The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venninghere man is a very fool. Though in general men acknowledge that there is a God,and that God is to be worshipped and obeyed, yet who this God is, and how he is tobe worshipped--man is full of darkness, doubt and perplexity about it. Hence wehave expressions in the Scripture concerning sinners, such as: 'Ye worship ye knownot what' (John 4.22). Surely they who worship they know not what, worship alsothey know not how, as there follows. The Athenian altar had this inscription, To theunknown God (Acts 17.23), and the world by wisdom knew not God, viz. Godmanifest in the flesh (1 Corinthians 1.20. Though nothing is more knowable, yetnothing is more unknown than God. It is visible to all the creation, by the creation,that there is a God (Romans 1.20); but who and what he is, and what his will is,who hath known the mind of God? (1 Corinthians 2.16).Sin has made men worship either (1) a false God, which is idolatry; or (2) Godfalsely, which is superstition. Man has become such a fool that his worship, tillenlightened and converted, is either a breach of the First or SecondCommandment. He fails as to the object or the manner of worship, and both speakman's folly, that his religion is either idolatry or superstition.(1) Idolatry is man's folly. To worship no God, or that which is not a God, but anidol, is folly. Therefore the Gentiles are called not only atheists, but a foolishpeople, and with this the Apostle upbraids them (Galatians 4.8; Romans 1.21,25).Man is such a fool that he neglects to serve the God who made him, and servesgods of his own making, though the fact that they are made proves that they arenot as their name is, but gods (like their knowledge) falsely so called, as is in detailimputed to them of old (Isaiah 44.14-16).The world has been guilty of most abominable idolatry. The Romans made diseasesgods, such as the fever. And sinners make not only creatures, like gold and theirbelly, their God, but sins--this was the case among the aforementioned Romans.Even the Devil himself has been made a God and sacrificed to. He is called the godof this world (2 Corinthians 4.4), and the Apostle says, the Gentiles sacrificed todevils (1 Corinthians 10.20; cf. Deuteronomy 32.17), and sacrificed not only theirchildren (Psalm 106.37) but their souls, for in all services, the soul is the sacrifice.Oh, sinful sin!(2) Superstition is man's folly, also, as to religion. This is the younger brother toidolatry; it is of the same womb with idolatry. Superstition is not worshipping afalse God, but worshipping the true God falsely, in a way not commanded by God.It teaches and practises for doctrines the devices and commandments of men; thatis to say, it worships, not according to the will of God, but to the will of man. This iscalled the sacrifice of fools (Ecclesiastes 5.1). They mind the matter more than themanner, and are taken up with the work done, though it is not well done. Theymind the outside more than the inside, yes, and worship God more because theyfear him, than because they love him.This must suffice to show man's folly, and how sin has duped man, as to his end,happiness, and the means to it, religion. I now proceed to showc. Man's folly as to the non-improvement or mis-improvement of means, whenmade known in truth and clearness. Though the will of God as to worship is24