The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningencouragement to sin. For example, when we suffer for God, God suffers with us;but when we sin, God suffers by us. We read that in all their (his people's) afflictionhe was afflicted, he sympathised with them (Isaiah 63.9; Hebrews 4.15). But whenhe speaks of sin, it is, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' (Acts 9.4); Saul's sinpersecuted Christ Jesus. God complains of his people's iniquity as of a burden, as ifthey made a cart of God and loaded him with sins as with sheaves (Amos 2.When we suffer for God he has promised to help and assist us with counsel andcomfort, with succour and support; but when we sin, God leaves us and withdrawshis presence and consolations. If Jacob is in the fire or the water, God will be withhim (Isaiah 43.I,2). On the other hand God says, 'If ye do forsake me I will forsakeyou' (2 Chronicles 15.2). Sin is a forsaking of God and it makes God forsake us.Now which is best, to have God with us or against us? If God is for us it does notmatter who is against us (Romans 8. 3I); but if God is against us and departs fromus, then all is Ichabod (1 Samuel 4.21,22; Job 34.29). Furthermore, sufferings forGod are evidences and tokens of his love, that we are his children and darlings(Hebrews 12.64); but sin is a proof that we are not born of God (1 John 5.18,19),but are children of wrath and heirs of the Devil and Hell. Thus the encouragementsto suffering, and discouragements to sinning, pronounce sin to be the worst of allevils.4. Suffering, even for sin, is designed to cure us and kill sin. Surely the remedy isbetter than the disease. But sin kills us and strengthens sin. They who add sin tosin feed it, give it nourishment and new life and strength. They add fuel to the firewhich sufferings are to quench and put out.Affliction is better than going astray: 'It is good for me that I was afflicted becausebefore I was afflicted I went astray' (Psalm 119.67,71). The fruit of affliction is thetaking away of sin (Isaiah 27.9); it is to make us partakers of his holiness(Hebrews 12.10), which is the end of the greatest promises (2 Peter I.4; 2Corinthians 7.1). We see then that God has the same aim in bringing threatenedevils on us as in making good promises and fulfilling them to us. Is this not betterthan sin? For did sin ever do such kindnesses for us? Alas, its mercies are cruelties,its courtesies are injuries and its kindnesses are killing. It never did nor meant usany good, unless men are so mad as to think that it is good to be defiled,dishonoured, and damned!5. Sufferings tend to make us perfect, but sin makes us more and more imperfect.The second Adam was perfected by suffering (Hebrews 2.10), but the first Adamwas made imperfect by sinning. And thus it fares with both their seeds and childrenas it did with them. A sinner is without strength (Romans 5.6), without God,without Christ, without hope (Ephesians 2.12). But a sufferer, after a while, shallbe perfected by the same God of all grace as has called him unto eternal glory byChrist Jesus (1 Peter 5.10). But the more a sinner, the more imperfect and thefitter for hell6. Suffering for God glorifies God, but sin dishonours God. Suffering calls on us tothank and glorify God for it (1 Peter 4.14,16). By it the saints are happy as God'smartyrs (1 Peter 4.I4); but by sinning, sinners are made miserable as the Devil's100