The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph Venningshow that there is a law against sin which condemns sin as worthy of death; for itis guilty of the death of many and of attempting the death of all. So legally and bythe requirements of law, we ought to condemn sin and put it to death.5. THE LAW WITNESSES AGAINST AND CONDEMNS SINThe law of God is without sin in itself and is against sin in others. Since the law isholy, just and good, that which breaks the law must be unholy, unjust and evil. Inits primary intention and promulgation the law reveals the authority, wisdom, willand goodness of God, for it was unto life. Sin must therefore be exceedingly sinful,for it is against all this. The law revealed man's duty and man's happiness. How evilthen is sin, which is a contradiction of and opposition to the duty and happiness ofman! Since sin is a transgression of God's good law, the sinfulness of sin appearsby the commandment. The law is against sin both before it is committed and afterit has been committed.1. The law is against sin before it is committed. The committing of sin is against thebeing of the law. It is holy and wholly against sin, for it forbids sin. That is, all sin,whether of omission or commission, whether in thought, word or deed, whetheragainst God or against man--the voice and cry of the law is this: Thou shalt not sin.So that in this sense, by the law is the knowledge of sin; it shows what is sin, aswell as what sin is. 'Is the law sin?, God forbid--nay I had not known sin but by thelaw, for I had not known lust or concupiscence to be a sin except the law had said,Thou shalt not covet. Thou shalt not lust' (Romans 7.7). The law shows that lust issin by forbidding it. Indeed, the law not only forbids sin but forbids it upon greatand severe penalties, upon no less than the pain of death, on the peril of a curse. Itsays, cursed be everyone that doeth not, and continueth not to do all things thatare written in the law (Galatians 3.10). So the law is utterly against the commissionof sin.2. The law is against sin after it is committed. By the commandment sin appears tobe exceedingly sinful after commission.a. The law reveals what sin is, just as before it revealed what is sin. It shows howdispleasing to God and how destructive to man it is, as a transgression of the lawof God which was made for the good of man. The law is so far from indulging orjustifying sin or the sinner or from concealing it, that no sooner is it committedthan the law reveals it, and God's displeasure against it (Romans 3.20).b. It condemns the sinner. The law is not against the righteous, for against suchthere is no law or condemnation. But this law, like a good magistrate, is anencouragement to them that do well, but a terror to evil-doers. The apostle Paulsays, When the commandment came and showed me sin as in a magnifying glass,sin revived; it got the victory over me and was too strong for me, for the lawstrengthened it against me (1 Corinthians 15.56) and I died (Romans 7.9). I wasdead in law. I have this sentence of death within me; as he says in another place.The law, when transgressed, works wrath (Romans 4.15); it sends out terrors,thunderings and flashes of wrath. It reveals wrath to them who by sin have madework for wrath.78