Sanctification in the Modern Church

I just wrote an article for a John Owen blog. It concerns his book The Mortification of Sin. A whole book written in a very precise and scholarly way on not sinning. Sound like a big seller? Here is what I wrote:

First of all, thanks to Echindod for the invite to write here. I am not sure if he expects me to follow the exact format he is using or not. So I will follow it somewhat, transgress it somewhat, and await my printed verbal chastisement if he sees fit.

Before, I start anything else, I must say that the idea of a Christian book that deals only with how to kill sin in one’s life would never get published by Zondervan if written today. Twelve Ways To Start a Christian Bowling League for Left-handed Presbyterian Plumbers, How to Reach Your Teenager For Christ Without Making Her Feel Guilty About The Pair Of Pliers Through Her Upper Lip And Eyebrow, or Richard Foster’s Easy-to-follow Plans To Construct Your Own Spring Scented Prayer Wheels for $5 Or Less and Market Them on Ebay for Ungodly Profits are more like it. But sin? Who’s going to read dry old doctrinal stuff like that? Maybe folks who love God? Well just how many of those do you find at the Bible Book Store on a Saturday morning, huh? They’re as gone as Stryper.

Now how about a book on how not to feel so guilty about sin? Wonder if Rick Warren isn’t already writing that one? Yeah, that's it...Forty Days Without A Conscience. Can't you just see that on the INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS rack at a truck stop right next to The Meassage Study Bible For Golfers.

Anyway, I congratulate Echindod on his interest on such a subject. I feel a little guilty that this is not something uppermost on my mind. So this will be good exercise for the mind and the soul.

Phil Perkins.