The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningspirits, these soul-stealers, must not be concealed, lest the receiver and bereckoned as bad as the thief.(c) In not separating from other men when God calls you to it. Remember Lot'swife, who was loth to withdraw, and was turned into a pillar of salt--to season us,as one of the fathers said. There are people with whom we should not eat (1Corinthians 5.11). To join in communion with known sinners is the greatesttestimony you can give, either that they are saints or that you are sinners; youbear a false witness for them and a true witness against yourselves. when theapostle had reckoned up a whole troop of sinners, of whom self-love led the van,and a form of godliness brought up the rear, he adds, 'from such turn away' (2Timothy 3.5). You may hear a voice from heaven, saying, 'Come out of her, mypeople, that ye be not partakers of her sins' (Revelation 18.4). Be not thereforeunequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6.14).(d) If instead of reproving other men's sins, we approve of them. Have nofellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them'(Ephesians 5.11). Not to reprove them, but instead to have fellowship with them, isto approve. Besides this, we declare our approbation when we take pleasure in theactions or the actors. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule bytheir means; and my people love to have it so' (Jeremiah 5.31); they love to haveit so, that is to say, they set their seal to it, to approve and confirm what theprophets and priests do. Of the same import is the statement, 'who knowing thejudgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not onlydo the same, but have pleasure in them that do them' (Romans 1.32). Men aresaid to help on the afflictions of God's people and to approve them by saying, HalHa! we would have it so (Ezekiel 25.3; 26.2). To take pleasure in such things asothers do is to be accessories, as if we had done them ourselves. when the apostlePaul tells of other men's sins he does it with weeping (Philipplans 3.18), and sofrees himself from the least degree of approbation. But when men laugh at, takepleasure in, and make sport of other men's sins, it is, by construction, anapprobation of them. Approbation of other men's sins is also to be inferred whenmen flatter others and speak peace to them in their evil ways. That is, when mensay 'Peace' where God says there is none, that is, to the wicked. God and man willcurse him who says to the wicked, Thou art righteous (Proverbs 24.24). 'Becausethey have seduced (flattered) my people, saying, Peace, and there was no peace;and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar, andthey sewed pillows under their elbows; therefore, God says, will I pull down thewall, and will tear your pillows and kerchiefs' (Ezekiel 13.10,14,18,20,21). And thereason given is, because they made the heart of the righteous sad, andstrengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wickedway verse 22). There is a woe against such people.Approbation is also declared when men defend and excuse the sins of others, as ifthey were retained like lawyers and had their fee. They who justify the wicked areequally an abomination with them who condemn the righteous (Proverbs 24.17).Some are so wicked that they defend other men's wickedness--not only likelawyers but like soldiers--by sword and force of arms; as was done for the manwho had abused the Levite's concubine (Judges 17.15). But to plead for othermen's sins is to be as guilty as are they who commit them.157