The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningg. He is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12.10). What stories he tells Godabout the brethren, how sinful they are! And so doing he confesses to God himselfthe ugliness of sin, for on this alone does he base the arguments of his accusation.Christ ever liveth to make intercession for us, and so the Devil lives to makeaccusations against us day and night. When God asks the Devil if he has consideredhis servant Job, Yes, he says, I have, and I accuse him as a hired servant, one whoserves you merely for wages, and would, if but touched by you, curse you to yourface. When Satan accused Joshua, it was for his filthy garments, his iniquity(Zechariah 3.1-4). He is always tale-telling, and sometimes true stories of themiscarriages of believers. He registers their pride and wantonness, their vanity andfolly, all their unworthy walkings, and accuses them to God for these things, andeven moves God to destroy them for their sinfulness (Job 2.3). Sometimes as inJob's case it is without a cause, but whatever he says, surely he says to God thatsin is an exceeding and out of measure sinful thing, when he accuses the brethren.So much for the witness of the Devil.3. THE WITNESS OF MEN(1) Good men bear witness against sinTo which of the saints shall we turn? They all with one consent, as one man, withone voice, and one mouth cry out against sin as a sinful thing. And they all say thateven if there were no other hell it would be damnation to be a sinner. Another saysthat it would be better to be in hell with Christ than in heaven with sin. Anothersays that sin is more ugly than the Devil. They all subscribe to this, that sin is themost odious of all evils. Hell itself is not more odious, for it would not have beenhad not sin made it. Good men bear witness both against other men's sins andagainst their own.a. Against other men's sins. Indeed, if it is possible they seek to prevent them; ifnot, then to convince men of their sinfulness.(i) They give advice and counsel to men against sin. This proves that sin is anabominable thing in their esteem. The sum of what is spoken by way ofcommendation of Abraham amounts to this, that he would advise and charge hisposterity not to sin (Genesis 18.19). Samuel did the same to Israel (1 Samuel12.24,25) and David to Solomon (1 Kings 2.1-3); indeed to all his children;therefore he says, 'Come, I will teach you the fear of the Lord' (Psalm 34.11) and itis by the fear of the Lord that men depart from evil. Similarly in the New Testamentthis is the general advice that good men give to everyone--Do not sin (1Thessalonians 2.11,12; 1 Peter 2.11; 1 John 2.1(ii) They reprove sin, if they find that their advice is not being followed, and thatmen have sinned. Reproofs are arguments of sinfulness, for men do not reproveanyone for what is good. Were it not that sin is odious to them, good men wouldnot go to the expense or run the hazard of reproving others for it. Reproving othersis a thankless office and an unwelcome work for the most part; men take reproofsfor reproaches, yet since God has laid it on good men as their duty to rebuke andnot suffer sin to lie upon their brother (Leviticus 19.17), they dare not omit it.Though Eli reproved his sons for their sins, yet he is sharply reproved for not61