If you judge a person dead…
- January 29th, 2008
- Posted in Couldn't have said it better myself...(quotes)
- By Michael
- Write comment
I will not judge a person to be spiritually dead whom I have judged formerly to have had spiritual life, though I see him at present in a swoon (faint)as to all evidences of the spiritual life. And the reason why I will not judge him so is this — because if you judge a person dead, you neglect him, you leave him; but if you judge him in a swoon,(faint) though never so dangerous, you use all means for the retrieving of his life.
John Owen
But there is much more than what you wrote for Owen’s next two points go on to say:
“There is a prevalency of sin that is inconsistent with true grace, which may befall those who have been professors. So the apostle doth plainly declare, Rom. vi. 16, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” There is such a serving of sin as puts a man into a contrary state.
I shall add but one thing more, and that is this, — there may be a corruption, sin, or lust, habitually prevalent, as to whatsoever evidences the person in whom it is or others can discern; and yet the root of the matter, the root of spiritual life, be notwithstanding in the person.”
Johh Owen
Why did you delete my comment on this a public blog? All I included was points 5 and 6 of the quote you made here from John Owen.
I did not delete them but thanks for the accusation. I only saw them just now.and put them up immediately. My point was not to disregard point 5 & 6 but rather to emphasize the fact that we are prone to “neglect” and “leave” a person whom we have counted as spiritually dead. It is completely possible for someone to be treated as such who is merely weak rather than unrepentant.
It wasn’t an accusation, sorry for the confusion on my part. When I went back to view the comment, it wasn’t there. I did not realize it was to be reviewed by you first (which I do understand).
My point with including points 5 and 6 is just that the impression given by only having that one statement was that Owen would not ever count one as lost - even if he had made a previous confession of faith.