Introduction

“Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.” These are the now famous words of John Owen in his great work, The Mortification of Sin. The Mortification of Sin is Owen’s call to Christians to kill the sin in their lives, so as to truly experience the fullness of the Christian life. His thesis: “the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.” John Owen makes it clear, from the scripture, that the Christian life is about killing our indwelling sin every moment of our lives here on earth. This message is one I wish I had heard and heeded as a young Christian. Young Christians, both in age of life and years in the faith, must understand the responsibility to mortify the sin in their lives. Owen’s words are profoundly important for the young Christians.

Mortification is a Command

God’s demands we mortify sin. Mortification is the act of killing sin. This is the part of repentance sometimes lost. Repentance is turning away from sin. We cannot turn away from sin fully if we do not do the work of destroying that sin’s presence in our lives. It cannot be missed that Jesus’ first words on the scene of his ministry were to “repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). John Owen draws much of his work from two sin-killing commands of Paul: Romans 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live,” and Colossians 3:5  “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.”

It is obvious then, we are commanded by God’s Word to kill the sin in our lives. Many young people struggle to obey these commands. Young believers are being hunted by Satan (1 Peter 5:8). His desire is to see young Christians fall back into the sins they were trapped in before they knew the Gospel. Satan targets young Christians because they are particularly susceptible fall back into sin. Young Christians are easily tricked into giving sin an inch, not realizing it desires to take a mile.

All-too-often a young believer becomes trapped in a systemic and pervasive sin such as pornography and sexual immorality. Young Christians are easily caught by Satan. They give into their lust, and their lust produces sinful actions. Dear young Christian, it is your responsibility to be killing the sin in your life. Remember what our Lord said, “ If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29). Do not forsake your soul for a sin. Kill that sin. Save yourself years of wasted life by killing your sins now.

Mortification Gives Victory over Sin

God’s Word promises that repentance brings victory. Paul wrote these powerful words, “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). The preceding 13 verses urge believers to live lives “dead to sin,” and “alive to Christ.” Paul’s argument is that if we reject sin, the grace of Savior will actually give us victory of sin. Sin will no longer have “dominion” over us by the power of His grace. All we must do is reject sin, and seek to kill it. By grace, it will no longer have victory over us, rather mortification brings victory.

Killing sin is not a powerless act. Though we will never be free of sin until we receive our resurrected and perfected bodies, we can experience victory over indwelling sins in this life. I have personally experienced this freedom from sin. I have personally had victory of sins, which is why I am so passionate about this message for young Christians. You are never too young to conquer the sins in your life. Young Christians are especially susceptible to sin, and yet they are not less able to have victory over those same sins.

Mortification Gives Assurance of Salvation

“How do I know I am saved?” You’ve probably been asked this question before. You have likely asked this of yourself at times. This question comes up in common situation. Young believers question their salvation, newly reformed Christians may wonder whether they are in the “elect,” but often those questioning their salvation are caught in sin. Sin steals the assurance of our spiritual lives. Owen puts it this way, “the vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh” (emphasis added).

Dear Christian, have you moments of despair, fear of death, and doubt of salvation not coincided with your indwelling sin? As you have given into your lusts, and acted on sins, has that not lead to your doubt? The Christians living in their sins when they ought to be mortifying those sins find themselves are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

The double life of acting on sins rather than mortifying those sins steals the Christians of their joy and comfort in Christ. This is why John encourages his readers with these words, “No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6). These words are meant to encourage the Christians, yet they remind us that when Christians find themselves in sin they aren’t living as they ought. The Christian trapped in sin is not necessarily unsaved, but they absolutely will be robbed of joy, assurance, and “comfort.”

Mortification is a Group Project

The Church is responsible to help those young Christians fight against sin. It takes a village to help our brothers and sisters mortify their sins, restore them when they sin (Galatians 6:1), and guard them against the “prowling lion” (1 Peter 5:8). In school you are assigned a group project. Often someone “carries the team,” someone slacks off, someone forgot to put in their piece, and someone just wasn’t able to keep up. Mortification is a group project. It is our responsibility to carry our brothers and sisters along. It takes the whole church to help our brothers and sisters hate their sin, kill their sin, and keep on killing their sin. Dear church member, do not forget your responsibility to help younger Christians in their mortification.

Conclusion

Young Christians are under the attack of sin and Satan. They are prone to fall into the sins of their past. Because of both their physical and emotional immaturity, and their spiritual immaturity, young Christians must heed the words of John Owen. Young Christians, you must kill the sin in your lives, or it will kill you. It will steal you joy, your assurance, and ruin your lives. The Church must understand her responsibility to help those younger Christians in their mortification. It takes a village to kill our indwelling sin. Dear Christian, kill your sin, and help your fellow Christians kill theirs.

For His Glory,

Alan

Quotes from Owen:

Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.

The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.

The thesis of the book: the choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.

Not to be daily mortifying sin, is to sin against the goodness, kindness, wisdom, grace, and love of God, who hath furnished us with a principle of doing it.

Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness who walks not over the bellies of his lusts.