different (not better) about Veritas Church?"  The first distinction had to do with our theological convictions:

Veritas holds to reformed theology.  By this, we mean that we generally agree with the theology that was recovered in the 16^th and 17^th centuries during the Protestant Reformation – we believe the reformers had it right, and recovered the theology of men like Augustine, the Apostle Paul, and Jesus.

Some of you are new to reformed theology and so I promised to post some resources to get you started:

• You can read through the Veritas Church Elder Doctrinal Statement.  We don't require members to hold to everything in this document - but we do require this of our pastors.  

• The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 is one of the best historical articulations of reformed theology.

• If you're struggling to understand the 1689 confession, but want to, buy Samuel Waldron's commentary.

• If you're looking for a good, historical, reformed catechism (summary of theological beliefs in question and answer format) check out the Heidelberg Catechism.

• If you're looking for a book that will be a great primer on reformed theology, purchase R.C. Sproul's "What is Reformed Theology."

• Desiring God has a great booklet available online for free.  It's called "What We Believe About the Five Points of Calvinism."

• And finally, the best website to find articles and books that will answer your questions biblically is, in my opinion, Monergism.

Book Recommendations following Sunday's sermon...

I didn't have time to rattle off these book recommendations on Sunday.  I preached about a disciple of Jesus being one who knows Him, believes Him, obeys Him, enjoys Him, and proclaims Him to the ends of the earth.  Here are some books I recommend:

Weak in knowledge?
"The Christian Life" by Sinclair Ferguson
"What Does God Want of us Anyway" by Mark Dever

Weak in belief?
"Prodigal God" by Timothy Keller
"Death by Love" by Mark Driscoll

Weak in obedience?
"How Should I Live in This World" by R.C. Sproul (short booklet)
"You Can Change" by Tim Chester

Weak in enjoyment?
"Dangerous Duty of Delight" by John Piper
"The Art of Divine Contentment" by Thomas Watson (Kristen's top pick)

Weak in proclamation?
"Celtic Way of Evangelism" by George G. Hunter
"The Gospel and Personal Evangelism" by Mark Dever

A Cry for Help

The following blog entry is part 8 in a series of blog posts entitled “A Fight Worth Picking,” in which I’m writing about John’s Owen’s Biblical principles for fighting sin in ‘The Mortification of Sin.’  I’ll be referencing Banner of Truth’s 2004 edition, abridged by Richard Rushing.  (If you’d like a detailed outline of Owen’s work, click here.)

If you’ve been following this blog and dealing with your sin, you may be feeling quite desperate by now.  We’ve looked thoroughly and deeply at the dark corners of our lives.  We’ve considered the guilt of what we’ve done.  We’ve considered the danger we’re in.  And we’ve considered the sheer evil that causes our sin to flourish. 

If God’s grace is upon you, Owen’s next step will come quite natural.  If we are in the valley of our sin and we catch a true vision of God our deliverer – We will cry out.  Christian, you know you are sinful.  Christian, do you long for deliverance from your sin?  Christian, look to Christ for your deliverance. 

2 Corinthians 7:11

For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Only by grace do we even look to God for help.  A proud heart helps itself, while a humble heart recognizes the need for power without to help within.

“Longing, breathing, and panting after deliverance is a grace in itself, that has a mighty power to conform the soul into the likeness of the thing longed after… unless you long for deliverance you shall not have it.”  (page 81).

With Paul, let us cry out

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”  (Romans 7:24-25).

Angry in the Right Way

Christians know to justify their anger by calling it “righteous.”  Righteous anger is a reality, but a rarity.  Usually, there is nothing righteous about our anger - It’s a sinful, Ephesians 4:26 kind of heat. 

When is anger good?

Anger can be good only if it’s anger over right things and angry in a right way.  For example, it’s good to be angry over things like child abuse and murder.  And it’s good to be angry in such a way that spurs us into action.  Does it move us to compassion and pity?  Does it cause us to rebuke a close friend who is hurting himself and others?  Does it lead us into dependency on Christ?  Or...

Does our anger lead to wrath, harshness, yelling, intimidation, or losing self-control?  Whether we’re angry with our employer, spouse, child, president, pastor, neighbor, or brother, we must be angry in the right way. 

In our anger, do we refrain from “corrupting talk” and remain committed to building others up?

Ephesians 4:29

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

In our anger, do we sustain a spirit of gentleness?

Galatians 6:1

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.

In our anger, do we provoke our loved ones to anger or discouragement?

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21

Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

Are we slow to anger and controlled in anger?

Proverbs 16:32

Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

In our anger, are we quarrelsome or kind and patient?

2 Timothy 2:24-25

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

Godly anger happens because we are 'like' God (created in His image), while ungodly anger happens because we are like Adam (in a fallen, sinful state).  Is our anger from God or Adam?

There is anger from a fountain of love for God and his creation, and there is anger from a fountain of malice - “I want my way and not God’s way.  And when I don’t get my way… I rage.” 

Here are 6 six questions to help evaluate your anger:

Am I angry about the right things?  (should be things that anger God)

Am I angry in the right way?  (should be anger that spurs you to holiness)

How long does my anger last?  (should be short)

How controlled is my anger?  (should be very controlled)

What motivates my anger?  (should be God’s glory)

What is the effect of your anger?  (sinful anger creates more problems)

Sanctuaries of Evil

The following blog entry is part 7 in a series of blog posts entitled “A Fight Worth Picking,” in which I’m writing about John’s Owen’s Biblical principles for fighting sin in ‘The Mortification of Sin.’  I’ll be referencing Banner of Truth’s 2004 edition, abridged by Richard Rushing.  (If you’d like a detailed outline of Owen’s work, click here.)

I’ve taken 3 weeks off this blog, but hopefully no one has taken 3 weeks off of fighting sin.  We left off talking about Owen’s first (there are 11 total) particular direction for mortifying sin, namely - to consider the symptoms that accompany your sinful desire.  After an examination of sin’s symptoms Owen now encourages his reader to dwell on the actual sin itself.

He says: “Get a clear and abiding sense upon your mind and conscience of the guilt, danger, and evil of the sin with which you are troubled.  Cause your heart to dwell on them.  Let them begin to have a powerful influence on your soul, until they make it tremble.” (page 65)

Consider the Guilt.

Perhaps a guilty Christian is worse than a guilty non-Christian.  A Christian knows better.  A sinning Christian willingly tramples on grace.  A Christian may be saved from sin, but that does not make a Christian any less guilty of sin.  Don’t tell yourself otherwise.

Consider the Danger.

If sin is left unchecked it can harden someone’s heart so badly that they end up lost forever, happy to continue toward sin and away from Jesus.

Hebrews 3:12-13

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 10:38

“…but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him."

As well, If sin is left unchecked a Christian may undergo temporal discipline from God.

Psalm 89:30-32

If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules,
31if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,
32then I will punish their transgression with the rod
and their iniquity with stripes.

Consider the Evil.

Considering the danger of sin concerns us with the future.  Considering the evil of sin concerns us with the present.  Don’t just consider what may happen because of your sin.  Consider how evil and hurtful it is right now.  Truly, our sin grieves the Holy Spirit of God, wounds our Lord Jesus afresh, and renders us completely useless.

As Owen says, we should consider these things until we tremble.  That may seem extreme.  In our culture it is.  But it’s also necessary.  The voice condemning our sin must become louder than the popular voice affirming it.

Rob Bell Interview...

Our church is in the middle of a move, and I'm behind on my blog series on the mortification of sin (I plan to write a new entry next week).  But in the meantime, Rob Bell's new book came out.

It's called "Love Wins: A Book about Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person who Ever Lived." My copy is in the mail and I plan to read it as soon as I get it (though I expect to be grieved over its contents).  Here's an interview with Bell by Martin Bashir of MSNBC.

How Bad is It?

The following blog entry is part 6 in a series of blog posts entitled “A Fight Worth Picking,” in which I’m writing about John’s Owen’s Biblical principles for fighting sin in ‘The Mortification of Sin.’  I’ll be referencing Banner of Truth’s 2004 edition, abridged by Richard Rushing.  (If you’d like a detailed outline of Owen’s work, click here.)

John Owen gives 11 particular directions for mortifying sin.  His first direction (the subject of this article) is to consider the symptoms that accompany your sinful desire.  As we fight our sin, it is good for us to know what we’re up against by evaluating how bad a state we’re in.  Imagine a sick person sitting before a doctor and asking, “how bad is it?”  We need to ask the same question in terms of our sin, which will help us to (as we should) take our sin very seriously.  Here are 6 questions about our desires that help us to see how deadly our sin may be...

1.  Is it an old, familiar desire?  If so, you’re in serious trouble.

“Indwelling lusts grow rusty and stubborn because they have long continued in ease and quiet.  Such a sin will not be easily ejected.  It will never die by itself, and if it is not daily killed it will only gather added strength.” (page 56)

2.  When convicted of sin, do you search your heart to find some evidence of good to ease your conscience?  In other words, when convicted of sin, rather than feeling the weight of it, do you tell yourself what a good person you are and how far you have come?  If so, you’re in serious trouble.

3.  Do you give in to the desire frequently?  It’s one thing to have a sinful desire and to resist actually sinning.  It’s another thing to give in over and over again, growing accustomed. If this is the state you’re in, you’re in serious trouble.

4.  Do you agonize more over the consequences of your sin (worldly sorrow) than the sin

itself (godly sorrow)?  Are you more concerned with the personal pain of your sin than the pain it causes (and has caused) God?  If so, you’re in serious trouble.

“If you avoid sin due to fear of embarrassment or hell, you are sufficiently resolved to do the sin if there were no punishment attending it.” (Chapter 9)

5.  Has God handed you over to this sin as punishment?  Is it possible that you have persisted so long in this sin that God has handed you over to experience the full weight and consequence of your sin?  If so, you’re in serious trouble.

6.  Have you been disciplined by God for this sin and yet persist, hardening your heart?  Think back.  Is it possible that God has handed you over to this sin before… and you just keep on running back to it?  If so, you’re in serious trouble.

This should be our conclusion as we continue this fight against our flesh:  We’re all in serious trouble.

_________________________________________________________

Note:  These are all important steps in fighting sin.  It may seem to some that Owen is not actually equipping us to deal with our depravity, he is just causing us to wallow in it and become more depressed.  You may be thinking, "Enough already, when is he going to tell me how to kill sin!?"  But understand that where we fail most significantly in this fight against sin is in not grasping the full gravity of our condition.  Most of our fight is convincing ourselves how deep a pit we're in.  Don't assume you "get that" because you feel bad over your sin.  When was the last time you wept over it?  This process is painful and good and right.  So, for those of you following this blog and applying it, be encouraged to keep going.

A Fight Worth Picking (Week 5)

The following blog entry is part 5 in a series of blog posts entitled “A Fight Worth Picking,” in which I’m writing about John’s Owen’s Biblical principles for fighting sin in ‘The Mortification of Sin.’  I’ll be referencing Banner of Truth’s 2004 edition, abridged by Richard Rushing.

(If you’d like a detailed outline of Owen’s work, click here.)

John Owen lays out 2 general directions (or rules) and 11 particular directions for mortifying sin.  This week, we’ll look at his 2 general directions.

The first rule – become a Christian.  Mortifying sin is impossible for someone who is not a Christian.  To clarify, a Christian is someone who is devoted to Jesus as his highest King, Savior, and Treasure.  Jesus alone saves me (Savior); Jesus alone rules over me (King); and Jesus alone is the greatest source of my joy (Treasure).  I’m guessing if you’re reading a blog about ‘fighting sin’ you consider yourself a Christian.  But, as Owen would say, make sure.

Is Jesus your King, Savior, and Treasure?  Remember, the validity of your Christianity does not hang on what you do, but on whom you worship.  You’re not a Christian because you’re a good person, you go to church, you like Michael W. Smith, you pray before you eat, you raise your hands in worship, you tithe, you lead Bible studies, you dress modestly, you home-school your children, you only watch PBS (except for specials on evolution), you say ‘God bless you,’ you don’t smoke, drink, or cuss.  The validity of your Christianity hangs on whether or not Jesus is the center of your universe.  Is He the one you submit to?  Is He the one you rest in?  Is He the one you delight in?  Don’t answer quickly.  If you try to fight sin without Jesus you’ll either fail and be devastated or you’ll seemingly succeed and exalt yourself.  Simply put, God does not refine silver (unbelievers), but only gold (believers).

Jeremiah 6:29-30

The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed by the fire;
in vain the refining goes on, for the wicked are not removed.
30 Rejected silver they are called, for the LORD has rejected them."

The second rule – hate all sin.  Do you see all your sin (from minute to massive) as offensive to God and in need of mortification?  Or are you only concerned with those sins that cause you heartache, embarrassment, or shame? 

“We must hate all sin, as sin, and not just that which troubles us.  Love for Christ, because He went to the cross, and hate for sin that sent Him there, is the solid foundation for true spiritual mortification.  To seek mortification only because a sin troubles us proceeds from self-love.” (page 50)

Many are content to leave private sin alone while they invest passion in purging public sin that causes great humiliation.  We must understand that God is equally grieved over our quietest sin.  Sins such as white lies, common gossip, complaining, meddling, and private gluttony all served to further excruciate Christ on the cross.

2 Corinthians 7:1

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Brothers and sisters, let us love only Jesus and hate every sin.

A Fight Worth Picking (Week 4)

The following blog entry is part 4 in a series of blog posts entitled “A Fight Worth Picking,” in which I’m writing about John’s Owen’s Biblical principles for fighting sin in ‘The Mortification of Sin.’  I’ll be referencing Banner of Truth’s 2004 edition, abridged by Richard Rushing.

(If you’d like a detailed outline of Owen’s work, click here.)

So what is the mortification of sin?  For the first 5 chapters, John Owen has offered general principles and negative definitions, but now he sets out to actually define the necessary work ahead.  It’s three things:

1. A habitual weakening of the lust (or sinful desire).
2. A constant fight and contention against sin.
3. A degree of success in the battle.

So the mortification of sin is a deep, constant, and fruitful battle.  First, it’s a deep battle.  Slapping ourselves on the wrist or simply taking a cursory look at our sin won’t cut it.  If our sin is going to be mortified, it will involve a scalpel and a magnifying glass.  We’ll have to discover our deep sinful desires and deal with them aggressively.  (Romans 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11; Galatians 5:24)

“[Some men] set themselves with all earnestness and diligence against the breaking out of a lust, but they leave the principle and root untouched.  They will make little or no progress in this work of true mortification.” (page 36).

Second, true mortification takes no holidays.  This deep battle is constant.  So it will be an exhausting war that will require strength from God.  (Colossians 3:5; Psalm 40:12)

Third, if we’re truly mortifying our sin, we will experience victory.  We won’t be “spinning our wheels;” but rather, we’ll be bearing fruit.  To be sure, the war won’t end until we are with Jesus in heaven.  But until then, battles can be won.  We may end up bloody and bruised, but we mustn’t raise a white flag.

Remember, a battle begins with temptation and our sinful desire.  And a battle is won when we resist temptation, stand firm, and find our satisfaction in Jesus – not the luring sin. (1 Corinthains 10:13)

Understanding these principles, in Owen’s opinion, is an essential foundation to fighting sin.  So girded with these truths we’ll look next week to engage the battle.

A Fight Worth Picking (Week 3)

The following blog entry is part 3 in a series of blog posts entitled “A Fight Worth Picking,” in which I’m writing about John’s Owen’s Biblical principles for fighting sin in ‘The Mortification of Sin.’  I’ll be referencing Banner of Truth’s 2004 edition, abridged by Richard Rushing.

(If you’d like a detailed outline of Owen’s work, click here.)

In March of 2000 I became a youth pastor.  No longer was I a bush league college-student-volunteer.  I was a bona fide, getting paid, name on a door, business card youth pastor.  Bam.  That said, the job was not what I expected.  I was looking forward to eating red vines, playing games, going to concerts, sleeping in, and other various ministries.  But this job required much more thinking and standing than I anticipated.  Consequently, my misconceptions led to some early frustrations.

When it comes to the mortification of sin, there are many misconceptions that, if left uncorrected, will lead to frustration.  Owen lists five things mortification is not:

1.     Mortifying sin is not rooting it out and destroying it.  If we think that we’re embarking on a process that is going to destroy our sin and leave us spotless (in this lifetime) we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment.  Even Paul admits in Philippians 3:12 that he is not yet perfect and is pressing on.  Mortification is not a quick-fix.

2.     Mortifying sin is not changing the outward aspects of a sin.  The jealous husband who brags that he has mortified his anger while he sips his fifth glass of Johnny Walker has not actually mortified his sin.  He has merely exchanged outbursts of anger for excessive alcohol consumption (also a sin).  Only the outward aspects of the jealousy have thus been changed, and that is not true mortification.

3.     Mortifying sin is not just improving our outward behavior or nature.  Mortifying sin goes after the root of our sinfulness, not just the fruit.  It’s one thing to change the way we act in public and look less sinful.  It’s another to change the way we are in private and mortify our sin.  Besides, as Owen points out, some people naturally “appear” less sinful - they are quiet and nice and Fireproofy.  (But inside they may be a sinful mess)...

“Someone may not have so much trouble all his life, perhaps with anger and passion, as others, and yet not advance as far in true mortification.  Our natural tempers are not a good test for true mortification.  Let those with gentle natural temperaments consider the need for self-denial, or such spiritual sins as unbelief and envy, to get a better view of their true selves” (page 28).

4.     Mortifying sin is not merely diverting sin, or exchanging one sin for another.  Owen points out that “Simon Magus left his sorceries for a while, but then he turned to covetousness and ambition (Acts 8)” (page 28).   

5.     Mortifying sin is not temporary holiness following a great conviction or affliction.  A good stretch of holiness after re-dedicating our life at junior high camp (conviction), or a good stretch of holiness after a painful season of life (affliction) is not necessarily the mortification of our sin.  The book of Judges is full of this – People who were convicted and afflicted who then seemingly turned to God and away from their sin.  But in the end, it proved temporary.  Psalm 78:32-37 describes this:

Psalm 78:32-37

In spite of all this, they still sinned;
despite his wonders, they did not believe.
33So he made their days vanish like a breath,
and their years in terror.
34When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.
35They remembered that God was their rock,
the Most High God their redeemer.
36But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.
37Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.

So, in fighting our sin, we must first throw out these misconceptions.

A Fight Worth Picking (week 2)

The following blog entry is part 2 in a series of blog posts entitled “A Fight Worth Picking,” in which I’m writing practically about John’s Owen’s Biblical principles for fighting sin in ‘The Mortification of Sin.’  I’ll be referencing Banner of Truth’s 2004 edition, abridged by Richard Rushing.

As stated last week, click here for a more detailed outline of Owen's work.

In Owen’s first four chapters he lays out 3 guiding principles that must overarch a Christian’s fight against sin.  As we battle our own sin, we need to meditate on these principles so that right thinking precedes right living.  They are:

1.     The Mortification of sin is essential to the Christian life.

2.     The Mortification of sin is the work of the Holy Spirit.

3.     The Mortification of sin is key to living an abundant life.

To summarize:  (1) We all must fight sin, (2) we can’t fight sin on our own, and (3) we won’t be joyful apart from fighting sin.

First, we must not view this fight, whatever it entails, as optional (Col 3:5).  “There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled” (p.7).  Mortifying sin is not for mature Christians only, or for those who ‘feel’ the weight of sin.  Each Christian has unmortified sin abiding and active (Phil 3:12; Gal 5:17; 2 Cor. 7:1) and must, therefore, continuously render death blows.  If we see this work as a maybe, and not as a must, we can expect spiritual decay.  (Rev 3:2; 2 Pet 3:18; Gal 5:19-20; Heb 3:13)

…even though there is in this generation a growing number of professors, a great noise of religion, religious duties in every corner, and preaching in abundance, there is little evidence of the fruit of true mortification…

…the number of true believers is not as multiplied as it appears from those who have made a mere profession.  Some speak and profess a spirituality that far exceeds the former days, but their lives give evidence of a miserable unmortified heart.” (p.11)

Second, we mustn’t view the mortification of sin as something we undertake, or accomplish, on our own strength.  In fact, though Owen will discuss ‘our role’ in mortifying sin, he makes this Biblical point clear – the Holy Spirit alone can destroy the sin that remains in us (Ez 11:19; Is 4:4).  Amazingly, and consistent with Scripture’s teaching on God’s sovereignty and our responsibility (Phil 2:13; Is 26:12), God’s work in us does not negate our own effort.  “He works in us and with us, not against us or without us.” (p.19).  Thus, this battle won’t be fought, (and certainly won’t be won), apart from prayer and deep reliance on the Holy Spirit of God.

And third, while the mortification of sin does not guarantee joy, don’t expect joy apart from it (Ps 38:3; Rev 3:2).  While it’s the common experience of many Christians to go through seasons of little joy, the joyless should still be quick to make certain there is no link between their unrest and unmortified sin.  As Owen says, “The soul and its affections, that should be full of God, cannot be full of Him, since it is entangled in worldly pursuits.” (p.23).  When joy is gone, are you standing firm in the ring, or lying spiritually unconscious on the mat? 

So, again, ponder these overarching principles:

We all must fight sin, we can’t fight sin on our own, and we won’t be joyful apart from fighting sin.

A Fight Worth Picking

In Judges 6 you can read about Gideon picking a fight with his neighbors.  As the newly appointed judge, he started his tenure by chopping down local alters built for false gods.  That didn’t go well with all the local Baal-worshipers who came to Gideon’s Dad’s house looking for blood.  But Gideon (and his Dad) stood their ground and; consequently, his name was changed to Jerubbaal, (“Baal-Fighter”), which became his new ring name.

Throughout the book of Judges you can read about God delivering his people from enemies without.  But God also makes it clear that the greatest enemy lies within.  In fact, right before God appoints Gideon, he sends a preacher to tell the people that their greatest enemy was not the Canaanites without, but sin within. (6:10).

It’s true today, sin is still the great enemy within.  We all sin (Romans 3:10,23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Genesis 6:5).  Sin kills us physically (Genesis 3:19; Romans 6:23).  And sin will kill us spiritually (Hebrews 9:27; Romans 6:23).  Our only hope is to turn to the sin-killer, Jesus, and fight (Isaiah 45:22).

Many Christians have turned to Jesus, but few are fighters.  In the 17^th century, John Owen, expounding on Romans 8:13, said that “it is the constant duty of believers to render a death blow to the deeds of the flesh,” and he encouraged Christians to “not take a day off from this work; always be killing sin or it will be killing you.”  These quotes come from Owen’s treatise on The Mortification of Sin, which Jerry Bridges calls “the most helpful writing on personal holiness ever written.”

I wonder if we aren’t fighting like we should.  And I wonder if some of us are in greater danger than we realize.

It would be wise for many in our modern, evangelical, barely hooked-on-phonics, I black out when I read big words sub-culture to tread through The Mortification of Sin and take up this battle afresh.  Maybe this blog can help. 

For the next 8 weeks, through weekly blog posts, I’m going to summarize Owen’s work and write practically about his Biblical process for fighting sin.  If you think it would be helpful, I encourage you to follow along.  Click here if you’d like to look over a concise outline of Owen’s book (a more detailed outline to follow next week).