Sin and Temptation

Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor, Eds.

Reviewed by: Ryan M. McGraw

Sin and Temptation, volume 15 of The Complete Works of John Owen, edited by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor. Crossway, 2024. Hardcover, 640 pages, $44.99. Reviewed by OP minister and professor Ryan M. McGraw.

John Owen’s writings on sin and temptation, especially his little book on The Mortification of Sin, often mark the first (sometimes only) items on people’s “must read” Owen books. This fact is good and unfortunate in different respects. Good because it displays an instinct in believers to take sin seriously, with a positive desire to grow in holiness. Unfortunate because Owen’s writings on the Trinity, Christ, and the Spirit are among his best works. However, the Trinity, Christ, and the Spirit were never far from Owen’s mind, and readers can miss them in the four books in this volume, not because Owen was imbalanced or unclear, but because readers often find only what they go looking for. Do we believe that the primary thing we need to overcome sin and temptation are lists of things to think about or do, or are we convinced, as Owen was, that God revealed in Christ and known by the Spirit is fundamental to Christian living? Following a brief assessment of Crossway’s new Complete Works of John Owen and the contents of volume 15, I will suggest two things that can help readers benefit the most from these books.

Misunderstandings seem to abound about Crossway’s John Owen project. As a volume editor, the first question I receive is whether this set is worth getting over the available Banner of Truth set of Owen. Sometimes people assume that, because advertisements say that it is easier to read, the new set must have been adapted to modern English. In reality, this project presents accurate original texts that often correct earlier editions, and that include fresh translations of Latin books and material never contained in previous versions of Owen’s Works. However, these books end up being both better scholarly texts and easier to read. The publisher is achieving this great feat by having editors translate all Latin, Greek, and Hebrew texts, by defining archaic terms in footnotes, by filling in Owen’s often unstated scriptural references, by guiding readers through Owen’s often perplexing outlines by interlacing clearly marked editor’s outlines, by footnoting sources Owen cited, and by fleshing out contexts and circumstances surrounding the books via historical introductions. So, is the new set of Owen’s Works worth investing in? Yes, both for scholars researching Owen and for lay people who need some help to benefit from his ideas.

Volume 15 includes four books addressing the problem of sin in the Christian life. Valuable in their own right, I give two suggestions to help readers benefit from them better.

First, look for the triune God. A Trinitarian Christology drove Owen’s directions in these books about sin. Though our preoccupation with sin can become narcissistic and introverted, he promoted an extroverted faith, redirecting us persistently to God in Christ as the Spirit sanctifies us. The Mortification of Sin has chapters on union with Christ at key junctures (chapters 1, 7, and 14), Temptation is both filled with Christ and climaxes with faith in his promises (chapters 8 and 9), Indwelling Sin is grounded on the Spirit creating an invincible inclination towards Christ, and The Dominion of Sin and Grace emphasizes exercising faith in Christ daily (chapter 3), union with Christ (chapter 5), and the Spirit applying Christ’s benefits continually (chapter 6). Owen builds habits in believers by showing us that looking for God himself through fighting indwelling sin is the best way to overcome indwelling sin.

Second, use Owen’s key Scripture texts. Scripture governs the content and direction of each book. These works, respectively, flow from Romans 8:13, Matthew 26:41, Romans 7:21, and Romans 6:14. Owen’s robust engagement with Romans 7 in Indwelling Sin builds on the standard historic interpretation that Paul there describes his experience as a believer rather than as an unbeliever. This exposition can both bolster confidence in the traditional reading of the text, which many question today, and open a path on which believers can walk when facing discouragements in light of their own sins. Memorizing these four key verses provides spiritual handholds in fighting sin and temptation, making Owen’s other instructions more memorable and useful.

Owen hardly needs commendation. His books are devotionally Trinitarian, Christ-focused, Spirit-dependent, and concretely practical. Volume 15 of his Works will help you struggle for holiness against indwelling sin, but, more than that, it will foster personal transformation through seeing God in Christ more clearly.