Be Killing Sin - A Closer Look

“Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.

Your being dead with Christ virtually, your being quickened with him, will not excuse you from this work. And our Saviour tells us how his Father deals with every branch in him that beareth fruit, every true and living branch. “He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit,” John 15:2.

He prunes it, and that not for a day or two, but whilst it is a branch in this world. And the apostle tells you what was his practice, 1 Cor. 9:27, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.” “I do it,” saith he, “daily; it is the work of my life: I omit it not; this is my business.”

And if this were the work and business of Paul, who was so incomparably exalted in grace, revelations, enjoyments, privileges, consolations, above the ordinary measure of believers, where may we possibly bottom an exemption from this work and duty whilst we are in this world?”

John Owen 1616-1683

The Mortification of Sin in Believers

When I set out to illustrate the quote, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you,” I wanted to add a little bit of context by way of speech bubbles. The words in the balloons are not a direct quote from Owen, but a summary of his teaching that mortifying sin is a life-long process for the Christian. 

Are you enjoying this content? Do you want to see more posts like this, explaining the context of the quotes and my thought process behind the drawings?  Let me know in the comments below.

- Paul