Owen: the nature of temptation

Wednesday, December 6, 2017
    Feast of Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c.326
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”
    —Matthew 15:17-20 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Temptations and occasions put nothing into a man, but only draw out what was in him before.
    ... John Owen (1616-1683), The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of the remainders of Indwelling Sin in Believers [1668], in Works of John Owen, v. VI, New York: R. Carter & Bros., 1851, p. 169 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 15:11,17-20; Ps. 36:1-3; 51:7-10; 64:3-8; Matt. 12:34-37; Luke 6:45; Jas. 3:10
Quiet time reflection:
    Cleanse me within, O Lord. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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