Sin carries on its war by entangling the affections and drawing them into an alliance against the mind. Grace may be enthroned in the mind, but if sin controls the affections, it has seized a fort from which it will continually assault the soul. Hence, mortification must chiefly be directed to the affections.
He who is more frequent in his pulpit to his people, than he is in his closet for his people is but a sorry watchman of souls.
When someone sets his affections upon the cross and the love of Christ, he crucifies the world as a dead and undesirable thing. The baits of sin then lose their attraction. Fill your affections with the cross of Christ and you will find no room for sin.
Let our hearts admit: "I am poor and weak. Satan is too subtle, too cunning, too powerful for me he watches constantly for advantages over my soul. The world presses in upon me with all sorts of pressures, pleas, and pretenses. My own indwelling corruption is violent, tumultuous, enticing, and entangling. As it conceives sin, it wars within me and against me. Occasions and opportunities for temptation are innumerable. Therefore, on God alone will I rely for my keeping. I will continually look to Him."
Sin always aims at the utmost. Every time it rises up to tempt or entice us if it has its own way, it will go out to the utmost sin in that kind. Every impure thought or glance would be adultery if it could. Every thought of unbelief would be atheism if allowed to develop. Every rise of lust, if it has its way would reach the height of villainy. Sin is like the grave, which is never satisfied. The deceitfulness of sin is seen in that it is modest in its first proposals, but when it prevails, it hardens men's hearts and brings them to eternal ruin.
The purpose of our holy and righteous God was to save His chosen people, but their sin could not go unpunished. It was, therefore, necessary that the punishment for their sin be transferred from those who deserved it but could not bear it to One who did not deserve it but was able to bear it.
A minister may fill his pews and be esteemed by the world. But what that minister is on his knees in secret before God Almighty that he is, and no more!
The growth of trees and plants takes place so slowly that it is not easily seen. Daily we notice little change. But, in course of time, we see that a great change has taken place. So, it is with grace. Sanctification is a progressive, lifelong work.
So, fill your affections with the cross of Christ that there may be no room for sin!
Selfishness is the making a man's self his own center the beginning and end of all he does.
Unless we are thoroughly convinced that without Christ, we are under the eternal curse of God, as the worst of His enemies we shall never flee to Him for refuge!
As our tender and loving friend is grieved at our unkindness towards him so is it with the tender and loving Spirit, who has chosen our hearts for a habitation to dwell in.
It is evident that most contend against sin merely because of how it troubles them.
We ought as much to pray for a blessing upon our daily rod as upon our daily bread.
Faith, if it is a living faith will be a working faith. We admit no faith to be justifying which is not itself and in its own nature, a spiritually vital principle of obedience and good works.
There is only one way to be revived and healed from our backslidings so that we may become fruitful even in old age. We must take a steady look at the glory of Christ in His special character, in His grace and work, as shown to us in the Scripture.
Great winds and storms help fruit-bearing trees. So also do corruptions and temptations help the fruitfulness of grace and holiness. The storm loosens the earth around its roots, so the tree is able to get its roots deeper into the earth, where it receives fresh supplies of nourishment. But only much later will it be seen to bring forth better fruit. In the same way, corruptions and temptations develop the roots of humility, self-abasement and mourning in a deeper search for that grace by which holiness grows strong. But only later, will there be visible fruits of increased holiness.
There is not a day but sin either foils or is foiled; either prevails or prevailed on. So it will be, while we live in this world.
There are two things which are suited to humble the souls of men: First, a due consideration of God in His greatness, glory, holiness, power, majesty and authority. Secondly, a due consideration of ourselves in our base, abject, sinful and dreadful condition.
Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who has once smitten a serpent if he does not continue smiting it until it is slain may repent that he ever began the quarrel. So, it is with he who undertakes to deal with sin and does not pursue it constantly to its death.
The stronghold of the contemplation of Christ's glory, affords the soul rest for it will be made evident that our troubles grow on the root of an over-valuation of temporal things.
[John Owen]
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