The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningwhich the Evil One tempts us to? Can any good come out of this Nazareth? Can anygood come from hell? It is enough to prove sin to be sinful, that it is of the Devil,and it is a clear proof of the evil of sin that the Devil tempts us to it.d. The Devil turns himself into an angel of light that he may more effectually leadus into darkness. In this way he tells us that sin is an ugly thing. If he were tocome like a devil, like an enemy, everyone would be shy of him, but he comesdisguised and puts on the face of a friend and so tricks and cheats us. Indeed, heprevails more by his wily subtleties than by his power. If the Devil had come to Eveand spoken to her as follows: 'I was once a glorious angel and lived above in theCourt of Heaven, but I have sinned and am cast down to hell. Eat the forbiddenfruit and you will be like me.' Would this have succeeded? Surely not! Thus if hecame and tempted men to sin, telling them that this is a ready way to hell, wouldthis prevail with them, to swear and fornicate? No! The Devil is subtle and an oldserpent; he covers and paints sin; he covers his hook with a bait and draws men inbefore they are aware of it. He is a deceiver, but lest he should be known, he putson a good garb and clothes himself with false light (2 Corinthians 11.13,14). Nowthis disguise and subtle transformation proves that sin is an ugly and monstrousthing. Why otherwise does the Devil paint it up? Why does he pretend good whenhe intends evil? This proves the sinfulness of sin that the Devil does not tempt inhis own name or shape. He dare not say, I am the Devil, I am a deceiver, I willlead you to hell, for that would spoil his project.e. All the affliction and misery which the Devil brings upon men is to make them sinmore. So in the Devil's account, sin is worse than suffering. God brings evil upon usto do and make us good, and cure us of the evil of sin by the evil of suffering, andthis proves the goodness of God. In the same way it proves the sinfulness of theDevil and of sin too, that he brings evil on us to make us worse. He takes care notto afflict us too much for our sins, lest we sin no more. The end of the Devil inpersecuting Job was not only to make him smart but to make him sin, that hemight curse God. In bringing suffering the Devil aims at something beyondsuffering, and worse than suffering, and that is sin.f. When anyone is awakened to see his own vileness, the Devil tries everything hecan to drive him to despair. At first he wishes that the man should presume to sin,and afterwards that he should not hope for but despair of pardon. He belittles sinor makes nothing of it before commission, and aggravates it afterwards. When sinrevived the apostle died (Romans 7.9). It wrought in him apprehensions of deathand hell. When Christ Jesus convinced him of his sin of persecution it made himtremble and struck him almost dead (Acts 9). Conviction of sin pricks men to theheart and makes them cry out like undone men: what shall we do? what willbecome of us? is there any pardon? is there any hope? Now is the time when theDevil strikes in and tells them that their sin is greater than can be forgiven. Whenthe poor penitent was sorrowful, the Devil made use of his devices that he mightbe swallowed up and drowned in sorrow (2 Corinthians 2.7 with 11). It is as if hetold him, If these do not forgive you, much less will God; the church has cast youoff and so will God. His great design is to persuade men that the mercy of God andmerit of Christ is not enough to save them, and so the Devil speaks out fully thatsin is exceedingly sinful.60