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How We View Sin
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.”
Jonah 3:6–8
After spending three days in the great fish God had prepared for him, Jonah must have been an amazing sight to behold when he appeared in Nineveh to preach of the judgment God would send if the people did not repent. It was not, however, Jonah’s appearance but his message that convicted the people of Nineveh. In response to Jonah’s message, the king of Nineveh declared a great demonstration of sorrow for sin—and a commitment to turning away from evil. In response to their heartfelt repentance, God spared the city from destruction.
Charles Spurgeon said, “Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin, a mourning that we have committed it, a resolution to forsake it. It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved.” One of the great problems in the church in our day is that we just don’t think sin is that bad. At least we act that way when it comes to the sins of our own lives. The sins of others may stir us to indignation, but our own sins we tolerate quite well. We need a renewed disgust and hatred of sin, viewing it as an outrage to our holy God.
Jonah 3:6–8
After spending three days in the great fish God had prepared for him, Jonah must have been an amazing sight to behold when he appeared in Nineveh to preach of the judgment God would send if the people did not repent. It was not, however, Jonah’s appearance but his message that convicted the people of Nineveh. In response to Jonah’s message, the king of Nineveh declared a great demonstration of sorrow for sin—and a commitment to turning away from evil. In response to their heartfelt repentance, God spared the city from destruction.
Charles Spurgeon said, “Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin, a mourning that we have committed it, a resolution to forsake it. It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved.” One of the great problems in the church in our day is that we just don’t think sin is that bad. At least we act that way when it comes to the sins of our own lives. The sins of others may stir us to indignation, but our own sins we tolerate quite well. We need a renewed disgust and hatred of sin, viewing it as an outrage to our holy God.
Today’s Growth Principle:
When we see sin the way God sees it, we will flee from temptation and walk in righteousness.
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