Sin and Its Deceitfulness
By Editor
THE most terrible thing in the world is sin, and the most terrible feature of this most terrible thing is its deceitfulness. There is constant danger of being “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” It is only a variation of the same old story which is told to-day: “Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, . . . ye shall be as God.” But disobedience to God did not impart the divine attributes. On the contrary, instead of becoming as God, they became as the tempter himself, and the slaves of sin. And to-day there are many who, through the deceitfulness of sin, profess to be as God, but really reveal the attributes of Satan. “By their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” It was to those who professed much religion but possessed little that Jesus said, “Ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” Such is the deceitfulness of sin. SIN carries with itself and in itself its own result. “Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Sinning is dying. To choose to sin is to choose to die. “He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” If there had been no sin, there would have been no death in either the vegetable or the animal kingdom. The dead branches which in this wonderful spring season are not clothed with living green, and the dead leaves which cover the ground in the autumn, are testifying to the result of sin, just as much as the funeral processions and the cities of the dead. Those are really dead who are “dead in trespasses and sins.” Of the church in Sardis it was said, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” “She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” This is a living death indeed! To have all the appearance of life, and yet to be dead! What a terrible disappointment to some when they awaken to the fact that, although they professed to have life, they really did not have it. Life was manifested in them for a time, but they did not “lay hold on the life which is life indeed.” “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” WHAT a blessed thing it is that there is a remedy for sin and its consequences! “Salvation! O, the joyful sound!
'Tis pleasure to our ears;
A sovereign balm for every wound,
A cordial for our fears.” The gospel is the good news of the gift of Jesus as the means of salvation from sin and death. “He shall save his people from their sins.” “I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” But all this wonderful provision is in vain unless we actually accept it. Because of the terrible deceitfulness of sin, many refuse the offer of salvation. They make light of it, and go their ways, “one to his farm, another to his merchandise.” They tread under foot the Son of God, and do despite to the Spirit of grace. What wondrous love it is which renews the offer of salvation even after it has long been refused. Again and again the voice is heard saying, “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” THERE is only one life, and that is the life of God. He is the eternal God, and his life is eternal life. In the gift of Jesus that eternal life has been freely given to all, but is received only by believing. When this life has been refused until there is no hope that it will ever be received, the fixed choice results in the withdrawal of the offered life, and then comes eternal death. “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” “Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.” But every one who chooses eternal life may have it freely, and “when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life.” At the coming of the Lord all those who have made the unchangeable choice of life will have that choice sealed upon them by the change to immortality. “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. . . . Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Thus is mortality swallowed up of life. Sin, death; salvation, immortality—how can we hesitate in the choice which we make? “Choose you this day whom ye will serve; . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”