The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph VenningAnother remarkable instance is that of Eli. He is charged with honouring his sonsabove God (1 Samuel 2.29). How so? Eli was a good old man, and can it bethought that he preferred his sons above God? What should the meaning of thisbe? It is cleared up, however, in the next chapter, where God says, 'I will judge hishouse forever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons madethemselves vile, and he restrained them not' (1 Samuel 3.13). He did not givethem so much as a sour look, or, as the Hebrew reads, he did not frown uponthem. And yet let me tell you that Eli went so far that, had his children had anyhonesty or any respect to the rebukes of a priest and father, one would havethought that he had said enough. For the old man very gravely expostulated withthem, 'Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people totransgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a mansin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him?' (1 Samuel 2.23-25). Thus he laystheir sin and danger before them pretty roundly, and yet God says, that herestrained them not; there was an omission and neglect of more severe discipline.And this omission cost him dear, as dear almost as the sins of commission cost hissons, which were not to be purged with sacrifice (1 Samuel 3.14).Another instance is that concerning the Ammonites and Moabites, who were abastard brood, and like bastards were not to enter into the congregation of theLord till the tenth generation {Deuteronomy 23.2-4). The reason given is the sin ofomission, because they did not meet Israel with bread and water, when they cameout of Egypt. It is a dreadful thing to be excommunicated from, and a dreadfulthing not to be admitted into, the congregation of the Lord; and you see that a sinof omission may keep men out for a long time.But God will also judge men for sins of omission in the great and terrible day of hisrighteous judgment. Not only the wicked, but the slothful servant will be judged,and the slothful will be judged wicked. We have it from the mouth of Truth itself,'thou wicked and slothful servant (Matthew 21.26), wicked because slothful. Hewas no waster, but a brother to one (as we previously noted) because he wasslothful. For omitting to improve his talent, he was called and judged a wicked andslothful servant, and his punishment was, beside the loss of his talent, to be castinto outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. He had notturned the grace of God into wantonness, yet for being unprofitable he is sent toHell. And again, 'He shall say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, yecursed, into everlasting fire' (Matthew 25.41); it is, says Christ, for your sins ofomission, because when I was hungry and thirsty, you, like the Ammonites andMoabites we have just mentioned, you brought me no bread or water, you gave meno meat and drink. Some are ready to justify themselves thus, We never did anyman harm; we have wronged and oppressed no man. Yes, but God will condemnthem who have not done such evils, because they have not done good. Think ofthese things, then, and beware of sins of omission.(ii) Take heed of sins of commission. We should be careful not to omit our duties,for besides all that has been said. I might add this, that to omit the weightierthings of the law, though we observe the lesser, is a sign of hypocrisy (Matthew23.23). But we should be no less careful to keep ourselves from the evil that is142