How God Takes Sin — E.A. Johnston

The Horror of Sin and Hell

I remember, a few years back, I was traveling from New England, where I had spent a great deal of time at the graves of four men, whom God has used mightily in revival. It was a solemn trip, as I visited the graves of D. O. Moody, George Whitfield, David Brainerd, and Azahel Nettleton.

And on the plane ride back, my thoughts were gripped with eternity, as I thought about how these men were used of God to save souls from the fires of hell. And the plane passed through a cloud formation, and as I looked down, I saw a vortex in the cloud density, and a swirling pit appeared which had no bottom.

It looked like a bottomless pit in the cloud. And as I looked at it in my mind's eye, I saw a multitude standing in line to go down into that pit, one drop down after another. I shuddered at the thought of the tears of hell because of sin.

The Church's Neglect of Sin

I believe one of my biggest heartbreaks is the fact that the church today has quit preaching about sin. For when you quit preaching about sin, you will quit preaching about hell. And if you quit preaching about hell, you will quit preaching about a cross and a blood-stained Christ who died for sin.

This is one of the main reasons why we have so many unconverted church members today who never first showed their need of a savior from sin. The doctrine of the sinfulness of sin is a missing doctrine in our churches today.

The Puritans preached often on the sinfulness of sin, and today, friends, I want to bring before you a message that, if you listen to it and take notes from it, will give you a vivid picture of how God takes sin.

God Takes Sin Seriously and Personally

And if you apply these truths to your life, they will keep you from sin. I will give you a breakdown scripturally of how God takes sin. Number one, God takes sin seriously. God drowned an entire world because of sin.

In Genesis 6 -12, we read,. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. This truth we know from our Bibles that God takes sin seriously.

Number two, God takes sin personally. In 2 Samuel 12, we see how God describes sin to King David through his prophet Nathan. God tells David,. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me.

Sin Separates from God and Constitutes Treason

God takes sin personally as a despising of him. Oh, friends, don't ever forget that God takes sin seriously, and he takes it personally. Number three, God takes sin as separating from him. In Amos 3 -3, we read,.

God sees sin as breaking fellowship with him, as walking away from him, as forsaking him, as turning our backs on him. Isaiah 1 -4 declares this. Ah, sinful nation! A people laden with iniquity! A seed of evildoers!

Children that are corruptors! They have forsaken the Lord! They have provoked the Holy One of Israel onto anger! They are gone away backward! So we see that God takes sin as separating from him. Number four, God takes sin as treason.

A sovereign God takes all sin as rebellion against his kingdom, a betrayal of his sovereignty, as Judas betrayed Christ. So sin is a rebel that betrays a sovereign king. In Matthew 22, we read,. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth, and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

God's Judicial Judgment Against Sin

God takes all sin as treason against him. Number five, God takes sin judicially. God sees sin as a violation of his law. We see this in 1 John 3 -4, which states,. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.

God deals with sin judicially. The sentencing of the law must be carried out by a just judge. This leads us to the biblical truth that God is a God that must punish sin. This doctrine is missing from our pulpits today, friends, that God is a God who will and must punish sin.

The Contaminating Nature of Sin

But in Proverbs 11 -21, we read,. Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished. It breaks me up to read it. I want us also to see, friends, the contaminating nature of sin. In Isaiah 1 -16, we see this principle.

Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. David knew the contaminating nature of sin when he wrote in Psalm 51,. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Sin's Damning Nature and Christ's Sacrifice

Proverbs 8 -36 declares,. Also, there is a damning nature of sin. Sin is eternally damning. In Ezekiel 18 -4, we hear God declare,. The cross is a declaration of how God sees sin. God sees his beloved Son as a bearer of sin.

Isaiah 53 declares,. So God sees his Son as a bearer of sin. God sees Christ as a sacrifice for sin. Galatians 1 -4 reads,. And in Ephesians 5 -2, we read,. And 3, God sees his dear Son as a remedy for sin.

Christ as the Remedy for Sin and the Call to Holy Living

John 3 -14 declares,. Listen, friends, I know I'm a sinner, and I need a substitute for sin, and folks today need to be shown that they need a remedy for sin before we tell them about the bloodstained Christ, who is the remedy for sin.

Well, I hope this message, friends, on how God takes sin will make a difference in how you treat sin. Let our prayer be, O great God, let me see sin as you see it so I can live above it by your power and preach against it by your Spirit for your glory in the salvation of souls.

Let us pray.