The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningforbear to do evil not only because it is against us, but because it is against God,who should be more beloved by us than ourselves.There are many aggravations of sinning against God. It is against God who madeus, indeed, fighting against God who made us. We are all the offspring of God, thechildren of God by the first nature, though children of wrath by corrupt nature. It isnoticeable how the genealogy runs: '... which was the son of Adam, which was theson of God' (Luke 3.38). Adam was, and so were we, the children of God bycreation. God was our Father who made us, and woe to him that striveth with hisMaker (Isaiah 45.9). It is a calamitous thing to sin against God as a Maker. Howunnatural it is to sin against our parents! So heinous was it, that 'he that smitethhis father or mother shall die' (Exodus 21.15). What is it then to smite the Fatherof our spirits, the Father of our father and mother! If the ravens of the valley shallpick out the eyes of them that curse father and mother (Proverbs 30.17), what islikely to happen to them that make nothing of cursing God himself!Sin is against God in whose hand our breath is, and whose are all our ways (Daniel5.23), which is a reason we should glorify him. He has our being and well-being athis disposal; he can crush us as the moth and turn us not only to the dust but tothe Hell of death. What he does for us and what he can do against us put us underan immense and powerful obligation not to sin against him. We are beholden tohim for all the good we have. That nakedness to which the creatures once paidreverence would now cause them to scorn us if God did not clothe it. The creatureswould not serve us nor be serviceable to us if God did not command and blessthem. We should have no bread nor any good by it if he did not provide and blessit. What could weak things do to strengthen or dead things to keep us alive, did nothis Word do more than they? We live not by bread but by his Word. If God shoulddeny us bread by day or sleep by night, what would become of us? How then canwe find it in our hearts to sin against God? There are two great wonders: the one,that God should be so good to man, who is and does evil against him; the other,that man should do evil against so good a God. O foolish people and unwise, thusto requite the Lord!It is God who preserves our going out and coming in. He keeps us from an infinitenumber of invisible, as well as many visible dangers abroad and at home. If weonly knew our dangers we should go in fear of our lives every moment. The earthwould swallow us up, the fire would burn us, the water would drown us, if Godwere not with us to preserve us. He could have sent us down to Hell long ago, andyet he gives space for repentance and waits to be gracious. It is true, he will at lastjudge us, and what shall we do then? How shall we stand if found to be sinners,when he rises up to judge terribly the earth? What sanctuary or city of refuge shallwe fly to that we may be secure? Alas! there will be no escaping; his vengeance inthat day will overtake and ruin us.Think of this, and think whether you can find it in your heart to sin, or to think it alittle or light thing to sin against God, and such a God, whatever may be thepretext for it. Let me say this further, that even if God had not laid so manyobligations upon us, yet we were bound not to sin against his sovereignty and theauthority he has over us. But when he humbles himself and grants so manykindnesses to us, it would be monstrous ingratitude and rebellion to sin against110