Sinfulness of sin - Venning - V - Section 3 commenced

Required reading
Sinfulness of sin by Ralph Venning (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example).  Begin Section Three by reading points 1 (God himself bears witness against sin) and 2 (Angels bear witness against sin).

My summary
Venning begins his section on the witnesses against sin by looking at the witness of God himself and angels (both good and bad angels).

God bears witness by:
(i) forbidding sin and making a law against it;
(ii) not allowing us to do evil that good may come;
(iii) threatening man;
(iv) being angry with the wicked;
(v) sin alone making God repent that he had made man;
(vi) many great and severe judgments;
(vii) sending his Son into the world to condemn sin and destroy it.

What grabbed me
I found helpful the section about God not wanting us to do evil so that good may result - particularly the anecdote about Augustine: 'When someone asked St Augustine whether he might tell a lie for his neighbour's good, Oh no, he said, you must not tell a lie to save the world. There is such a malignity in sin and it is so contrary to God, that it must not be done for any good. It is our duty to honour our father and mother, but this must be in the Lord; though it may be a duty to disobey, if not to hate father and mother, rather than obey them if to obey them will be disobedience to God. 'Whether it be better to obey God or man, judge you.' So God will not allow us to sin to gratify the greatest persons or our nearest and dearest relations.'

As soon as you begin justifying sins by the result you would always be able to find an excuse for your sin.  Better to be with Augustine and not tell a lie even to save the world!

Next week's reading
Continue reading Section Three by reading Point Three, 'The witness of men'.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.