SIN IS TOO EXPENSIVE by C. W. S.

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 15, 1877

SIN IS TOO EXPENSIVE.

By C. W. S.

Yes, and delaying to repent is dangerous. What has sin cost? There never have been printed enough books to contain a full answer to this query, had every page been devoted to that object; but the chief thing, that which outweighs all the rest in the terrible bill, is the death of the innocent Son of God.

When man put forth his hand, and partook of the forbidden fruit, he did it through listening to the reasoning of the arch deceiver, who accused God of falsehood, and charged him with deceit. Said Satan, “Ye shall not surely die.” This, as it was designed to be, was a direct contradiction of the words of God, an accusation of falsehood against the Creator. Satan continued, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then shall your eyes be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” To make his first statement appear reasonable, he asserts, God knows that if you eat of this fruit you will become as he is, you will become wise; and he is forbidding you this fruit simply for that reason. He knows you will not die; and he knows this fruit will increase your knowledge; and simply to keep you in ignorance, he withholds it from you.

Thus did this intruder argue. The woman listened, yielded, then persuaded her husband with the same arguments. In doing this, they forsook the counsel of God, disregarded the warnings of angels, forgot the gratitude they owed their Maker for the glory they had, and the pure comfort and happiness which every circumstance and everything around them was designed to give, turned from their friend, and listened to the insinuations and machinations of a stranger, one of whose character they knew nothing, who had never done them any good, who had no claim upon their attention.

It is an infinite wonder that the Son of God should offer to redeem man who had shown such base ingratitude in thus forgetting God and disobeying him. It is an infinite wonder that the Father should suffer his precious Son to undertake a work of such immense cost, when it would have been just to let man reap the fruits of his own planting. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Sin cost the life of the Redeemer, the life of him whose will it was the delight of angels to perform.

Adam soon saw what he had done; and when he was informed that the Son of God would provide a way of escape for him at the sacrifice of his own life, then he could see the enormity of his sin, and feel the infinite love of God in proposing thus to rescue him. Such a gift he could not feel free to accept. It were no wonder if he had said in grief, No, Lord, it is too great a price. Let us suffer the penalty. We are lost. Let not the innocent Son of God suffer this for us.

But the price has been paid. The ransom has been offered. We look back to the garden of Eden, and we view the failure of our first parents. We see not why they should have sinned. We consider their lost condition, and our heart is sad for them. We hear the plan of their salvation, and we are thrilled with gratitude for them. They must have been grateful for the prospect of again enjoying the glory and blessings they had lost.

How is it with us? We have the example of all the past before us, and yet we sin. The God of Adam is our God; the same holy law demands our obedience; yet we show the same ingratitude that Adam showed, the same spirit of disobedience grown a thousand times more strong. How ungrateful we are! We need not be lost forever because Adam sinned—if we are lost it will be on account of our own course. Christ died that all through him should be made alive. 1 Cor. 15:22. Then whether we die the second death will depend upon our own actions. John 5:29; Rev. 20:6. So we stand or fall independently of Adam’s sin. We shall be made alive, and if we have accepted of Jesus as our Saviour, if we have truly repented of having broken God’s holy law, and have found forgiveness through him who offered himself a ransom for all who would believe on him, then on us “the second death shall have no power,” but “we shall be priests of God and of Christ.”

Shall we scorn this offering? Shall we neglect it? Shall we not rather gladly, gratefully, speedily accept of this only means of escape from everlasting destruction? Dear reader, the days of your probation are being swiftly numbered with the past. Is it safe for you to wait till next year? Is it safe to put off your duty till next summer? next month? next week? Are you sure even of to-morrow?

Sin has cost the suffering, shame, contempt, and death, of your best friend, that lovely One who alone could ransom you. Will you let it also cost you the eternal joys of the life to come, the society of Heaven, of the dear ones who now sleep in Jesus, of the welcome smile of the Redeemer, and the glories of Paradise restored? Will you lose all these? Will you let your indulgence in sin cost you your eternal destruction with the wicked in the fire that God will rain down upon them? Rev. 20:9.

Jesus has opened a way of escape, an honorable way. O seek that way before it is too late. It is a humble way. Proud self must yield. We are utterly dependent—let us acknowledge it. We are weak and unworthy—let us feel it. God is good. He will try us, but he will help us. Follow his directions, and though the waves roll high, he will guide our ship; though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil: his rod and his staff shall comfort us. C. W. S.