be killing sin...

I'm reading through John Owen's book, The Mortification of Sin. It is quite convicting and I recommend the abridged version published by Banner of Truth in their Puritan Paperbacks line.

The famous quote "Be killing sin or it will be killing you" is found within the first 20 pages (the book is at home where I don't have the internet, so I don't have the exact page.) I have been struck by how unbelievably true this statement is. Indeed, over these past few days I have been appalled at how little I have aggressively sought to kill sin and how quickly it has spread its poison. It is truly a horrific thing.

Owen makes the statement that you can't be truly living the Christian life (that is, doing good deeds) unless you are at the same time seeking to put to death all the things of the flesh. They must be at the same time, because unless you have mortified those disastrous sins of yours, no amount of community service will make up for the destroyed witness for Christ displayed by your pervasive sinning.

Help us, Father, to sin no more.

-joe