The Sinfulness of Sin

To understand grace one must understand sin...

Romans 5:20-21 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The depths of it, the wickedness of it, the sinfulness of it...

Romans 7:12-13 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.

A few quotes on the reality of sin from Ralph Venning, 17th Century:

"Carnal men. or sinners are called by the name of enemies to God... sin and its acts are expressed by names of enmity and acts of hostility, such as, walking contrary to God, rebelling against God, rising up against Him as an enemy, striving and contending with God, and despising God. It makes men haters of God, resisters of God, fighters against God, even blasphemers of God, in short - atheists, who say there is no God. It goes about to ungod God, and is by some of the ancients called Deicidium, God-murder or God-killing."

"In short, sin is the dare of God's justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, the contempt of His love..."

"The body is a body of sin, the members are servants to uncleanness and iniquity. Take him from head to foot, from the crown of the one to the sole of the other, there is no whole part of him; but all is filthy and full of putrefactions and sores... their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, with their tongues they use deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips, their throat is an open sepulchre, the eye-lids haughty, ears dull of hearing, deaf as the adder, the forehead is as impudent as a brow of brass, both hands are employed to work iniquity, the belly is an idol-god, the feet are swift to shed blood, the inward part is very wickedness, the gall is a gall of bitterness, the spleen is infected with envy and malice..."

"Poor soul! Can you find it in your heart to embrace such a monster as this? Will you love that which hates God and which God hates? God forbid! Will you join yourself to that which is nothing but contrary to God and all that is good? Oh say to this idol, this devil, get hence, what have I to do with you, you sorcerer, you full of malignity and mischief, you child, yea father of the devil, you who are the founder of Hell, an enemy to all righteousness, who ceases not to pervert the right ways of the Lord, and to reproach the Living God! Away! Away! Shall I be seduced by you to grieve the God of all my joy, to displease the God of all my comfort, to vex the God of all my contentment, to do evil against a good God, by whom I live, move and have my very being, Oh no!"