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Basic Instructions For Battling Sin – Pastor Mayfield via John Owen

Michael A

The following 2 videos are from the YouTube site, Jeff Mayfield

These videos provide very basic instructions for the battling of sin in the Christian life. Even if you attend a biblical church, you may not have figured out what Pastor Mayfield presents in these videos; the problem is that all Christians must be able to battle sin, and if you do not know how to effectively do so, then you will certainly be derailed in your walk with the Lord.

Pastor Mayfield explains some basic concepts from John Owen’s book on mortification of sin in each of the following two videos.

Highlights of video one:

[It has been my experience that one must be shown by God’s Spirit that he cannot be victorious over sin without abiding in prayer and the word, see end of post for more on this.]

 

 

Highlights of video two:

 

 

The following points are from the works of Jonathan Edwards and include the struggle that Pastor Mayfield discussed above. Step two of Edwards 5-step process would involve the battle with sin in the believer’s life.

Edwards’ process indicates that believers try to stop sinning in their own strength, but come to realize that this is impossible.

When a believer comes to realize that conquering sin in his own strength is not possible, then he will be moved, out of a sense of need and urgency… to seek the help of the Holy Spirit in mortifying his sin.

It seems that we naturally attempt to do this on our own initially.

I think that this process is actually part of Jesus’ beatitude, poverty of spirit. As we enter the Christian life thinking we have some kind of strength or spiritual power to accomplish things in that realm, we do not. That must be why Jesus declared that beatitude the first blessed attitude, the realization that one can do nothing without Him, His Spirit, prayer…. [To see posts on the beatitudes, see CATEGORIES, the Beatitude Life (narrative form); True Kingdom Citizen (sermon excerpts).]

Edwards established a 5 stage process which he termed, the struggle of faith:   1) horror of being eternally lost; 2), the sinner’s attempt to stop sinning via his will power [it cannot be done independently of God’s Spirit]; 3), realization that only God can save him from sin; 4), conviction, the sinner beginning to see that God’s judgment is just; 5), awakening to God with genuine religious affections.

The following prominent Christians spent many years between stages 1 and 5 of Edwards standard of assessment for genuine conversion:

John Calvin, 12 years; Wesley, 23 years; Whitefield, 10 years; Fox, 12 years; Edwards, 5 years; Brainerd, 9 years; Newton, 6 years; Spurgeon, 4 years….

Link to that post:

https://sheeplywolves.com/the-sinners-prayer-if-that-is-how-you-were-born-again-then-please-read-this-post-to-understand-the-dangers-that-threaten-your-soul/

The following narrative and links accompanied the above videos:

990 views  Jan 26, 2017  John Owen’s Mortification of Sin

Thoughts from chapter 1 of John Owen’s Mortification of Sin.

Here is a short video about chapter 1 of John Owen’s Mortification of Sin. In it I offer some of Owen’s insights that we might find helpful in battling our sinful desires.

You can read Mortification of Sin for free here: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/mort.html

If you prefer to purchase Mortification of Sin, you can do so here:  https://www.amazon.com/Overcoming-Tem…

Jeff is a pastor, his sermons can be found here:   Stony Hill Baptist Church, YouTube site:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbYVexK7IBL4dCk1OgmWqAQ

Pastor Jeff Mayfield’s series on battling sin from John Owen’s book, Mortification of Sin.

There are 17 videos on in this playlist from Pastor Mayfield’s site, most are under 5 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBWFCQPKG2VLqDD51rxkFejUE-1eRNXks

 

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