The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningdog', said Hazael when his sin was foretold. St. Peter himself could not believe itpossible that he should deny Christ his master; yet when left to himself he did it.Now notwithstanding all that we have said, we still maintain that godly men hatesin. Indeed they hate it the more for having sinned. For several reasons then, thewitness of the godly man against sin is still true, good and firm:(a) He abhors sin committed, and himself for committing it. (Job 40.4 and 42.6).Sin is the burden of every good man's soul. When the author of Psalm 73 hadsinned, he was so angry with himself that he could not forgive and pardon himself(though God did so), but calls himself fool and beast. Good men condemn not onlytheir sin but themselves; and sin is the more hateful to them for having been doneby them.(b) They are restless until sin is purged as well as pardoned. King David could notcontent himself to have sin blotted out by a pardon unless it was washed andcleansed away (Psalm 51.1,2). The mending of his heart without it being made newby creation would not content him (verse 10).(c) They justify God when he chastises them and afflicts them for having sinned.Whoever justifies a punishing God condemns sin, for if the sentence is just the sinis unjust. They speak in this way continually: 'I will bear the indignation of the Lordbecause I have sinned against him' (Micah 7.9). I make this confession in prayer,they say, that Thou, O Lord, mightiest be justified when thou judgest (Psalm51.3,4). This also testifies against sin.(d) They take a holy revenge on themselves and become more zealous for God. St.Peter not only wept bitterly but was made willing to feed sheep and lambs, to doany and every service for Christ. The penitent says: 'Restore to me the joy of thysalvation and I will teach the transgressors thy ways' (Psalm 51.12,13). So too,when the apostle had made the Corinthians sorry with his sharp epistle, he did notrepent of it, because it wrought such sorrow in them as wrought repentance tosalvation not to be repented of (2 Corinthians 7). This appeared in their indignationagainst sin, their revenge upon themselves, and their zeal for God.(e) They desire to die only to be rid of sin. They do not wish to die for any otherreason than that they may sin no more, but be holy as he who has called them isholy. They groan for a change for this reason (2 Corinthians 5.4); mortality andcorruption are joined together (1 Corinthians 15.53,54), and one is not laid asidewithout the other. Therefore they desire not only to be in Christ where there is nocondemnation (Romans 8.I), but to be with Christ (Philipplans 1.23), which is bestof all, for in his presence there is no sin nor even temptation to it. There was nevera temptation to sin in heaven since the Devil was cast out, and there never will be,for the Devil shall never be there, neither shall corruption, for that shall cease whenmortality is swallowed up of life.So then, all in all, the witness of godly men is unexceptionable, notwithstandingtheir having sinned.67