Have you ever struggled with habitual sin or felt trapped in bondage to sin, hopeless to ever conquer it? The natural man is addicted to sin and according to Genesis 6:5 when God looked down upon the earth: “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. The addiction is so bad that it is possible to be trapped in a deceptively ‘manageable’ bondage to sin. We can convince ourselves that we are in control and can ‘quit’ anytime we want which, is a very dangerous self-delusion. The problem with sin is that it’s rooted deep in the heart and it isn’t ‘second nature’ to us; it’s our true ‘first nature’! No one is immune; we all suffer from the ravages of sin [Romans 3:10].
Furthermore, sin controls the sinner not the other way around. In Jeremiah 17:9 it is written: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Here, the prophet accurately describes the terrible state of the human heart. We are even prone to deceive ourselves in order to justify the cravings of our desperately sinful hearts.
Praise the Lord, there is good news! Jesus came to save lost sinners! Yes, even sinners trapped in habitual sin. In Luke 19:10 it is written: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” When Christ saves the lost, he does not leave them trapped in the bondage of sin. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”, John 8:36.
If today, you find yourself trapped in the bondage of sin there is hope for you. You are precisely the one Jesus came to seek and to save.
The enemy likes to convince us that our situation is hopeless but, Jesus is greater than all of our sin and He came specifically to set us free. The cycle of bondage to sin is self-repeating and self-defeating. You may even be aware of your own cycle of sin yet, still be powerless over your sin addiction. Take heart! There is a way out of the deceptive sin maze and there is freedom for you in Christ Jesus. So, how can we break free from the bondage of sin when we’re trapped beyond all hope, under its firm grip? Jesus said “all things are possible for God” [Matt. 19:26]. Can we truly mortify the flesh and make our lives a ‘no sin’ zone?
Included in the FREE links below is one of the most helpful road-maps for walking away from sin; a book entitled Mortification of Sin, written by John Owen in 1656. One might think that it had just as easily been written today since, it is just as relevant and cogent for pilgrims of the twenty-first century as when it was originally written over 350 years ago. Owen explains the nature of true mortification and how to weaken and kill the habitual nature of sin in our lives. He explains the critical need and our essential duty to mortify sin as believers; what false mortification is and how to truly mortify the flesh for the glory of God. Where sin has become a tolerated companion, a greater sense of conviction may be needed as a tool of grace used by the Holy Spirit. Owen explains the need for self-abasement and humility before the majesty of God as our essential posture required for mortification and ultimately for our personal salvation.
“Be killing sin or, it will be killing you.”
John Owen D.D.
John Owen, was born in England in 1616 and died in 1683. He was a prolific writer who held a Doctorate of Divinity (D.D.) from Oxford University who was widely respected in his day and whose work remains among the most authoritative Christian literature of all time. Among his many works, he wrote the Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers in 1656, a classic work which provides and introspective look into what it means to go about the task of killing sin in the life of the believer.
This book has relevance for everyone, since, everyone deals with sin at some level. We can all benefit from this ‘how-to’ manual for mortifying sin in our bodies. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” [Romans 8:12-13] Therefore, let us mortify the flesh that we may live.
May you receive a blessing through this wonderful work by Dr. John Owen and abide in the Almighty Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
blessedwretch.org 