The Sinfulness Of Sin - Preach The Word

The Sinfulness Of SinRalph VenningThus we see that the law is against sin before and after it has been committed. Yetwe may show further how the sinfulness and the malignity of sin appears by thecommandment.1. Sin takes occasion from its being prohibited and forbidden by the law, to sinagainst and transgress it the more. There is in it such a malignity and an enmitythat it will not be subject to the law of God (Romans 8.7); It tries to break thisbond asunder and to cast this cord far from it (Psalm 2.3). The law stands in itsway, and therefore it rushes to break it with the more violence. Sin grows angryand swells like a river which has been pent up and stopped in its course. TheApostle speaks of it in this way: 'Sin, taking occasion by the commandment,wrought in me all manner of concupiscence' (Romans 7.8). The law said, Thou shaltnot lust; at this, lust grows mad and provokes to sin the more. Sin is proud andimpetuous, so that it scorns to be checked or to have any chains put upon it. Suchis the sinfulness of sin, we are apt to be the more proud, the more covetous, andthe more wanton, because it is forbidden us.2. The law takes occasion by the commandment to deceive us. The Apostle saysthat it did so to him (Romans 7.11). It deceives us just as the Devil took occasionfrom the commandment to deceive our first parents; as if God were envious of us,or at least we mistake his meaning. Sin first corrupts our understanding, and bythat our affections, and by that our conduct. The Devil and sin put theirinterpretations on God's text; they gloss and comment upon it and put queries:Hath God said? (Genesis 3.1 and 2 Corinthians 11.3). You need not fear, they say,there is no such danger, this command has another meaning. Such are the sly andcunning tricks that Satan and sin use with us to harden us by deceit (Hebrews3.13).3. Sin makes use of the commandment to kill us. It works our death and ruin by it(Romans 7.11-13). Sin at first makes us believe, as the serpent did Eve, that if wesin we shall not die but live better and be like gods. But we are tempted, enticedand drawn the way of our own lust, and when lust hath conceived it bringeth forthsin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death (James 1.14-15). It brings forthevery kind of death--natural, spiritual and eternal; for this is the wages and theoutcome of sin (Romans 6.21,25).Man no sooner sinned but he became mortal, dead in law; and by living in sin manbecomes spiritually dead in sin (Ephesians 2.1,2). If grace does not prevent, manwill die in sin and be damned for sin, which is eternal death. Thus the Apostle says;While sin flattered me and deceived me, as if I should go unpunished, it hasbrought me under condemnation and death. Even now upon some men God letssentence of death pass, that he might raise them from the dead, yet these peoplefind themselves dead first, before they pass from death to life, as was the case ofthe Apostle in this passage.Conversion is a resurrection from the dead. Sin kills men, grace revives men; so,like the prodigal, they that were dead are alive. But by this we see the sinfulness ofsin, that it makes use of the law which was ordained to life, to condemn and passsentence of death upon sinful men. That which was made to be our strengthagainst sin is become the strength of sin (1 Corinthians 15.56). Death would be79