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Copyright ©Monergism Books
Aggravation of Sin by Thomas Goodwin Table of Contents Aggravation of Sin Aggravation of Sinning Against Knowledge
Aggravations of Sinning Against Mercy
Aggravation of Sin Did the good thing then cause death in me? Absolutely not. But sin, in order to reveal its true nature, brought about death in me through something good. So, by the commandment, sin might become exceedingly sinful. - Romans 7:13
We find our apostle, in the 9th verse, having been alive but suddenly struck dead by an apparition reflected in the mirror of the law—a revelation of 'the sinfulness of sin.' Sin revived, as he says in the 9th verse, and appeared to be sin, as he says in the 13th verse. It looked just like itself, but even more sinful than ever. At the sight of it, he fell down dead. "I died," he declares in the 9th verse. "It wrought death in me," he proclaims in the 13th verse. That is to say, he apprehended the looming presence of death and hell as a
consequence of the state he was in. However, just as the life of sin was the death of Paul, his demise served as a preparation for a new life. "Through the law, I am dead to the law, so that I may live for God," he states in Galatians 2:19. In this passage, he also refers to God's work on him during his initial conversion. It was then that sin became, in his estimation, so undeniably and greatly sinful.
The subject to be discussed, then, is the sinfulness of sin—an essential topic because, if we are to be saved, sin must first appear to us, as it did to Paul, as exceedingly sinful.
Firstly, knowledge begins with observable effects, which serve as interpreters of the nature of things. Therefore, we shall commence this demonstration of the evil of sin by considering the destructive effects it has wrought upon the world. Since its advent, sin has done nothing but cause harm, and all the mischief that has been done can be attributed solely to sin, particularly with regards to the wretched state of the human soul.
First and foremost, sin has debased the soul of man, which is the noblest creature on earth and the one most closely associated with divinity. It was created to be a fitting companion for God Himself.
However, sin has stripped it of its original excellence, just as Reuben was deprived of his privilege in Genesis 49:4. The soul, which is worth more than the entire world, has been reduced to a servant and slave of every creature it was meant to govern. Therefore, the prodigal son, as a symbol, is said to serve swine and feed on husks, allowing every vanity to dominate him. Thus, we find in Scripture that men are described as being servants to wine, servants to wealth, and servants to various lusts.
Consequently, shame accompanies this debasement, as stated in Romans 4:21. Shame arises from the perception of a debased
excellence. The greater the excellence, the greater the shame.
Therefore, immeasurable confusion will befall sinners since sin debases an invaluable excellence.
Secondly, sin not only debases the soul, but it also defiles it. In fact, there is nothing else that can defile it, as stated in Matthew 15:20.
The soul is a most pure beam, bearing the image of the Father of lights, far surpassing the sun in purity just as the sun surpasses a clod of earth. Yet, all the filth in the world cannot defile the sun; it scatters any clouds that attempt to obscure it. However, sin has defiled the soul. Even the smallest sin instantly, completely, and eternally defiles it.
Firstly, the fall of Adam resulted in the defilement of the soul through one sin, as mentioned in Romans 5:17. "One offence" polluted Adam and the entire world. Consider this: if you were to witness a single blot of darkness seizing the sun, extinguishing its heavenly light, causing it to detach from its orbit, and making it descend as a mass of darkness, you would deem it a remarkable darkness. That is what sin did to the soul, making the sun itself pale in comparison.
Secondly, sin defiles the soul instantly. If the most glorious angel in heaven were to be affected by even the slightest sin, he would instantaneously fall from heaven, stripped of all his glory, becoming the ugliest creature imaginable. Such sin would be considered the deadliest poison, similar to the poison that Nero once concocted, which killed Germanicus immediately upon ingestion. That is the nature of sin.
Thirdly, sin defiles the soul completely. It does not affect only one aspect; it begins with the understanding, penetrates the will and affections, and permeates every part. The diseases we consider most
severe are those that do not merely affect a single joint or limb but spread decay throughout the entire body.
Fourthly, sin defiles the soul eternally. It does not confine itself to one moment but endures forever. It is an everlasting stain that cannot be washed away by any nitre, soap, or creature, as stated in Jeremiah 2:22. Once, the world was flooded with water, washing away sinners but not a single sin. At the end of days, the world will be set ablaze, and all the fires and flames in hell will not purge a single sin.
Thirdly, sin has robbed the soul of the "image of God" and deprived us of "the glory of God," as mentioned in Romans 3:23. This image refers to God's holiness, which constitutes His beauty and ours. We were once beautiful and glorious within, which, though accidental, is more valuable than all the souls of men lacking it. This image is a likeness to God, a divine nature that no one can see God without.
While man in his state of innocence possessed all the perfections found in other creatures, this aspect was worth more than all the rest. Even with all the blessings of paradise, Adam could not be truly happy without it. When he lost it, he was left naked, though his other perfections remained intact, as the apostle states that they are
"profitable for all things." Even the entire world, when weighed against the least fraction of this divine image, is found wanting.
Without it, the glorious angels would be damned devils, and the saints in heaven would be damned spirits. This is what sin has stolen from mankind.
Fourthly, sin has even robbed man of God Himself. "Your sins separate," says God, "between you and me." Thus, sinners are said to "live without God in the world." By robbing man of God, sin robs him of all things because "all things are ours" only to the extent that God
is ours. God, whose countenance constitutes heaven, is everything.
His lovingkindness is better than life itself and encompasses beauty, honor, riches—everything. In comparison, they are but a drop.
However, the mischief caused by sin does not end there. Just as the leprosy of old infected the houses and garments of lepers, sin has cast confusion over the entire world. It has brought vanity and a curse upon creation, as stated in Romans 8:20. If Christ had not intervened to support the shattered state of the world, it would have crumbled around Adam.
Though the old walls and dilapidated palace of the world still stand today, the beauty, luster, and glory of the adornments have been marred and tarnished by numerous imperfections that have befallen every creature.
If not for Christ's intervention, the world would have returned to its original nothingness. You might say that sin is a potent carcass that not only contains infection within itself but also infects the surrounding air. It affects not only the soul but the entire world.
Lastly, sin was the first creator of hell and laid its foundational cornerstone. Sin alone brought forth and filled that bottomless abyss with all the fire, brimstone, and wrath that will never be consumed by flames. It crucified and pierced Christ Himself, who endured His
Father's wrath, an endurance that would have caused all the angels in heaven to crack and collapse beneath its weight.
But yet this evaluation is merely based on its effects; the essence of sin, which is the cause of all these evils, must surely possess much greater mischief. Shall I speak of the least evil that I can say about it?
It encompasses all other evils within it. Hence, in James 1:21, the apostle refers to it as "filthiness and an abundance of wickedness," or
an excess of wickedness, as if it were so extraordinary that if all evils were to have an excrement, a scum, an excess, sin would be it. It is the abstract essence of all evil—an evil that, in its nature and essence, virtually and eminently contains all kinds of evils that exist in the world. In the Scriptures, you will find that all the evils in the world serve to account for it and give it names. Sin is called poison, and sinners are called serpents. Sin is called vomit, and sinners are called dogs. Sin is the stench of graves, and sinners are rotten sepulchers.
Sin is mire, sinners are sows. Sin is darkness, blindness, shame, nakedness, folly, madness, death, and all that is filthy, defective, infectious, and painful. Just as the Holy Spirit said of Nabal, "As is his name, so is he," we may say the same of sin. If Adam gave names to all things according to their nature, how much more so did God,
"who calls things as they are." Surely God would not slander sin, even though it is His only enemy. Moreover, there is a reason for this, as sin is the cause of all evils. God sowed nothing but good seed in the world; "He beheld, and saw that all things were very good." It is sin that sowed the tares, all the sorrows and diseases that have arisen for both men and animals. Therefore, whatever is found in the effect exists in the cause to a greater degree. Surely, therefore, sin is to the soul of man, the wretched vessel and subject of it, what poison, death, and sickness are to other creatures and to the body. In being all these things to the soul, it is even more than all of them, for "corruptio optimi pessima"; sin, which is the corruption, poison, death, and sickness of the soul, must exceed all other evils in proportion to how much the soul surpasses all other creatures.
But yet this is the least evil that can be said about it. There is, secondly, a further transcendent and unique mischief in it that cannot be found in all other evils, as will become evident through various examples.
Firstly, God proclaims Himself as the author of all other evils and claims ownership of them all. Although sin is the meritorious cause of all, God is the efficient and guiding cause. "There is no evil in the city that the Lord has not done," He declares. He disowns sin alone, as stated in James 1:13, as if it were a bastard offspring of someone else, for He is "the Father of lights" (verse 17).
Secondly, God the Son underwent the utmost extremity of punishment for evil. He drank from a cup mingled by His Father, more bitter than if all the evils in the world were concentrated within it, and He drank it to the very dregs. However, not a drop of sin, even when sweetened with the offer of the entire world, could be tolerated.
Thirdly, the saints have chosen and embraced other evils as good and rejected the greatest worldly blessings as evil when they came into conflict with sin. Thus, "Moses chose to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin" (Hebrews
11:24–28). Similarly, Chrysostom, when threatened by Empress Eudoxia, responded, "Go tell her, I fear nothing but sin."
Fourthly, consider the devil himself, whom you all perceive as more full of mischief than all the evils in the world. He is referred to in the abstract as "spiritual wickedness" (Ephesians 6:12). Yet, it was sin alone that first corrupted him, and it is sin that possesses even the devils. He was once a glorious angel until he became acquainted with it. If a separation could be made between him and sin, he would be restored to a nature as good, sweet, and amiable as any creature on earth or in heaven.
Fifthly, although other things may be evil, it is only sin that renders a creature accursed. Just as all the good things in the world do not make a person blessed, not all the evils make them accursed. God does not say, "Blessed are the honorable and the rich," nor does He
say, "Accursed are the poor." Instead, He declares, "Cursed is the one who does not continue in all things" (Galatians 3:10)—cursed even for the smallest sin. Conversely, "Blessed is the one whose iniquities are forgiven" (Romans 4:7).
Sixthly, God hates nothing but sin. Even if all the evils were consolidated in one person, God would not simply hate them for that reason. He does not hate them because they are poor and disgraced but only because they are sinful. It is sin that He hates, as stated in Revelation 2:15 and Isaiah 27:11. Indeed, He hates sin alone. While other attributes are manifested in various effects towards different things—His love and goodness towards Himself, His Son, and His children—His hatred, which is as vast as His love, is poured out solely upon sin and limited entirely to it.
The question that remains is: What is the transcendence of evil present in its essence that makes sin surpass all other evils and causes God, Christ, the saints, and others to hate it more than any other evil?
The answer lies in the fact that sin is enmity with God (Romans 8:7).
Abstracts, as we know, speak of essences. The meaning is that sin is directly contrary to God and all that belongs to Him.
Firstly, it is contrary to His essence, to His existence, and to Him being God. Sin causes man to hate Him, as stated in Romans 1:30.
Just as "he who hates his brother is a murderer" (1 John 3:15), one who hates God may be said to be a murderer of Him, wishing that He did not exist. "Peccatum est Deicidium" (Sin is deicide).
Secondly, sin is contrary to all His attributes, which define His name.
People are protective of their names, and God's name is Himself. Sin causes a person to disregard God's goodness and seek happiness in
creatures, as if they could be happy without Him. It deposes His sovereignty and elevates other gods before Him. It scorns His truth, power, and justice, and it perverts His grace into licentiousness.
Sin is also contrary to whatever belongs to God or is dear to Him.
Moreover, a king holds three things especially dear to him: his laws, his favorites, and his image stamped on his currency. Likewise, God has these three things.
Firstly, His laws and ordinances: Sin has always violated every law that God has given. It is defined as "lawlessness" and "the transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). It is even described as "destroying the law" (Psalm 119:126). Know that the least bit of God's law is more precious to Him than the entire world. Before the smallest detail of His law is broken, heaven and earth will pass away.
Thus, the smallest sin, which is a violation of the least law, is worse than the destruction of the world. In relation to His worship (as if God could be envious of anything), sin perverts His ordinances into sin.
Secondly, concerning His favorites, God has only a few poor ones whom He loves. Sin has set its hatred upon them.
Lastly, in regard to His image, even within a person's own breast, the law of the members fights against the law of the mind and endeavors to expel it, even if a person should be damned for it (Galatians 5:17).
"The flesh," namely sin, "lusts against the Spirit" because they are contrary to one another. Indeed, sin, though it hates that image in others, still seeks to expel it within oneself. Such is the deadly hatred that a person hates themselves insofar as they are holy and sinful.
The magnitude of sin has now reached such heights that our thoughts can no longer follow it. Theologians say that it aspires to
infinity, its object of enmity being God, who is infinite. They tell us that sin itself is objectively infinite. I am certain that the worth of the offended party intensifies the offense; an offensive word against a king is high treason, surpassing even the greatest indignity toward another person. I am also certain that God was so offended by sin that, although He loves His Son as Himself, when Christ, who was without sin, was made sin by imputation, God "spared Him not."
Even though the creatures were incapable of delivering a blow severe enough, God Himself was "pleased to bruise Him" (Isaiah 53:10). He did not spare His own Son (Romans 8:32). His love could have overpowered Him and caused Him to overlook sin for the sake of His
Son. At the very least, a word from God could have appeased Him.
Yet, His hatred of sin and offense at it were so great that He poured out the vials of His wrath upon Him. Neither would entreaty suffice, for although He cried out with strong cries for it to pass from Him,
God would not relent until sin had been overcome.
And just as the offended party intensifies the offense, as mentioned earlier, the suffering party, being both God and man, confirms the abounding sinfulness of it. For what crime have you ever heard of a king being put to death? Their persons are considered to be of greater worth than any crime committed against them in a civil sense. Christ was the King of kings.
Yet, there is another consideration to fully comprehend the extent of its iniquity, and that is this: even the smallest sin, in its nature, virtually contains all sin to a greater or lesser degree. I do not mean to say that all sins are equal, hence the addition of "more or less." I prove it in this way: When Adam committed one offense, he contracted the stain of all sins. As soon as one sin seized upon his heart, he had all sins within him.
Thus, every sin in us, through a miraculous multiplication, inclines our nature more towards every sin than it was before. It deepens the pollution of our nature, not only regarding the specific type of sin it represents, but all others as well. Just as bringing one candle into a room causes the light to spread everywhere, and when another is brought in, the light increases even more, so it is with sin. The slightest sin cuts off the soul from God, and then it becomes ready to pursue every enticing vanity.
This demonstrates the fullness of its evil, for it contains not only all other evils in the world within itself but also all evils of its own kind.
It would be considered a strange poison if the smallest drop of it possessed the potency of all poisons. It would be a strange disease if the slightest infection caused the body to be susceptible to all diseases. Similarly, sin, even in its smallest form, makes the soul more inclined and susceptible to all sins.
And now you see that it is a perfect evil. Although it cannot be said to be the greatest evil in the full sense in which God is called the greatest good, because if it were as bad as God is good, how could He pardon it, subdue it, and reduce it to nothingness as He does? Then, how could it be subject to addition, when one sin is more sinful than another (Ezekiel 8:15, John 19:11)? However, it does bear some analogy to being the greatest evil, just as God is the greatest good.
Firstly, just as God is the greatest good to be loved for Himself, with other things being loved for His sake, sin is the greatest evil because it is to be avoided simply for itself. Other evils become good or even desirable when compared to sin.
Secondly, just as God is the greatest good because He is the greatest happiness to Himself, sin is the greatest evil to itself. There can be no worse punishment for sin than itself. When God delivers someone
over as an enemy with whom He will no longer deal, He hands them over to sin.
Thirdly, it is so evil that it cannot be given a worse epithet than itself.
Therefore, when the apostle wants to speak of it in the harshest terms and reach the highest level of expression, to the point of hyperbole, he calls it by its own name, "sinful sin" (Romans 7:13).
Just as in God, being the greatest good, "whatever is in God is God Himself" and His attributes and names are simply Himself, the same applies to sin. Whatever is in sin is sin itself, and so forth. It can be called no worse than by its own name, "sinful sin."
Now, what have I been speaking of all this time? Why, only about one sin in its general nature. There is not a person here who does not have millions of them, as numerous as the sands upon the seashore or as the atoms that would exist if the entire world were pulverized to dust. It surpasses even that in number. Therefore, before we proceed any further, let our thoughts pause here and marvel at the abundance of sin above all other things. Other things, if they are great, are but few in number, and if they are many, they are but small. The world is indeed immense, but there is only one of it.
Though the sands are innumerable, they are still small. Yet your sinfulness exceeds both.
Next, let our thoughts be directed towards deep and profound contemplation of our condition. If one sin abounds in this manner, what tongue can express or heart conceive the misery of those who, to use the apostle's phrase in 1 Corinthians 15, "are yet in their sins"?
They stand bound to God solely by their own individual bond, to answer for all their sins themselves. In their current state of impenitence and unbelief, they cannot plead the benefit of Christ's death to alleviate or remove the guilt of even one sin. All their sins
are still entirely their own, unlike those who are in Christ. Their own bonds have been canceled and handed in, and Christ has taken them upon Himself.
To properly characterize their condition, which is consistent with this expression:
Firstly, a person's sins can be said to be their own when they commit sin willingly, that is, with the complete disposition and inclination of their heart. In this way, the devil is said to sin (John 8:44), "out of his own," meaning that his entire being is involved. A person in Christ cannot be said to do this to the same extent, for they have a new creature within them that does not sin (1 John 3:1, 9). They can even say, even when they sin, "It is not I, but sin."
Secondly, sin is a person's own when they do not hate it but rather love it. As Christ said, "The world loves its own" (John 15:19), and likewise, a wicked person loves their sin "more than any good," as David described (Psalm 52:3).
Thirdly, a person nourishes and cherishes what is their own.
Therefore, Ephesians 5:29 states, "No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it." Similarly, when people have caterers and planners for their lusts and their chief concern every morning is what pleasures of sin they will indulge in that day, it is a sign that their sins are their own.
In short, when people live in sin, as expressed in 1 Timothy 5:6, "She who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives." When the comforts of their lives are derived from the pleasures of sin, providing them with all the necessities of life, when they "drink it in like water," consume the "bread of wickedness" without it troubling them, when they cannot sleep until they have engaged in or plotted mischief, when
violence and oppression cover them like a garment and pride adorns them like a chain, when doing wickedly becomes a pastime and a source of boasting, and when their health deteriorates and they become discontented when their lusts are unsatisfied, just as Ahab was for Naboth's vineyard, or when Amnon grew lean because he could not enjoy his paramour—all these things, as they live in their sins here, render them dead while they live and bring about misery, making the greatest evil their chiefest good. And when they come to die, as we all must one day, without knowing how soon or sudden it may be, we carry our souls—our precious souls, like precious water in a fragile glass that can easily shatter, and we are "spilled like water, which none can gather up again" (2 Samuel 14:14). Or we are like a candle in a paper lantern, surrounded by clay walls full of cracks, where a little cold breeze enters and extinguishes the candle. Without a thorough change of heart beforehand, a transformation from all sin to all godliness, they will die in their sins. The word "sins" encompasses all the utmost miseries, and that is why when Christ wanted to sum up all miseries in one expression, He told the Pharisees that they would "die in their sins" (John 8:28).
Now, let us further consider that if sin is so exceedingly sinful, then hell, which follows death, is likewise extraordinarily dreadful. It is implied to be a punishment without measure (Jeremiah 30:11, compared with Isaiah 27), "I will punish them as I punished you," says God to His own, "but I will punish you in measure." Indeed, since sin is committed against God, the King of kings, it can never be punished enough. Just as regicide is a crime so heinous among humans that no amount of torture can match its deserved punishment—we often say that all torments are too little and death is too good for such a crime—peccatum est Deicidium, as I said before, it is a destruction of God as much as lies within us. Therefore, only
God Himself can fully punish it. Thus, it is referred to as "falling into
the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31), which, as stated there, is "a fearful thing." For if His breath blows us to destruction (Job
4:9), as we are but dust heaps, and if His nod causes destruction (Psalm 80:16), for when He nods, it leads to destruction, then what is the weight of His hands—the hands that span the heavens and hold the earth in the hollow of them (Isaiah 40:12)? And if God takes it upon Himself to punish, He will undoubtedly do so to the fullest extent. Sin is the work of man, and punishment is the work of God.
God will display perfection in His work just as man does in his.
If sin is the all-encompassing evil, as I have said, containing all other evils within it, then the punishment God will inflict will also be the all-encompassing evil, containing within it all miseries. It is referred to as "a cup full of mixture," as mentioned in Psalm 75:8, into which God has poured the essence of all miseries. "The wicked of the earth must drink the dregs of it," even if it lasts for eternity. If one sin deserves a hell, a punishment beyond measure, what will millions upon millions of sins do? We read that "every sin shall receive a just recompense" (Hebrews 2:2). Therefore, let us be cautious not to die in our sins, and therefore not to live in them, for we will remain imprisoned until we have fully paid the price.
If all that I have said about sin does not instill in you a corresponding apprehension of its true nature, then I wish that, without danger, you could listen closely to the conversations about sin in hell. Stand behind the veil and hear sin being spoken of in its own language by the eldest sons of perdition. Listen to what Cain says about murdering his brother Abel, what Saul says about persecuting David and the priests of Jehovah, what Balaam and Ahithophel say about their cursed counsel and schemes, what Ahab says about oppressing
Naboth, what Judas says about betrayal. Hear the expressions they use, the horrors, the screams, the groans, the distractions when even
the slightest sin is discussed. If God were to take a person's soul and transport it to the third heavens, where they could witness grace in its fullest brilliance, and then lead them through the chambers of death, as Solomon calls them, showing them visions of darkness, and let them hear all those tormented souls cry out, one about this sin, another about that sin, and see sin as it appears in hell! But there is one more aggravation of the evil and misery that sin brings upon humanity, which I have not yet mentioned. It blinds their eyes and hardens their hearts so that they do not see or lament their misery until they are in hell, and then it is too late.
But wait, does sin exceed in sinfulness to such a degree that there is no name in heaven or earth capable of grappling with it and destroying it? Is there no antidote, no healing balm in Gilead that is more powerful than its deadly nature? Surely, there is. God would never have allowed such a potent and malicious enemy to set foot in His dominion if He did not know how to conquer it. And He does so not only by punishing it in hell but by destroying it. However, it can only be vanquished by Christ. Only He can bring about its demise, and in doing so, He receives the glory. This victory is the pinnacle of His glory as the mediator and His highest title, as indicated by the name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew
1:21). The apostle Paul, His chief herald, proclaims this victory with great solemnity and triumph: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:55). This victory further demonstrates the sinfulness of sin, for its strength was such that, like
Goliath, it defied the entire host of heaven and earth. "It was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin"
(Hebrews 10:4), nor would the wealth of the world or the blood of humans be sufficient ransom. "Will the Lord be pleased with rivers of
oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression?" No, for there is no proportion. Your firstborn is but the fruit of your body, while sin is the "sin of the soul" (Micah 6:7). Redeeming a soul requires a greater cost (Psalm 49:7). Even if you were to bring rivers of tears instead of rivers of oil—which, if anything could pacify God, would still be but the product of your emotions—sin is the sin of your heart.
Moreover, all the righteousness we could ever achieve cannot atone for a single sin. Even if it were perfect, it would still be "dung"
(Malachi 2:3) and a "menstruous cloth." You already owe it, for you are a creature, and one debt cannot cancel out another. If we were to beg all the angels who have never sinned, if they were to pool together all their resources, it would bankrupt them to pay for one sin. No, the merit of angels will not suffice, for sin is a transgression, a violation of the law, and even the smallest iota is worth more than heaven and all that it contains.
However, though sin is unconquerably sinful by all created powers, it has not surpassed the price that Christ has paid for it. The apostle compares sin and Christ's righteousness for this very reason
(Romans 5:15, 20). Yes, sin abounds, and it points to the sin of Adam, which stains the nature of all humanity until the end of time.
But the "gift of righteousness by Christ abounds much more," surpassing all bounds. Therefore, even though it would bankrupt all the angels, Christ's riches are unfathomable. He possesses such merit that He can pay off all your debts on the very first day of your union with Him, even if you had been a sinner for millions of years before the creation up until this day. And when that is done, there is still enough left to acquire for you more grace and glory than all the angels possess in heaven. In short, He is "able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him" (Hebrews 7:25), regardless of the magnitude of their sins.
But we must come to Him, to God through Him, and accept Him as our Lord, King, Head, and Husband, as He is freely offered. We must become one with Him, and our hearts must be forever divorced from all our sins. And why not now? Are we still expecting another Christ?
To allude to Naomi's words to Ruth, are there still more sons in my womb who can be your husbands? So I say, does God have any more such sons? Or is this Christ not good enough? Or are we afraid of being too soon in our happiness by being united with Him?
Yet, if we truly want Christ, without whom we are undone, "how then shall we continue in sin" (Romans 6), which is so exceedingly sinful?
Not even in one sin. The apostle speaks there with a language of impossibility and inconsistency. Christ and the reign of even a single sin cannot coexist.
Indeed, we will not even accept Christ until we have seen sin, to a greater or lesser degree, in this light—as He sees it—exceedingly sinful. Naturally, we disregard it, mock it, and consider it excessive piety to adhere to a conscientious attitude towards it. However, once sin is perceived by anyone in its true colors, that person will view even the slightest sin as equivalent to hell itself. They will be like a person frightened, fearing to encounter sin in all their ways, startled at its mere presence. They will weep if sin merely sees them and if they see it within themselves and others. They will cry out, as Joseph did, "How can I do this and sin?" Then that person will desperately seek after Christ, like a condemned man seeking life, as someone who can no longer live, exclaiming, "Give me Christ, or else I die." If, upon this plea, Christ reveals Himself to them and "manifests
Himself," as He promised to those who seek Him (John 14:21), their hearts will detest and abhor sin even more. They recognized its evil before, but now it takes on a new hue, making it infinitely more sinful in their eyes, for they now see every sin as guilty of Christ's
blood, tainted by it, though "covered by it." "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts" (Titus 2:11-12). The love of Christ compels them. They think, "Shall I continue in that for which Christ died? Shall that be my life which was His death? Did He, who never knew sin, endure torment for it? And shall I be so ungrateful as to enjoy its pleasures?"
No, just as David, when he was very thirsty and water from the well of Bethlehem was brought to him at the risk of men's lives, poured it out on the ground, saying, "Far be it from me, O Lord, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Similarly, even when the cup of pleasures is at their very lips, they think, "It cost the blood of Christ," and pour it out on the ground. The love of Christ compels them, and the power of Christ transforms them. Kings may pardon traitors, but they cannot change their hearts. However, Christ pardons none whom He does not make new creatures. "The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17), for He makes them friends,
His favored ones, to live with and find delight in. If a person puts on Christ, and has learned Him, as the truth is in Jesus, they put off, concerning their former conduct, the old man with its deceitful lusts
(Ephesians 4:21-22), and they cease from sin, that is, from the course of any known sin. These are the words of the apostle, and they will judge us. If we expect salvation from Him on any other terms, we are deceived, for Christ is "the author of eternal salvation to all who obey
Him" (Hebrews 5:9).
AGGRAVATIONS OF SINNING AGAINST
KNOWLEDGE
Because when they knew God, they did not give Him the glory and gratitude He deserves. Instead, their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.—ROM. 1:21.
The apostle emphasizes two general aggravations of the Gentiles' sinfulness in these chapters. Firstly, their lack of gratitude (verse 21), in which they "despised the riches of God's goodness" (chapter 2:4).
Secondly, their rebellion in sinning against knowledge, for "when they knew Him, they did not glorify Him as God." Among all the other sins mentioned, the apostle stresses that sinning against knowledge is the greatest. He presents a detailed indictment listing various sins, such as idolatry (verse 23), unnatural uncleanness
(verse 26), and all forms of unrighteousness (verse 29). Both at the beginning and end of this list, he highlights the aggravation that they sinned against knowledge in all these instances. In verse 18, he begins the indictment by proclaiming God's wrath, primarily because
"they suppressed the truth in unrighteousness," which was equivalent to committing all that unrighteousness in itself. And again, towards the end, when he pronounces judgment, he states that they knew the judgment of God against those who engage in such acts, yet they still committed them.
From this, it is evident that to sin against knowledge, whether by neglecting good deeds we know we should perform or committing sins we know we should avoid, is the most serious aggravation of sinfulness.
I include both sins of omission and commission, as the specific sins attributed to the Gentiles here encompass both categories. Failing to
glorify or worship God, as well as distorting His glory, constitutes sins against knowledge, just as telling a lie, stealing, perjury, murder, or drunkenness does.
Now, when I say that it is an aggravation to commit these sins, I mean that if you take any sin you consider the most heinous and examine it solely in its act, placing that act alone on one side of the scale—whether it be a sin of impurity or drunkenness—and on the other side, add this circumstance: that you knew it was a sin before and during the act itself. This alone outweighs, and even surpasses, the sin itself. Just as it is said of Herod that "he added this to all his other sins, that he imprisoned John" who exposed his relationship with Herodias, thereby making it equivalent to all his previous sins, the same applies here. In their unrighteousness, this was added— they suppressed the truth, the light of their consciences (which is like a prophet from God), in their unrighteousness (verse 18). Therefore, when Daniel wanted to convince Belshazzar that he deserved to lose his kingdom and that he could not "measure up" (Dan. 5:22), he placed something in the other scale to weigh him down and demonstrate his insignificance. In verses 21 and 22, he tells him how his father knew the God of heaven and how his knowledge resulted in seven years spent learning among wild beasts. Furthermore, he informs Belshazzar, "And you, his son, knew all this, yet you did not humble yourself." This aggravation outweighs everything else: he knew the God of heaven against whom he sinned, as well as the judgment upon his father for his pride. Additionally, Daniel tells him that he failed to glorify "this God, in whose hand is your life and all your ways."
I mention this passage, among many others, because it aligns with the theme in the text. I won't cite any more examples but will instead provide reasons and evidence to support it.
I. First, demonstrations.
The magnitude of this type of sinning can be demonstrated in various ways. We will illustrate it by comparing it to other forms of sinning.
To sin out of mere ignorance, where that ignorance is the sole cause of the sinning—meaning that if a person had known it to be a sin, they would not have committed it—does not make the act not a sin, although it diminishes it. As mentioned in Luke 12:48, "The one who did not know his master's will and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating," even though the action itself was deserving of punishment. This is because the act warrants it. The reason behind this is that once the law has been promulgated, as it was initially given to Adam and placed within his heart as the common inheritance of mankind (even though the tablets are lost), our ignorance does not render the law ineffective. The law of nature, which encompasses everything written in Adam's heart, remains binding because it was published within him and for us. However, positive laws, as I would call them, such as the command to believe in Christ, etc., which were newly delivered, only bind where they have been promulgated. When the book of the law was found, Josiah tore his clothes, for the ordinances had not been observed, even though they had been unaware of the law for many years. Yet, because they ought to have known it, he feared that wrath would come upon all Israel due to their ignorance. Leviticus 5:17 also indicates that sacrifices were required for sins committed in ignorance, although they lessen the severity of the sin, resulting in "fewer stripes."
Certainly, if ignorance lessens the guilt, knowledge aggravates it.
Contrariorum eadem est ratio—therefore, "the one who knows will