The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph VenningLuke 16.31). And why has he done all this, but that you might come to repentance(2 Peter 3.9)? If, then, you do not repent, it is a greater affront to God than wasyour former sin. Humanurn est errare, it is human frailty to sin, but to continue init without repentance is devilish. It is to despise God's goodness (Romans 2.4); it isto justify your sin and to upbraid God with a scoff as did those who said, 'Where isthe promise of his coming? (2 Peter 3.4). In order that God's goodness may stillprevail, I beseech you to consider further:1. If you repent you will be forgiven.'Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out' (Acts 3.19); theyshall be as if they had not been. Where God gives repentance for sin, he also givesremission of it (Acts 5.3I). He who hardens his heart in inpenitence shall notprosper; but he who confesses and forsakes his sins shall have mercy (Proverbs28.13,14). God looks upon men, and if anyone says, I have sinned and pervertedthat which was right, that is, if anyone repents, he will deliver his soul from goinginto the pit, and his life shall see the light (Job 33.27,28). Indeed, God is not onlymerciful, but if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, andto cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1.9). How this obliges us to repent!2. Repentance is, according to God's interpretation, the undoing of all the evil youhave committed and the doing of the good you have omitted.Indeed, he who repents of his sin tells all the world that if it could be done again hewould not do it. And he who repents for not having done the will of God, does it inrepenting (Matthew 21.29). What goodness is this, to put such a construction onrepentance! Shall we not, then, repent?3. By repenting, you cause rejoicing to all whom you have grieved by your sin.You have grieved your own soul; repentance will cheer it For though repentancesprings from sorrow, it ends in joy and will never be repented of (2 Corinthians7.10). You will rejoice the generation of the righteous. Yea, there will be joy inheaven; God and angels will be glad and rejoice at your return (Luke 15). It is thesin of men, and greatly aggravated, that they repented not to give him glory(Revelation 16.9); sin dishonours but repentance gives glory to God. ThereforeJoshua said to Achan, confess thy sin and give glory to God (Joshua 7.19). At thesame time we rejoice the heart, and glorify the name of God by repentance! Shallwe not repent? O repent! repent! But if there is no repentance.4. Know that God has appointed a day in which he will judge you.This truth calls upon you, at your peril, to repent (Acts 17.30,31). If you do not doso, you only enrich yourself for hell, and by your hardness and impenitent hearttreasure up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteousjudgment of God (Romans 2.5). But God who is longsuffering will not be allsuffering:he who is the God of patience now, will, if that patience is abused, be aGod of vengeance hereafter to the abusers of his patience. God's patience will be atan end one day; he will wait for you no more, no longer. He waited forty years but122