Set faith at work on christ for the killing of thy sin: His blood is the great sovereign remedy for sin-sick souls. Live in this, and thou wilt die a conqueror; yea, thou wilt, through the good providence of God, live to see thy lust dead at thy feet.
But thou wilt say, “How shall faith act itself on Christ for this end and purpose?” I say, sundry ways:
(1) By faith fill thy soul with a due consideration of that provision which is laid up in Jesus Christ for this end and purpose, that all thy lusts, this very lust wherewith thou art entangled, may be mortified. By faith, ponder on this: though thou art no way able in or by thyself to get the conquest over thy distemper,44 though thou art even weary of contending and art utterly ready to faint, yet there is enough in Jesus Christ to yield thee relief (Phi 4:13)…In thy greatest distress and anguish, consider that fullness of grace, those riches, those treasures of strength, might, and help that are laid up in Him for our support (Joh 1:16; Col 1:19). Let them come into and abide in thy mind. Consider that He is exalted and made a Prince and a Savior to give repentance unto Israel (Act 5:31), and if to give repentance, to give mortification, without which the other is not nor can be. Christ tells us that we obtain purging grace by abiding in Him (Joh 15:3).
To act faith upon the fullness that is in Christ for our supply is an eminent45 way of abiding in Christ, for both our insition46 and abode is by faith (Rom 11:19-20). Let then thy soul by faith be exercised with such thoughts and apprehensions as these: “I am a poor, weak creature, unstable as water. I cannot excel. This corruption is too hard for me and is at the very door of ruining my soul. What to do I know not. My soul is become as parched ground and an habitation of dragons. I have made promises and broken them; vows and engagements have been as a thing of naught.47 Many persuasions have I had that I had gotten the victory and should be delivered. But I am deceived, so that I plainly see that without some eminent succor48 and assistance, I am lost and shall be prevailed on to an utter relinquishment of God. Yet though this be my state and condition, let the hands that hang down be lifted up and the feeble knees be strengthened. Behold, the Lord Christ that hath all fullness of grace in His heart, all fullness of power in His hand, is able to slay all these His enemies. There is sufficient provision in Him for my relief and assistance. He can take my drooping, dying soul and make me more than a conqueror…He can make the dry, parched ground of my soul to become a pool and my thirsty, barren heart as springs of water. Yea, He can make this habitation of dragons, this heart, so full of abominable lusts and fiery temptations, to be a place for grass and fruit to Himself (Isa 35:7).”
So God staid49 Paul under his temptation with the consideration of the sufficiency of His grace: “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2Co 12:9)…I say then, by faith, be much in the consideration of that supply and the fullness of it that is in Jesus Christ and how He can at any time give thee strength and deliverance…
(2) Raise up thy heart by faith to an expectation of relief from Christ. Relief in this case from Christ is like the prophet’s vision: “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (Hab 2:3). Though it may seem somewhat long to thee whilst thou art under thy trouble and perplexity, yet it shall surely come in the appointed time of the Lord Jesus, which is the best season. If then thou canst raise up thy heart to a settled expectation of relief from Jesus Christ…thy soul shall be satisfied. He will assuredly deliver thee. He will slay the lust, and thy latter end shall be peace. Only look for it at His hand. Expect when and how He will do it. “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established” (Isa 7:9)…Ought not all our expectations to this purpose to be on Christ alone? Let this then be fixed upon thy heart: if thou hast not relief from Him, thou shalt never have any. All ways, endeavors, contendings that are not animated by this expectation of relief from Christ and Him only are to no purpose [and] will do thee no good…Now, farther to engage thee to this expectation,
(1) Consider His mercifulness, tenderness, and kindness as He is our great High Priest at the right hand of God. Assuredly, He pities thee in thy distress. Saith He, “As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you” (Isa 66:13). He hath the tenderness of a mother to a sucking child. “Wherefore in all things it behoved50 him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted” (Heb 2:17-18). How is the ability of Christ upon the account of His suffering proposed to us? “In that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able”…He is able, having suffered and been tempted, to break through all dissuasions51 to the contrary to relieve poor, tempted souls: “He is able to help”…He can now be moved to help, having been so tempted.
[Even so, Hebrews] 4:15-16: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” The exhortation of verse 16 is the same that I am upon, namely, that we would entertain expectations of relief from Christ, which the Apostle there calls “grace for seasonable help.”52 “If ever,” says the soul, “help were seasonable, it would be so to me in my present condition. This is that which I long for—grace for seasonable help. I am ready to die, to perish, to be lost forever. Iniquity will prevail against me, if help come not in.” Says the Apostle, “Expect this help, this relief, this grace from Christ!” Yea, but on what account? That which he lays down, verse 15…I shall freely say, this one thing of establishing the soul by faith in expectation of relief from Jesus Christ, on the account of His mercifulness as our High Priest, will be more available to the ruin of thy lust and distemper and have a better and speedier issue than all the [most rigid] means of self-maceration53 that ever any of the sons of men engaged themselves unto. Yea, let me add that never any soul did or shall perish by the power of any lust, sin, or corruption, who could raise his soul by faith to an expectation of relief from Jesus Christ.
(2) Consider His faithfulness Who hath promised, which may raise thee up and confirm thee in this waiting in an expectation of relief. He hath promised to relieve in such cases, and He will fulfill His word to the utmost. God tells us that His covenant with us is like the “ordinances” of heaven—the sun, moon, and stars—which have their certain courses (Jer 31:36). Thence David said that he watched for relief from God as one watched for the morning (Psa 130:6)—a thing that will certainly come in its appointed season. So will be thy relief from Christ. It will come in its season, as the dew and rain upon the parched ground; for faithful is He Who hath promised…He that expects anything from a man applies himself to the ways and means whereby it may be obtained. The beggar that expects an alms54 lies at his door or in his way from whom he doth expect it. The way whereby and the means wherein Christ communicates Himself is, and are, His ordinances ordinarily. He that expects anything from Him must attend upon Him therein. It is the expectation of faith that sets the heart on work. It is not an idle, groundless hope that I speak of. If now there be any vigor, efficacy, and power in prayer…to this end of mortifying sin, a man will assuredly be interested in it all by this expectation of relief from Christ…Who has walked with God under this temptation and has not found the use and success of it? I dare leave the soul under it, without adding any more. Only some particulars relating thereunto may be mentioned:
First, act faith peculiarly upon the death, blood, and cross of Christ, that is, on Christ as crucified and slain. Mortification of sin is peculiarly from the death of Christ. It is one peculiar, 55 yea, eminent end of the death of Christ, which shall assuredly be accomplished by it. He died to destroy the works of the devil. Whatever came upon our natures by his first temptation, whatever receives strength in our persons by his daily suggestions, Christ died to destroy it all. “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Ti 2:14). This was His aim and intendment—wherein He will not fail—in His giving Himself for us. That we might be freed from the power of our sins and purified from all our defiling lusts was His design. “Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:25-27). And this by virtue of His death in various and several degrees shall be accomplished. Hence, our washing, purging, and cleansing is everywhere ascribed to His blood (1Jo 1:7; Heb 1:3; Rev 1:5). That being sprinkled on us purges our consciences from “dead works to serve the living God” (Heb 9:14). This is that we aim at, this we are in pursuit of: that our consciences may be purged from dead works that they may be rooted out, destroyed, and have place in us no more. This shall certainly be brought about by the death of Christ. There will virtue go out from thence to this purpose.
Indeed, all supplies of the Spirit, all communications of grace and power are from hence…Thus, the apostle states it…“How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Rom 6:2). Dead to sin by profession; dead to sin by obligation to be so; dead to sin by participation of virtue and power for the killing of it; dead to sin by union and interest in Christ, in and by Whom it is killed—how shall we live therein?...“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” (Rom 6:3). We have in baptism an evidence of our implantation into Christ;56 we are baptized into Him. But what of Him are we baptized into an interest in? “His death,” saith he. If indeed we are baptized into Christ and beyond outward profession, we are baptized into His death. The explication of this, of one being baptized into the death of Christ, the apostle gives us: “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (6:4)…This is that the apostle intends: Christ by His death—destroying the works of the devil, procuring the Spirit for us—hath so killed sin, as to its reign in believers, that it shall not obtain its end and dominion.
Secondly, then act faith on the death of Christ, and that under these two notions: First, in expectation of power. Secondly, in endeavors for conformity…Let faith look on Christ in the gospel as He is set forth dying and crucified for us. Look on Him under the weight of our sins, praying, bleeding, dying; bring Him in that condition into thy heart by faith; apply His blood so shed to thy corruptions: do this daily.
44 distemper – disease; ailment; figurative here for sin.
45 eminent – important; especially valuable.
46 insition – inserting a shoot or twig in grafting; engrafting.
47 naught – complete failure.
48 eminent succor – help in a remarkable degree.
49 staid – supported; sustained.
50 behoved – was necessary.
51 dissuasions – persuasions not to do something.
52 seasonable help – help occurring at the right time.
53 self-maceration – wasting away of one’s body, especially by starvation or fasting.
54 alms – a charitable donation of money or goods.
55 peculiarly/peculiar – especially; particular.
56 implantation…Christ – union through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.
From “The Mortification of Sin in Believers” in The Works of John Owen, Vol. 6, reprinted by The Banner of Truth Trust.
Sin sets its strength against every act of holiness and against every degree we grow to. Let not that man think he makes any progress in holiness who walks not over the bellies of his lusts.—John Owen
http://www.chapellibrary.org/
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento