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IMPORTANT LESSONS "THE ASPECTS OF HOLINESS" |
| By John Charles Ryle |
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LESSON 1.
SIN ... sin is lawlessness (I John 3:4) A right knowledge of sin is the basis of a true understanding of Christianity. Without that such truths as justification, conversion' and sanctification are only words and names. The first thing that God does when he draws people to himself is to give them an inner awareness that they are guilty sinners . As the creation of the world began with the coming of light (Genesis 1:3) so this new awareness of sin is the beginning of the spiritual recreation of a person. God shines into our hearts by the Holy Spirit and then our spiritual life begins (2 Corinthians 4:6). 1. Some definitions of sin Sin is that vast moral disease which affects the whole human race. A sin consists in doing, saying, thinking or imagining anything which does not conform perfectly with the mind and law of God . The slightest outward or inward departure from complete agreement with God's revealed will and character is a sin and at once makes us guilty in God's sight. It is all too easy to break God's law in thought or desire when there is no visible act of wickedness. Our Lord settled that point beyond dispute in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-28). It is also easy to break God's law by omitting to do what He requires . Again, Jesus made this very clear: I was hungry and you gave me no food, thirsty and you gave me no drink (Matthew 25:41-43). And I must remind you that it is possible to commit sin and yet be ignorant of it. God's people Israel were taught that there are sins of ignorance (Leviticus 4) which our Lord confirmed when he said, the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten ... (Luke 12:48). We do well to remember that our imperfect knowledge is not the true measure of our sinfulness! 2. The origin and source of sin Our sinfulness does not begin from outside us, but from within. It is not the result of bad training in early years; it is not picked up from bad companions and bad examples. No! It is a family disease with which we are born, inherited from our first parents Adam and Eve. Sin entered the world through one man ... (Romans 5:12). The most beautiful baby born this year is not `a little innocent thing', but a little sinner. Only watch it develop and you will soon see in it the germs of deceit, bad temper, selfishness, self-will, obstinacy, greed, jealousy, passion-which if indulged and left alone will grow as rapidly as weeds in the garden. Who taught the child these things? The Bible alone can answer this question! From within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man `unclean' (Mark 7:21-23). 3. Concerning the extent of sin We must make no mistake about this; the only safe ground for our understanding is what the Bible teaches. Every inclination of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5); The heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). Sin is a disease which runs through every faculty of our minds; the understanding, the affections, the reasoning powers, the will, are all infected. Even the conscience is blinded so that it cannot be depended upon as a sure guide to right behaviour, unless it is enlightened by the Holy Spirit. All this may be hidden by an outward show of courtesy. It is true that many human beings have noble faculties and show immense capacity for excellence in art, science and literature. But the fact remains that in spiritual things we are `dead'. We naturally have no fear or love of God in our hearts. What is best in us is so mixed with corruption that the contrast only serves to show the extent of sin in us. The power of sin is such that, even after we have experienced conversion by the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we still feel its strength. We never rid ourselves of the roots of sin in us. Where believers are concerned, all we can be certain of is that sin is weakened and kept in check by God's grace' in us. But the battle we must fight daily between the desires of the flesh and of the spirit testifies to the enormous power and vitality of sin. I know no stronger proof of the biblical account of mankind's origin than this universality of sin. If we accept that all human beings have descended from one pair, and that pair rebelled against God, then the state of our human nature is easily accounted for. If we deny the Genesis story, as some do, then we have difficulty in explaining the amazing extent and power of sin today. Happy is the believer who understands the fact of sin, and can say `Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord' while never forgetting to watch and pray lest he or she falls into temptation. Concerning the wickedness of sin I do not think that we, with our inadequate conception of sin, can ever grasp the exceeding hideousness of it in God's pure sight. A blind person cannot tell the difference between a famous work of art and a crude village sign; a deaf man cannot tell the difference between a simple whistle and a great organ. Let us settle it in our minds that God's eyes are too pure to look on evil; he cannot tolerate wrong (Habakkuk 1:13) and that therefore the soul who sins is the one who will die (Ezekiel 18:4). Even from the lips of Jesus we have the words, They will go away to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). These are terrible words when we consider they are written in the book of a merciful God! But supremely, no proof of the foulness of sin is so overwhelming and unanswerable as the cross and the cry of our Lord, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). Not until Christ comes the second time shall we fully realise the `sinfulness of sin'. 5. Concerning the deceitfulness of sin The deceitfulness of sin can be shown by our readiness to make excuses for it and to minimise its guilt. We say, `It is only a little sin ... God is merciful ... we meant well ...one cannot be so particular ... where is the harm?' What do we mean? We mean that we are trying to cheat ourselves into believing that sin is not really so sinful. I fear we do not realise the extreme subtlety of sin. It rarely presents itself as sin, at first. What real reasons we have for humiliation and self-abasement; reasons to consider the need of a change of heart -the change which the Bible calls regeneration', new birth and conversion. On the other hand how thankful we ought to be for the gospel message, which tells us of the remedy for our disease. We need not be afraid to study the nature, origin, power, extent and vileness of sin if, at the same time, we look at the salvation provided for us in Jesus Christ. Where sin increased, grace increased all the more (Romans 5:20). 6. Some practical uses to which the doctrine of sin may be put a) In the first place a scriptural view of sin is one of the best antidotes to a vague and hazy kind of theology, which is so common: `something about Christ, something about grace, something about faith'. Such a vague theology neither exercises any influence on daily life nor gives peace in death. Those who submit to such a theology often realise too late that there is nothing solid or real about their religion. People will never set their faces decidedly toward heaven and live like pilgrims until they really feel they are in danger of hell because of their sin. We may depend upon it, people will never come to Jesus, stay with and live for him, unless they know why they need to come. Those whom the Holy Spirit draws to Christ are those whom he has convicted of their sinfulness. b) A scriptural view of sin is the best antidote to liberal and modernist theology. The tendency of this theology is to reject all dogmatic statements of truth and to try and convince us that everything is true, everybody is right and eventually everybody will be saved. The atonement' of Christ, the personality of the devil, the miracles of which Scripture speaks, the reality and eternity of future punishment - all these truths have been pushed aside in the mistaken belief that to do so will make Christianity more acceptable to modern ideas. c) A scriptural view of sin is the best antidote to a ceremonial, formal kind of Christianity. A little child is satisfied with toys and dolls so long as it is not hungry. So it is with us in matter of the soul. Once a person understands their sin and their need of a Saviour, then music, flowers, candles, incense, banners and man-made ceremonies will seem to him or her a sad waste of time. d) A scriptural view of sin is the best antidote to theories of sinless perfection. By all means let us aim high. But if people really mean to tell us that here in this world a believer can live for years in unbroken communion with God, I must say that such a view in unscriptural and dangerous. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). e) A scriptural view of sin is the best antidote to low views of personal holiness. It has long been my sorrowful conviction that the standard of daily life among professing Christians has been gradually falling. It may be that the increase of wealth has introduced a plague of worldliness and the love of ease. It may be that religious controversy has dried up our spiritual life. Whatever the reason, there has been of late years (i.e. the 19th century - Ed.) a lower standard of personal holiness than there used to be in the days of our fathers. I am convinced that the first step towards attaining a higher standard of holiness is to realise more fully the amazing sinfulness of sin. 1 Conversion . The Hebrew and Greek words translated `to have the meaning of to turn' `to change' i.e. to turn from sin to God. Conversion is the act of turning after Regeneration. 2 Grace. God's favour to his people in saving them through Christ. The term `free grace' emphasises that salvation comes because of God's grace alone and from nothing in believers. 3 Regeneration . The action by which God gives spiritual person; being `born again', becoming a `new creation'. 4 Atonement . Atonement is an inclusive word to describe all that Christ did towards God and towards His people by his death. Christ kept the law of God during His earthly life and by His death satisfied the demands made on sinners by the law of God. (Definitions taken from A Dictionary of Theological terms published by Grace Publications Trust) |