The Man Who Wrote “Kill Sin”

“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 8:13 (KJV)

John Owen was born in 1616 in Stadhampton, a village in Oxfordshire, England. His father was a minister. John was clever, very clever: he went to Oxford University when he was only about twelve years old.

But being clever and going to church did not give him peace with God. In 1637 he left Oxford rather than obey rules about worship that went against his conscience, and for several years he lived in spiritual darkness. He knew a lot about God, but he wasn’t sure God was his.

Then, around 1642, he went to a church in London hoping to hear a famous preacher. The famous preacher didn’t turn up. An unknown man stood in for him instead and preached on Jesus’ words to his frightened disciples: “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” Through that ordinary sermon, the assurance Owen had begged God for finally came.

Owen went on to become one of the most important people of his time. Oliver Cromwell, the general who later ruled England, made him an army chaplain. In 1651 he became Dean of Christ Church, one of Oxford’s biggest colleges, and the next year Vice-Chancellor of the whole university.

While he was there, he preached to the students, many of them young men, about something they all struggled with: sin that wouldn’t go away. Those sermons became a book in 1656. Its title sounds strange today: The Mortification of Sin. “Mortify” means “put to death”.

Owen’s life was not easy. After 1660 the government changed, and in 1662 he was thrown out of the Church of England along with about two thousand other ministers. Of his eleven or so children, all but one died young. But he kept preaching and writing, and he is credibly said to have helped get John Bunyan, the author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, released from prison.

Owen’s book is famous for one sentence: “be killing sin or it will be killing you.” It sounds fierce. But as you will see, Owen’s answer to sin is not trying harder. It is the Holy Spirit, and it is Jesus.

This book is for you if there is a sin you keep falling into, a habit you hate, or a temper, a jealousy or a secret you can’t seem to beat.

One thing to do this week: think of one sin or habit you would really like to be free from. Write it down somewhere private, and pray each day this week: “Lord, by your Spirit, help me put this to death.”