So if you've been following the podcast at all, you've noticed that I've been recording audiobooks, and have been focusing on two areas, the Patristics, and Owen's Mortification of Sin. This has got me thinking about the relationship between killing sin in our current lives and living a monastic lifestyle.
Usually when people think of monasticism, they think of Roman Catholic monks who wear brown robes and take ridiculous vows. I want to think of monasticism in a more general way, a way that relates to our everyday living; putting ourselves to death daily, through the denial of earthly desires and toward a devotion to heavenly desires.
There is an obvious issue with balance here. I personally do not think that Scripture teaches for there to be monks, nuns, eunuchs, etc., within the church body. These things go against the communal nature of the church. Neither does Scripture teach asceticism, that goes against the grace given to all Christians that all things are permissible, though maybe not profitable. Also, what Scripture does not teach, and I think that this is where American Christianity fails, is there to be a carefree attitude about partaking in anything even mildly attractive. I'm not talking about taking part in sin per se, and neither am I talking about over indulgence. What I'm talking about is simply denying the flesh for the sake of bridling it. Denying myself something simply because I want it. To what am I a slave? Do I want to be a slave to my desires? Or should I make my body hunger, thirst, want, or be deprived of things that though permissible, may not be profitable?
Matt 18:8-9 says,
“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell."
Now while this is primarily talking about sin, I think the point is denial.
Your hand or foot. This is referring to the things we set out to accomplish. "Their feet are swift to shed blood." It is referring to the means or ability to accomplish sin. Whatever it is that enables us to sin should be denied, cut off.
Your eye. Our senses. If looking at something is causing yourself to sin, don't look. If your heart is causing yourself to sin, stop longing.
I think these concepts should be married practically to Owen's concept of mortification. One point he brings up is that to mortify sin does not simply mean to not take part in it. If the passions of youth dim with age, have those passions been mortified simply because they no longer appear desirable? No. If obedience to Christ is simply on account of my annoyance at the effects of sin, then it is not obedience. I am only bothering to put my sin to death because it bothers me. Rather, through denial, I daily reign in my senses, my faculties, my body, so that they come under my control to my perfection in Christ.
1Cor. 9:26-27: Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Man have I failed at this. I look back at my youth, and how much time was wasted doing whatever I wanted at the time. Living the bachelor lifestyle, free floating, tied to nothing. How much of that still remains! Only through denial, only though the forced control of my body can I make it mine. And the thing is- I don't have to join a monastery or take stupid vows to do it. I can do it right now, everyday, in my own home. I do it by not giving into every fleshly desire at every moment. Perhaps sleep isn't needed sometimes. Perhaps I can do without food. Perhaps I can do without hobbies. Whatever it is my heart desires to do, I must bring that desire to my control, to the perfection in Christ, so that I am the one ruling it, and it is not ruling me. "Sin's desire is for you, but you must master it."
In Him,
Mike Senders
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