"Sin" Part 1

Corey and I decided that our study of Holiness is meaty enough to require us to share the load of posting summaries. We'll also be posting thoughts about the chapters in parts because there is a LOT of information in each chapter, and we realize that doing so might make what this amazing preacher has written more understandable and digestible.

Chapter 1 begins with Ryle's defense of opening his book with thoughts on sin. Addressing sin first is important because "wrong views about holiness are generally traceable to wrong views about human corruption." He reminds us that God sends light into our hearts to show us that we are guilty sinners, and Ryle then defines sin according to the Ninth article of the Church of England.

"...the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that is naturally engendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth away against the spirit; and therefore, in every person born into the world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation."

To put it more simply, he states that sin "consists in doing, saying, thinking, or imagining, anything that is not in perfect conformity with the mind and law of God." He then makes three points for us to consider about sin.

a) We can break God's law in heart and thought even though there's no "overt and visible act of wickedness." (Refer to the Sermon on the Mount--Matt. 5:21-28)

b) There are sins of omission and commission. (The first time I heard them described in this manner was when we began teaching our children the catechism.) In other words, "leaving done the things we ought to do (i.e. depart from evil, do good, pursue peace, etc.) and "doing the things we ought not to do" (i.e. thou shalt not bear false witness, etc.)

This particular point is one we are consistently stressing with our children. It is sin when we do not do what we ought to do. For example, if they've had a disagreement with one of their siblings, it is wrong to not pursue making things right. If they see one of their siblings in need, and they know they can do something to help them, but choose to go their own selfish way, that is SIN. Too often it is easy to think of only the things we actively DO in terms of sin.

c) Ryle then asks if sin is only sin when we are aware of it. His answer is no. "A man may commit sin and yet be ignorant of it, and fancy himself innocent when he is guilty." He references Leviticus where we're told of "sins of ignorance which rendered people unclean and needed atonement." Ryle also refers to Luke 12:48 regarding the man who did not know his master's will and was nonetheless punished, though with fewer stripes than the man who knew his master's will and did not do it.

He ends with this very appropriate caution:

"We shall do well to remember, that when we make our own miserably imperfect knowledge and consciousness the measure of our sinfulness, we are on very dangerous ground."

Indeed! "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9

Love,

Queen Mom