Spiritual Mindedness - Chapter 3
from Christian Spirituality on SermonAudio Hosted by John Owen
In Chapter 3, John Owen explains that frequent thoughts about spiritual things do not inherently prove a person is spiritually minded if those thoughts are merely triggered by external means—such as hearing the preaching of the Word, exercising spiritual gifts in prayer, or engaging in religious conversation. While these external occasions excite temporary mental activity and emotional fervor, they lack an internal root and dry up once the external stimulus ends, functioning like transient guests at an inn. In contrast, true spiritual mindedness springs from an inward, vital principle of saving grace that continuously produces spiritual thoughts like children residing in a home. In prayer specifically, Owen distinguishes between the mere operation of natural gifts—which can mimic piety and foster self-pleasing pride—and the active exercise of grace, which yields genuine spiritual growth, a humble delight in God, a consistent life of watchfulness against sin, and an equal regard for all Christian duties.
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