The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family

Sinfulness of Sin

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Family Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2010-08-01

Synopsis: John Weaver preaches from Genesis 39:9, focusing on Joseph's response to temptation: 'How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?' He argues that sin is primarily against a personal, holy God, not merely against others or ourselves. Sin denies God's sovereignty, rejects Him as the chief good, challenges His justice, despises His goodness, and treats Him and His Word as vile. Believers must adopt Joseph's attitude to live holy lives.

[John Weaver] I want you to open your Bibles, if you would please, today to the book of Genesis, Chapter 39. Genesis, Chapter 39. I want to share a message with you that the Lord impressed upon my heart many years ago. It has helped me immensely in my Christian life, and I hope that it will help you as well. I believe that for the true child of God, the greatest desire is to live holy, obediently and righteously before the Lord.

[John Weaver] And anything that we can find in scripture that will enable us to do that should indeed be received with thanksgiving. But notice Genesis chapter 39. And let's begin reading with verse four. Of course, this is where Joseph is in captivity. He's a slave. He's in Potiphar's house. And Joseph found grace in his sight and he served him. And they made him overseer over his house and all that he had, he put into his hand. And it came to pass over the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. And the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he knew not all he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person and well favored. And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, Lie with me.

[John Weaver] But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master whatteth not, or knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Sin is a small three-lettered word, and yet for a word so simple, so easily spelled, and so easily pronounced, it carries great consequences. Sin is something that is frequently committed, constantly denied, and strenuously rejected as the cause of all of our heartache, trouble, and helplessness. In fact, we usually use euphemistic terms in reference to sin.

[John Weaver] Euphemism is just a term where you make something much lighter. For instance, most people don't even talk about death. They talk about passing. And they don't talk about adultery. They talk about having an affair. In other words, it's a lighter term. Well, men do that with sin. For instance, men call sin an accident. God calls it an abomination. Men call sin a blunder, God calls it blindness. Men call sin chance, God calls sin a choice. Men call sin a defect, God calls it a disease. Men call sin an error, God calls it enmity. Men call sin fascination, God calls it a fatality. Men call sin good, God says it is godlessness. Men call sin luxury, and God calls it lawlessness. Men call sin infirmity, God calls it iniquity. God calls it madness, while men call it a mistake. Men always refer to sin as weakness. God says it is willfulness.

[John Weaver] And we do everything we can to water it down. And the interesting thing is when we begin to talk about sin, That usually which is discussed in reference to sin, the forefront is sin's consequences and especially its consequences upon us. Because we remember Romans 6 and verse 23, for the wages of sin is death, and we think about sin, how it kills us, and how sin, of course, hurts ourselves, our family, our friends, our society, and certainly sin brings all kinds of suffering, not only physically, but mentally, and spiritually, and emotionally, and financially. And the Bible says very plainly, in the book of Ezekiel chapter 18, verse 4, and verse 20, the soul that sith, it shall surely die. There are consequences to sin.

[John Weaver] And very obviously, one of the principles of Scripture makes this exceedingly clear. For God said, Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Do you remember one of my favorite verses in the book of Chronicles is found in 1 Chronicles chapter 4, where Jabez, the Bible says, was more honorable than his brethren. And he prayed to the Lord. And listen to what he prayed. It's a good prayer. He said, Lord, that thou mightest bless me indeed, and thy hand mightest be upon me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it might not grieve me. Very obviously, sin does indeed grieve us. Not only do we talk about the consequences of sin, we frequently talk about the fact that we're sinners.

[John Weaver] Everyone understands, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Everyone understands, wherefore, by one man sinned in the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for they had all sinned. We know that man is a sinner. The Apostle Paul said, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Even our Lord said in Luke 19, in verse 18, that He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Our Lord began His preaching ministry in Mark 1 verse 15.

[John Weaver] Then He said, Repent ye and believe the gospel. Now let me ask you a question. Why in the world do you need to repent if you have nothing to repent over? Why in the world do you need to believe if you're not an unbeliever? So very obviously we are sinners.

[John Weaver] Now it's not my intention today to discuss from our theology, that is, the doctrine of sin, at least not the full range of it. What I want to do today is show you very, I pray, very emphatically That we sin, when we sin, against a personal God. I want you to look what Joseph said in verse 9. And when I get started in just a moment, my entire message is going to be explaining this one phrase. Notice if you would, in verse 9, the latter part, Joseph asked this question, How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Now, I want to show you something. Joseph was a believer in a pagan household.

[John Weaver] His master's wife was wicked and ungodly. And the day came when his master's wife literally made a play for him. And when she did, I want you to notice that Joseph countered her with their illogical arguments, arguments that were exceedingly rational, Arguments that could be easily understood even by a heathen, for instance. Look, if you would, in Genesis 39 verse 7, And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused. And he said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master whatteth not, or knoweth not what is with me in the house.

[John Weaver] And he hath committed all that he hath into my hand." The very first thing he does is he emphasizes the trust that his master has placed in him. And Joseph is telling her it would be wrong and it would be wicked for me to betray that trust.

[John Weaver] Secondly, he argues that his master had promoted him to great authority in that house. He told her that no one else had any authority greater than his. Look in verse 9. There is none greater in this house than I. He had great authority. And so his argument here is he would be wicked and wrong to abuse and misuse this authority. Would to God our politicians understood that. See? But now watch it.

[John Weaver] He said, I'm in a position of trust. I'm not going to do that. I'm in a position of authority. I'm certainly not going to violate that position of authority. Then thirdly, he argues also upon the liberty and the freedom and the graciousness that his master had given him. He said that he's kept back nothing from him. In other words, Joseph is saying, look, I have anything I desire in this household. I have liberty. I have freedom. Everything that my master has, he's committed to my hand. I can do it.

[John Weaver] He doesn't even know what he has except what he eats. I'm in control of everything. And then fourthly, he argues the sanctity of marriage. He said in verse 9, He's not kept back anything from me except thee because thou art His wife. He said, I have no right to you. You are the personal property of your husband. He rightfully has kept you back from me, and I'm not going to violate any of these trusts or any of these positions of authority.

[John Weaver] But I want you to note something. While he argues with this woman logically and rationally, and he explains things to her, when it comes to himself, he says this in verse 9, How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? In other words, here's Joseph's argument for himself. He leaves all of these peripheral issues. Yes, all of those things would be sinful, and all of those things would be wicked, and all of those things would be wrong.

[John Weaver] But what he's saying, that is not the main point. The main point is this. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And in the Hebrew, it's really emphatic. He calls it this wickedness, this exceeding great one. And, of course, adultery was reckoned as a sin at that time just as it is now. And had Joseph committed that sin, very obviously it would have been aggravated not only by his position of trust, his position of authority, and all the favors and blessings that his master had given upon him and placed upon him, Had Joseph committed that sin, certainly it would have been against all of those things, but primarily he said it's going to be a sin against God. It'll be a sin against God's revealed will. It'll be a sin against God's righteous nature. It will be a sin against God personally. And so he said, how then can I do this great evil and sin against God? So Joseph said, I'm not about to comply with my master's wife. request.

[John Weaver] I'm just simply not going to do that. Had Joseph done so, certainly he would have sinned against his master. He would have sinned against his master's wife. He would have sinned against his master's household. He would have sinned against his family. He would have sinned against himself. Yet all of these trespasses were put kind of to one side and said, my greatest concern is that I'm going to sin against God.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Genesis 39, but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 51 very quickly, and I want you to see what David says in verses 3 and 4. Most of you are familiar with this passage. Notice Psalm 51 and verses 3 and 4. Look what David says. Psalm 51, verse 3. David is praying, this is one of his penitential psalms, he says, for I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me. And then he says in verse 4, against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in my sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Now, this is David's penitential psalm, one of them, where David is confessing and acknowledging his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and, of course, the murder of Uriah. But I want you to note what he says to verse four. He said, Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask several questions. Did not David sin against Bathsheba? Well, of course he did. Did not David sin against Uriah? He most certainly did. He had him murdered. And God charged David with Uriah's murder. He said, you murdered Uriah with the sword of the children of Ammon. Did not David sin against Bathsheba's household? And the answer is yes. Did he not only sin against her household, but he sinned against his family as well? He not only sinned against his family, he sinned against his kingdom because he was king. So my question is, how is it that in Psalm 51 and verse 4, David says, against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this wickedness in thy sight. He had sinned against so many other people, but yet he comes down to this one thing, against thee, thee only have I sinned. While David certainly had trespassed against all of these other people, David realized the great transgression that he had committed was primarily against God alone. His greatest sin was against God.

[John Weaver] Now there is a difference between Joseph and David. Now listen carefully. The iron of this truth that our God is a personal God, and that we are in a covenantal relationship with Him, and that He is our Father, and He is our holy, righteous Sovereign. The iron of this truth had previously entered into Joseph's heart, and when his master's wife made a play for Joseph, Joseph exclaimed, How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against my God?

[John Weaver] I'm not going to do it. David, on the other hand, sinned without thinking of the magnitude of his wickedness. But afterwards. When the reality of what he had really done sunk into his soul, David repented and David wrote eight penitential psalms saying, Lord, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've sinned against you. I've violated my word. So we fail to comprehend this one singular fact that while we sin against other people, our sin primarily is against the Holy God. You know, if you were to go through scripture and look at what in the ways that the Bible describes sin. For instance, sin is talking about acts of enmity and hostility against God. In Leviticus 26, it's talking about walking contrary to God. In Isaiah 1, it's called rebelling against God. In Isaiah 49, 45 and verse 9, it's called contending with God. And in Numbers 11, it's despising God. In other words, all of our sins have reference to God. Sin literally makes men haters of God. It makes men resistors of God, according to Acts chapter 7.

[John Weaver] It makes men fighters against God. It makes men blasphemers against God. It makes men deniers of God. Sin is so personally against God. If we understood If it really, really sunk deep into our souls, what our sin was actually doing, how it's not just grieving us, but it's grieving the Lord. And it's not just against our brethren, it's against the Lord. I want you to very quickly turn to several passages.

[John Weaver] I'm not going to go over all of these, but look in your Bibles to Judges chapter 10. and verse 10. I want you to see how the scripture repeatedly talks about sin being against God. So look in your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 10 and verse 10. Notice what the scripture says, Judges chapter 10 and verse 10. The Word of God says this, And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, Both because we have forsaken our God and also serve Balaam.

[John Weaver] Now note what they said though. We have sinned against thee. Turn right over to 2 Chronicles chapter 6 and look if you would please at verse 26. 2 Chronicles chapter 6 and verse 26. 2 Chronicles 6 and notice if you would please verse 26. When the heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, yet if they pray toward this place and confess thy name and turn from their sin when thou dost afflict them. Nobody said when they have sinned against thee. Skip down to verse 36. If they sin against thee, For there is no man which sinneth not, and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives into a land far off. Skip down, if you would, now to verse 39. Then hear thou from heaven, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer, and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee.

[John Weaver] So I don't care if you're looking in the book of Nehemiah. I don't care if you're looking in the book of Psalms. I don't care if you're looking in Jeremiah. I don't care if you're reading in Ezekiel or Ezra or Nehemiah. Notice when all of these men pray, they say, against thee, O Lord, have we committed these sins. To us belong confusion of faces. Thou art righteous, O God, but we have sinned against thee.

[John Weaver] So here's what I want you to think about today. I want you to think about that sin is against God personally. Every one of us have heard the old expression, out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind. You know, we see our brethren. And we can see the results of our sin against them. We can even see the results of our sin against our families. But you can't really see, in one sense of the word, the consequences of our sin against God. However, when you understand that He is a personal God, He is our God, He is our Father, It then makes things. A little more personal. Let me ask you, I want you to envision this.

[John Weaver] Suppose I stole some money. From Brother Tim. Here's my question, I've not only sinned against him. But do you think I'm going to be anxious to face him and to be around him? The truth of the matter is I don't want to face him. I don't want to be around him. Because I'm embarrassed, yes, he may have caught me or if he hadn't caught me, I still don't want to be around him because I'm afraid he might catch me.

[John Weaver] Do you realize that our sin affects God? In fact, the Bible talks about grieving him, vexing him, quenching him, angering him, provoking him, insulting him. In other words, we've got to come to the realization that our God is a personal God. Sin is so contrary to God and so contrary to the person and nature of God. You have to remember that God is holy. God's name is holy. And as His name is, so is He. In Exodus 15, verse 11, the Bible tells us that God is glorious in holiness. In Revelation 15 in verse 4, the Bible says, Thou only art holy. God is holy, all holy, only holy, altogether holy, and always holy. And so sin is always sinful, it is all sinful, it is only sinful, and it's always sinful. As there is no sin in God, there is no holiness or good in sin. Holiness is the attribute of God which frees God not only from evil itself, but from all appearance and suspicion of evil. That's why He said, Let no man say, When he is tipted, I am tipted of God.

[John Weaver] For God cannot be tipped with evil, neither tipteth any man. The Bible tells us in the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1 and verse 13, that God is of pure eyes and behold evil and canst not look upon iniquity. That is, God may look upon it to judge it, but He cannot look upon it approvingly. He cannot look upon it condoningly. Why? It's totally, absolutely contrary to Him. So Joseph said, how then can I do this wickedness and sin against my God? I want to try to show you from Scripture today how sin affects God. I want to show you how absolutely blasphemous and wicked and insulting sin is to our gracious, sovereign, heavenly Father. Here's the first truth. Listen carefully. Sin, if possible, would depose and dethrone God. Do you realize sin will not allow God to be on his throne? If it could, it would depose and dethrone God. Sin does not want God to rule and control the world that he's created. Sin desires to rule.

[John Weaver] All you have to do is read Romans chapter 6, verses 11 through 22, where the Apostle Paul is telling us as Christians, likewise reckon you yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Now listen, let not sin therefore have dominion over you. Sin wants to reign as a king. And the whole thrust of Romans chapter six is that we have been delivered from the kingship and the dominion of sin. We may be sinners, but the difference between a Christian and non-Christian is sin does not reign over us. Jesus Christ reigns over us. Jesus Christ is Lord and sin is not Lord, but sin, if it could, would dethrone God and reign as God itself. Do you remember the attitude of Pharaoh in Exodus chapter 5? When Moses came up and said, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let my people go. How did Pharaoh respond? He said, who is the Lord that I should obey his voice, let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

[John Weaver] What was he saying? I don't recognize God. I don't recognize his sovereignty. His word means nothing to me. I don't have to obey Him. He's not my God. No, no, no. I will not let Israel go. You know, that is the attitude of sin. That is what sin says. I don't recognize God's sovereignty. God doesn't order me around. God has no right to tell me what to do.

[John Weaver] That's why in Psalm 12 and verse 4, we read this, who say with our tongue, we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us? What blasphemy! In Jeremiah 2, in verse 31, sin is so bold to say, we are lords. We'll not come to thee anymore. And do you remember that passage in the New Testament? In Luke chapter 19, in verse 14, where those wicked men sent word and said, we will not have this man to reign over us. That's the attitude of sin. Sin, if it could, would depose our sovereign God and rule and reign in our lives and keep us under its dominion. It would deny God's sovereignty that it might be sovereign.

[John Weaver] The scriptures are exceedingly clear. There's only one sovereign, and that is our God. And when you and I sin, hang on, In one sense of the word, we're denying God's sovereignty. We're kind of saying, God really doesn't have authority in this area. God really can't tell me what to do right here because I'm going to do in this area exactly what I want to do. So it kind of pigeonholes God and puts him sovereign over all of these other things, but not sovereign over this thing. So sin will deny the sovereignty of God. Don't you listen, secondly, sin is also a denial of God as the chief good. Our Lord in Matthew, chapter 19, verse 17, says there is none good but one. That is God. Do you realize that God is not only good, he's the chief good. He is the sum and substance of all good. As God is necessarily God, likewise He is necessarily good. He is perfectly, immutably, infinitely, essentially, and necessarily good.

[John Weaver] There is sufficient goodness in God to satisfy our every desire and our every longing. However, when we sin, we deny that truth. Our attitude and our actions when we sin indicate that we do not believe that God is sufficient to satisfy us. Do you realize that every prodigal that leaves a father's house confesses and acknowledges that God is not good enough, God is not sufficient, it's better somewhere over here? Every Achan admits to the fact that God is insufficient to satisfy him. He needs his lust. He needs his covetousness. He needs his desires to be taken care of. God is not sufficient for that. Every demon who forsakes and loves God and loves the world more is confessing and acknowledging that God is insufficient. God is not the chiefest good. Sin is better than God. My desires are better than God. My lusts are better than God. My thoughts are better than God. So when we sin, we're not only denying God's sovereignty, we're denying the fact that God is our chief good. We no longer confess Him and acknowledge Him to be our chief good.

[John Weaver] Rather, we're saying that sin is what we really need to satisfy us. I don't know about you, But I tend to think God would look upon that as blasphemy. I don't think he'd be pleased with that attitude. I believe it would be insulting to him. How in the world could Joseph say, how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? What is he saying? My sin would be in denial of God's sovereignty. My sin would be in denial of God as chief good. Thirdly, sin would be a denial and a challenge of God's justice.

[John Weaver] I want you to listen to this. In the book of Malachi, chapter 2 and verse 17, here's a verse that illustrates how sin will challenge the justice of God. The Word of God says, you have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, Wherein have we reared him? When you say, everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or where is the God of judgment? Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord? I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 9.

[John Weaver] Let me show you something. Deuteronomy chapter 9. I want you to watch this. Look if you would please at verse 8 and verse 9 first. Deuteronomy 9 verse 8. Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry with you to have destroyed you. When I was going up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water." Now note if you would, in verse 8 they provoke the Lord to such an extent that God was angry and ready to destroy them.

[John Weaver] But they're challenging God's justice. Skip down to verse 18. And Moses said, And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first forty days and forty nights I did neither eat bread nor drink water, because all of your sins which you sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. And I was afraid of the anger and the hotness pleasure wherewith the Lord was wrath against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened to me at that time also." Now, notice what Moses said. Man, he said, I was afraid. I was afraid God was fixing to wipe you out. You know, it's interesting. That many times, or not many times, but at least several times, God told Moses, step aside.

[John Weaver] I'll kill all of them. And I'll make a greater nation out of you." And Moses would fall down and pray, Lord, please don't let that happen. Lord, don't do this. Lord, remember this. Lord, remember that. There's a few times Moses got so exasperated, Moses said, Lord, kill them all. God said, no, I'm not going to do that for my great namesake. If Moses and God ever got together, there wouldn't have been one of them left, I can assure you.

[John Weaver] But I want you to note what he said. They challenged God. What did they do? They were actually daring God to do His worst. Here's what they were saying. We're going to sin. We're going to do what we want to do. And God, I challenge you to do what you say. I challenge you to kill me. I challenge you to wipe us out. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 50. Psalm 50. Men wickedly challenged God. And what they don't understand is, thank God for his long suffering. But one of these days, God's going to take him up on that challenge. Notice if you would Psalm 50, and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Psalm 50, verse 16. Look what God says.

[John Weaver] But unto the wicked God saith, What is thou do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hadest instruction castest my words behind thee? Now look, when thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him. and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother. Thou slander'st thine own mother's son." Now look what God says,"'These things hast thou done.' And I kept silence. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such and one as thyself. But I will reprove thee, and I will set them in order before thine eyes." What did God say? You keep challenging me. You keep denying my justice.

[John Weaver] You think I'm like you. But God said, I've got news for you. I'm going to reprove you and I'm going to set your sins in order before your eyes. And when God does, he is going to demonstrate his justice. You'll find the same thing in Psalm 10, verses 1 through 10. You'll find the same thing. In fact, go to Psalm 94. Turn over to Psalm 94. Psalm 94, my goodness. Psalm 94, look at it, if you would please, beginning there with verse one. Oh, Lord, God, to whom vengeance belongeth, O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of all the earth.

[John Weaver] Render a reward to the proud. Now look what the psalmist asks. Lord, How long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things, and all the workers of iniquity do boast themselves? They yet break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the wit and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, you brutish among the people, and you fools, when will you be wise?

[John Weaver] He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastised the heathen, shall not he correct? He that teaches man knowledge, shall he not know? What are they saying? They commit all these sins, and they say, God doesn't know. God doesn't see. God is not going to do anything. They're challenging God.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you, what the wicked do boldly and brazenly, We do secretly. Because somehow we think that we can sin and get by with it. Let me explain something. And this is the thing that grieves my heart. It grieves me in my own life. And it ought to grieve you. You know, I do not think for one minute There's a drunkard in this room. I don't think there's an adulterer in here. I don't think there's a murderer in here. I think God's people are here.

[John Weaver] But do you understand it is not sufficient as a child of God to abstain from fleshly sins? We should abstain from fleshly sins. But you remember that passage in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. Let me just quote it. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved. Now listen to that. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh. And of the spirit. Perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

[John Weaver] You know, it's our thoughts that are often wicked. It's our pride that enters in. It's our bitterness. It's our resentment. It's our failing to keep our hearts, to keep our minds. And do you realize that sins of the spirit are just as equally sinful as sins of the flesh? Sin is sin. All sin is a violation of God's law. All sin grieves God. All sin quenches God, all sin vexes God. And when we sin, it is an affront to God. It is, in essence, a slap in God's face, challenging Him to exercise justice.

[John Weaver] I had a friend who is now dead. The man was about six foot four. I am not exaggerating. He had shoulders this long and this thick. He owned a gym. He was a bodybuilder. He probably had more muscles in his little finger than I did just about in my wrist. And I do have a bad back. And there are occasionally, occasionally I have to wear a back brace. But I saw my friend standing on the sidewalk one day. And he was talking to another man and I hadn't seen him in a while.

[John Weaver] So I stopped the truck. I got out and I started walking toward him. And he was a professing Christian. And when I got to him, I put my hand on my back like this. I said, you know, you're really blessed today. He said, how's that? I said, well, when I got up this morning, I just felt like fighting and whipping somebody. And I said, I saw you standing on the street corner and I thought, well, there's the man I want to whip. And I said, I started walking over to here to you. And just as I touched my back, I felt this back brace. And I said, you better be thankful I've got this back brace on or I'll just whip you right here. He laughed. He said, well, preacher, he said, if you ever get the back brace off, please come again.

[John Weaver] I said, brother, let me tell you something. You couldn't pour me all over you if I was water. But now, would I not have been an absolute fool to go over and try to start a fight with such a man? But, you know, we do that with God all the time. We slap God in the face with our sins, our sins of of the spirit, we slap him in the face and dare him to chastise us. We dare Him to whip us. We dare Him to judge us.

[John Weaver] Sin not only denies God's sovereignty. It not only denies God His chief good. Sin is an affront to God. It challenges God's justice and dares God to do His worst. I don't know about you. But I'm not interested in jumping on a holy, sovereign, omnipotent God, who all he has to do is withhold my breath and I can do nothing. Fourthly, I want you to note that God, that sin despises the riches of God's goodness.

[John Weaver] If you look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 2, Romans chapter 2. You know this passage. This is such an amazing passage to me. Look in Romans chapter 2 verse 4. Or despises thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasures up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note what the Bible says. Look in verse 4,"...or despises thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering." Can you say the word ungrateful? Can you say the word unthankful? The goodness of God is that attribute of God where God is good to all of His creatures, even those that are unthankful and ungrateful. Thankfully, the Bible tells us in Psalm 52 and verse 1 that the goodness of God endures continually. And God continues to provide for us even when we sin against Him. Now I want you to look at verse 4. Or despiseth thou the riches of his goodness? God.

[John Weaver] Let me put it like this. Maybe I'll get to preach on it. I don't know. But you know why you did not die last night? You know why you were able to open your eyes alive this morning? I'll tell you why. It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, because His compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. If God's compassions or mercies had not been given to you during the night, you would never have waken this morning. God is good.

[John Weaver] There is no two ways about that. And His goodness, of course, extends to all of His creatures. But I want you to note what verse 4 says, or despises thou the riches of His goodness. You know what we do? We take God for granted. We assume that God is going to give us breath. We assume that God is going to give us health. We assume that God is going to give us life. We assume that God is going to feed us. We're assuming that God owes us. God does not owe us anything. Except justice, and I got news for you, I don't want that.

[John Weaver] But what do we do? We despise God's goodness. We're not thankful for traveling mercies, we're not thankful for daily mercies, we're not thankful for our food. I never will forget. Years ago, Harlan Popov was in our church. He was for 14 years in Romanian prison. And he went from our church to another church where I knew the pastor. And they took him out to a restaurant. And all that food was brought before him.

[John Weaver] And Popov pull back his chair, drop to the floor on his knees, and in a loud voice, Oh, God, I thank thee and begin to pray and thank God. Of course, everyone in the restaurant stopped eating and turned to look. My pastor friend said, you know, at first I was embarrassed. And then I got embarrassed that I was embarrassed. He said, if I'd lived on ranch for 14 years as well, he said, I might learn to be thankful for my daily bread.

[John Weaver] I want you to think about that, folks. When we despise God's goodness, here's what happens. God does not instantly slap us down. Rather, he forbears. He continues to bless us. And guess what? When the end of his forbearance is reached, then his long suffering comes in. I love the word for long-suffering. I'll tell you what it is. Macrothumia. It literally means to be great or long nostrils. Really. I want you to notice something.

[John Weaver] When you start getting angry, you do this. your nostrils start flaring. The longer the nose and the bigger the nose, the more indiscernible that flare is. In that sense, God is long-nostriled. You can't tell that that anger is building up. And He just does that long. But then after His goodness is despised, His forbearance is despised. His long suffering comes to an end. And then it's when we find out that he is indeed a holy, just God. And what he says is sin is a despising of his goodness. Can you imagine?

[John Weaver] Stop and think about this. Can you imagine taking the money that God has so graciously allowed you to have. And spending it on sin and that which is wicked and contrary to God. Can you think about taking your food that God has given you and being ungrateful and unthankful, or maybe even offering it to some dumb idol? That's what they did in the Bible many times. They took, and that's why God complained against them. God said, I gave you the wine. I gave you the corn. I gave you everything. And now you turn around and give it to a dumb idol.

[John Weaver] Instead of being thankful and grateful to me, you insult me. Sin despises the goodness of God. I want to show you something else. to 2 Samuel chapter 12. 2 Samuel chapter 12. And to me, this last point is the one that is so exceedingly grievous. Everyone knows the story of David and Bathsheba. Everyone knows the story how Nathan came to David and gave him this story. And when David was incensed, he said, the man that had done this thing shall surely die. Nathan just pointed his long bony finger and said to David, Thou art the man. You've done it. I want you to look in Second Samuel, chapter 12.

[John Weaver] And let's begin reading with verse five. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die, and he shall restore the Lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, because he had no pity. And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom. And I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah.

[John Weaver] And if that had been too little, I would have more of a given you such and such things. Now watch what he said. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."

[John Weaver] Sin is not only a despisement of the Word of God. It is a despisement of God himself. When you and I let our thoughts wander. When we let our desires run rampant. When we think on things we should not. First and foremost, we are despising the Word of God. And secondly, we're despising God Himself. And the word literally means to treat as vile, worthless, despicable. When we choose sin, we are treating God's Word and God Himself as being vile and worthless and despicable. In Numbers 11 and verse 20, the Bible tells us that Israel despised God in their rebellion. In Numbers 15 and verse 30, the Word of God says this, Because he has despised the Word of the Lord, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off, his iniquity shall be upon him. What is sin? It is a despisement of God's Word and a despisement of God.

[John Weaver] Let me just try to boil this down for you. 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 upbraiding of His providence, the scoff of His promise, the unbelief of His word, the denial of His authority, and the despisement of His person and the reproach of His wisdom. Sin is against God, a personal God.

[John Weaver] How can we not come to the same conclusion that Joseph did? How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. We must remember the august, majestic and sovereign God the next time we consider sinning. And by the way, folks, Please understand this. Sin does not just happen. I've had people tell me, well, Brother Weaver, I didn't mean to sin. It just happened. That's hogwash. If there's a hundred dollar bill laying down there and I come up to steal it, I see it and I think about it before I take it. Well, I didn't mean to run off with that man's wife. It just happened. That's not true, folks.

[John Weaver] You thought about it before you ever did it. There is no such thing as a sudden sin. And the next time the thought of sin comes through our mind, we have to understand that that sin is an insult to the sovereign God of heaven and earth. It is an attack upon His person, an attack upon His power and His position. It is a despising of Himself and His Word. We not only have to consider what will sin do to me, what will sin do to my family, what will sin do to my church, we have to consider what will our sin do to the sovereign God of heaven and earth.

[John Weaver] How can we do this great wickedness and sin against God? The awfulness of sin is seen in its hatred of God. Let me just quote the scripture. I know that you can quote it. Romans 8. The natural mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, so then they that are in flesh cannot please God. The natural mind is enmity against God. The word enmity is a strong word for hatred.

[John Weaver] Our minds are supposed to be renewed. We are to have a mind of Christ. We are to have his word in our mind. But when we reject and despise that word, we come back to an old natural mind. And guess what? It is hatred of God. That's why God said, you despise my word. You despise me. You know what God said in Jeremiah 44 and verse four, he said, How be it I send unto you my service, the prophets rising up early and sending them and saying, listen, oh, do not this abominable thing which I hate.

[John Weaver] Let me spell it out to you. God hates sin. And sin hates God. Every gardener hates weeds. And every gardener hates them even more when they're in his garden. You know. I came to this conclusion a long time ago. If sinless perfection is a heresy, and it is. I believe an equal heresy is thinking that we have to sin. When John wrote, My little children, these things I write unto you, that you sin not. But, he said, if you sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

[John Weaver] You know what the Bible said, you can quote it, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee. Oh, let me not wander from Thy commandments. Are you listening? Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee." While I certainly do not agree with the theology of Dwight L. Moody, I do agree with one thing that he did. He wrote in the fly leaf of his Bible Either this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.

[John Weaver] We have to come to this realization if we want to live holy, godly lives, if we want to live like Christ and have the mind of Christ. We have to come to the same attitude that Joseph did. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? I don't care what the sin is. It doesn't have to be adultery. It doesn't have to be murder. It can be bitterness. It can be resentfulness. It can be gossip. It can be pride. It can be arrogance. It can be any sin. We have to come to the realization that sin is against God. And if we want to live a holy, godly life, we have to know what our sin does to our God.

[John Weaver] I love that passage in John 8, I believe it's verse 27, where our Lord said, Father, I know that thou hearest me always. For I do only those things which please you. Would to God that we would learn to pray in our daily lives, O Father, help me to do only those things which please you. And we can only do that. when we have the same attitude about sin that God does. And when we understand that when we sin, we sin against God. It's a despisement of Him. A despisement of His Word. How can we profess to love Him in one breath? And then turn and do that, which is contrary to him in the next breath. How can we say, yes, father, I love you, but.

[John Weaver] I don't think I would make my wife happy if I told her I love her, but. I'm going to see another woman next week. I don't think she would really believe that I genuinely loved her. And if you take the attitude, Lord, I love you, but I'm going to have my way in this. I want to give you one illustration. Years ago, there was a man in our church. He had two children.

[John Weaver] We had a Christian school. His children were doing poorly. I called him in and talked to him. The man was a hunter and a fisherman. Now, he worked. He worked hard. He made good money. But his son took the attitude, well, a real man only hunts and fishes, doesn't have to study. I kept calling him in, explaining things to him, talking to him. Finally, we had to expel his children. So I called him back in one last time.

[John Weaver] He stood in front of my desk. Did not sit, he just stood. I explained to him church discipline. I explained to him what needed to be done. I gave him chapter and verse for everything that I said. I opened the Bible. I showed him. When I got through, here's what he said, I've never forgotten his words. He said, Pastor, I know you're right. I know the Bible's right.

[John Weaver] But I'm going to have to handle this my own way. So instead of facing church discipline and letting us work with the children and the family, they left the church. The daughter turned out to be basically a prostitute. The son turned out to be a drunkard and a dopehead. And that family, that husband and that wife, had to sleep at night with a loaded pistol by their bed to protect themselves from their own son, who threatened to kill them innumerable times. They had to call the law and have their own son arrested a number of times.

[John Weaver] Finally, the young man in his early 20s got drunk, went to sleep in his car that was parked on a railroad track. After they gathered up the remaining pieces when the train went by, they identified him only by his teeth.

[John Weaver] Here's a man who lost his family because he, in essence, despised God and God's Word. That's what sin does. It's not just what it does to us. It's what it does to God. How, then, can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We ask, Lord, that You make us holy, make us godly, make us heavenly, Father. Conform to the image of Jesus Christ. And help us, Lord, never to forget this verse.

[John Weaver] Sear it into our minds. how we can do this great wickedness and sin against our God. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In my name we pray, Amen.

Sinfulness of Sin

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	8110164173
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family
Genre	Sermon
Date	2010-08-01
Dictation Name
Book	Book 027: The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order — Chapter 12
Source Timed Segments	80

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Desire for Holiness

Weaver introduces the message as one that helped him live a holy life, emphasizing that the true child of God desires to live righteously.

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would please, today to the book of Genesis, chapter 39. Genesis, chapter 39. I want to share a message with you that the Lord impressed upon my heart many years ago. It has helped me immensely in my Christian life, and I hope that it will help you as well. I believe that for the true child of God, the greatest desire is to live holy, obediently, and righteously before the Lord.

Joseph's Temptation and Logical Arguments

Joseph refuses Potiphar's wife by appealing to trust, authority, liberty, and the sanctity of marriage, but his ultimate reason is that it would be a sin against God.

And anything that we can find in Scripture that will enable us to do that should indeed be received with thanksgiving. But notice Genesis chapter 39. And let's begin reading with verse 4. Of course, this is where Joseph is in captivity. He's a slave. He's in Potiphar's house. And Joseph found grace in his sight and he served him. And they made him overseer over his house and all that he had, he put into his hand. And it came to pass over the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. And the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he knew not all he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person and well favored. And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, Lie with me.

But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not, or knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Sin is a small three-lettered word, and yet for a word so simple, so easily spelled, and so easily pronounced, it carries great consequences. Sin is something that is frequently committed, constantly denied, and strenuously rejected as the cause of all of our heartache, trouble, and helplessness. In fact, we usually use euphemistic terms in reference to sin. Euphemism is just a term where you make something much lighter. For instance, most people don't even talk about death. They talk about passing. And they don't talk about adultery. They talk about having an affair. In other words, it's a lighter term. Well, men do that with sin. For instance, men call sin an accident. God calls it an abomination. Men call sin a blunder, God calls it blindness. Men call sin chance, God calls sin a choice. Men call sin a defect, God calls it a disease. Men call sin an error, God calls it enmity. Men call sin fascination, God calls it a fatality. Men call sin good, God says it is godlessness. Men call sin luxury, and God calls it lawlessness. Men call sin infirmity, God calls it iniquity. God calls it madness, while men call it a mistake. Men always refer to sin as weakness. God says it is willfulness.

And we do everything we can to water it down. And the interesting thing is when we begin to talk about sin, that usually which is discussed in reference to sin, the forefront is sin's consequences and especially its consequences upon us. Because we remember Romans 6 and verse 23, "For the wages of sin is death," and we think about sin, how it kills us, and how sin, of course, hurts ourselves, our family, our friends, our society, and certainly sin brings all kinds of suffering, not only physically, but mentally, and spiritually, and emotionally, and financially. And the Bible says very plainly, in the book of Ezekiel chapter 18, verse 4, and verse 20, "The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die." There are consequences to sin. And very obviously, one of the principles of Scripture makes this exceedingly clear. For God said, "Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Do you remember one of my favorite verses in the book of Chronicles is found in 1 Chronicles chapter 4, where Jabez, the Bible says, was more honorable than his brethren. And he prayed to the Lord. And listen to what he prayed. It's a good prayer. He said, "Lord, that thou mightest bless me indeed, and thy hand mightest be upon me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it might not grieve me." Very obviously, sin does indeed grieve us. Not only do we talk about the consequences of sin, we frequently talk about the fact that we're sinners.

Everyone understands, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Everyone understands, "Wherefore, by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." We know that man is a sinner. The Apostle Paul said, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Even our Lord said in Luke 19, in verse 10, that He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Our Lord began His preaching ministry in Mark 1 verse 15. Then He said, "Repent ye and believe the gospel." Now let me ask you a question. Why in the world do you need to repent if you have nothing to repent over? Why in the world do you need to believe if you're not an unbeliever? So very obviously we are sinners.

Now it's not my intention today to discuss from our theology, that is, the doctrine of sin, at least not the full range of it. What I want to do today is show you very, I pray, very emphatically that we sin, when we sin, against a personal God. I want you to look what Joseph said in verse 9. And when I get started in just a moment, my entire message is going to be explaining this one phrase. Notice if you would, in verse 9, the latter part, Joseph asked this question,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 39:4-9

"How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"

Now, I want to show you something. Joseph was a believer in a pagan household. His master's wife was wicked and ungodly. And the day came when his master's wife literally made a play for him. And when she did, I want you to notice that Joseph countered her with their illogical arguments, arguments that were exceedingly rational, arguments that could be easily understood even by a heathen, for instance. Look, if you would, in Genesis 39 verse 7,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 39:4-9

"And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused. And he said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not, or knoweth not what is with me in the house."

"And he hath committed all that he hath into my hand." The very first thing he does is he emphasizes the trust that his master has placed in him. And Joseph is telling her it would be wrong and it would be wicked for me to betray that trust. Secondly, he argues that his master had promoted him to great authority in that house. He told her that no one else had any authority greater than his. Look in verse 9. "There is none greater in this house than I." He had great authority. And so his argument here is he would be wicked and wrong to abuse and misuse this authority. Would to God our politicians understood that. See? But now watch it.

He said, I'm in a position of trust. I'm not going to do that. I'm in a position of authority. I'm certainly not going to violate that position of authority. Then thirdly, he argues also upon the liberty and the freedom and the graciousness that his master had given him. He said that he's kept back nothing from him. In other words, Joseph is saying, look, I have anything I desire in this household. I have liberty. I have freedom. Everything that my master has, he's committed to my hand. I can do it.

Sin's Euphemisms and Consequences

Weaver contrasts how men soften sin with euphemisms while God calls it abomination, and notes that sin brings death and suffering.

Euphemism is just a term where you make something much lighter. For instance, most people don't even talk about death. They talk about passing. And they don't talk about adultery. They talk about having an affair. In other words, it's a lighter term. Well, men do that with sin. For instance, men call sin an accident. God calls it an abomination. Men call sin a blunder, God calls it blindness. Men call sin chance, God calls sin a choice. Men call sin a defect, God calls it a disease. Men call sin an error, God calls it enmity. Men call sin fascination, God calls it a fatality. Men call sin good, God says it is godlessness. Men call sin luxury, and God calls it lawlessness. Men call sin infirmity, God calls it iniquity. God calls it madness, while men call it a mistake. Men always refer to sin as weakness. God says it is willfulness.

David's Confession: Sin Against God Alone

David, after adultery and murder, declares in Psalm 51:4 that he sinned against God only, showing that sin is primarily against God.

Now I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Genesis 39, but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 51 very quickly, and I want you to see what David says in verses 3 and 4. Most of you are familiar with this passage. Notice Psalm 51 and verses 3 and 4. Look what David says. Psalm 51, verse 3. David is praying, this is one of his penitential psalms, he says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"For I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me."

And then he says in verse 4,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."

Now, this is David's penitential psalm, one of them, where David is confessing and acknowledging his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and, of course, the murder of Uriah. But I want you to note what he says in verse 4. He said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight."

Now, let me ask several questions. Did not David sin against Bathsheba? Well, of course he did. Did not David sin against Uriah? He most certainly did. He had him murdered. And God charged David with Uriah's murder. He said, you murdered Uriah with the sword of the children of Ammon. Did not David sin against Bathsheba's household? And the answer is yes. Did he not only sin against her household, but he sinned against his family as well? He not only sinned against his family, he sinned against his kingdom because he was king. So my question is, how is it that in Psalm 51 and verse 4, David says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this wickedness in thy sight."

He had sinned against so many other people, but yet he comes down to this one thing,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"Against thee, thee only have I sinned."

While David certainly had trespassed against all of these other people, David realized the great transgression that he had committed was primarily against God alone. His greatest sin was against God.

Now there is a difference between Joseph and David. Now listen carefully. The iron of this truth that our God is a personal God, and that we are in a covenantal relationship with Him, and that He is our Father, and He is our holy, righteous Sovereign. The iron of this truth had previously entered into Joseph's heart, and when his master's wife made a play for Joseph, Joseph exclaimed, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against my God?"

Sin Denies God's Sovereignty

Sin seeks to dethrone God and reign in our lives, as seen in Pharaoh's defiance and the wicked who say 'Who is Lord over us?'

All you have to do is read Romans chapter 6, verses 11 through 22, where the Apostle Paul is telling us as Christians, "Likewise reckon ye yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Now listen, "Let not sin therefore have dominion over you." Sin wants to reign as a king. And the whole thrust of Romans chapter 6 is that we have been delivered from the kingship and the dominion of sin. We may be sinners, but the difference between a Christian and non-Christian is sin does not reign over us. Jesus Christ reigns over us. Jesus Christ is Lord and sin is not Lord, but sin, if it could, would dethrone God and reign as God itself. Do you remember the attitude of Pharaoh in Exodus chapter 5? When Moses came up and said, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let my people go." How did Pharaoh respond? He said, "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice, let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go."

What was he saying? I don't recognize God. I don't recognize his sovereignty. His word means nothing to me. I don't have to obey Him. He's not my God. No, no, no. I will not let Israel go. You know, that is the attitude of sin. That is what sin says. I don't recognize God's sovereignty. God doesn't order me around. God has no right to tell me what to do.

That's why in Psalm 12 and verse 4, we read this,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 12:4

"Who say with our tongue, we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us?"

What blasphemy! In Jeremiah 2, in verse 31, sin is so bold to say, "We are lords. We'll not come to thee anymore." And do you remember that passage in the New Testament? In Luke chapter 19, in verse 14, where those wicked men sent word and said, "We will not have this man to reign over us." That's the attitude of sin. Sin, if it could, would depose our sovereign God and rule and reign in our lives and keep us under its dominion. It would deny God's sovereignty that it might be sovereign.

The Scriptures are exceedingly clear. There's only one sovereign, and that is our God. And when you and I sin, hang on, in one sense of the word, we're denying God's sovereignty. We're kind of saying, God really doesn't have authority in this area. God really can't tell me what to do right here because I'm going to do in this area exactly what I want to do. So it kind of pigeonholes God and puts him sovereign over all of these other things, but not sovereign over this thing. So sin will deny the sovereignty of God. Don't you listen, secondly, sin is also a denial of God as the chief good. Our Lord in Matthew, chapter 19, verse 17, says there is none good but one. That is God. Do you realize that God is not only good, he's the chief good. He is the sum and substance of all good. As God is necessarily God, likewise He is necessarily good. He is perfectly, immutably, infinitely, essentially, and necessarily good.

Sin Rejects God as the Chief Good

When we sin, we declare that God is insufficient to satisfy us, preferring sin over Him, which is blasphemous.

There is sufficient goodness in God to satisfy our every desire and our every longing. However, when we sin, we deny that truth. Our attitude and our actions when we sin indicate that we do not believe that God is sufficient to satisfy us. Do you realize that every prodigal that leaves a father's house confesses and acknowledges that God is not good enough, God is not sufficient, it's better somewhere over here? Every Achan admits to the fact that God is insufficient to satisfy him. He needs his lust. He needs his covetousness. He needs his desires to be taken care of. God is not sufficient for that. Every demon who forsakes and loves God and loves the world more is confessing and acknowledging that God is insufficient. God is not the chiefest good. Sin is better than God. My desires are better than God. My lusts are better than God. My thoughts are better than God. So when we sin, we're not only denying God's sovereignty, we're denying the fact that God is our chief good. We no longer confess Him and acknowledge Him to be our chief good.

Rather, we're saying that sin is what we really need to satisfy us. I don't know about you, but I tend to think God would look upon that as blasphemy. I don't think he'd be pleased with that attitude. I believe it would be insulting to him. How in the world could Joseph say, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" What is he saying? My sin would be in denial of God's sovereignty. My sin would be in denial of God as chief good. Thirdly, sin would be a denial and a challenge of God's justice.

I want you to listen to this. In the book of Malachi, chapter 2 and verse 17, here's a verse that illustrates how sin will challenge the justice of God. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 2:17

"You have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, Wherein have we wearied him? When you say, Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or where is the God of judgment?"

Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord? I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 9.

Sin Challenges God's Justice

Sin dares God to judge, as seen in Malachi and Psalm 50, where sinners think God is like them and will not act.

I want you to listen to this. In the book of Malachi, chapter 2 and verse 17, here's a verse that illustrates how sin will challenge the justice of God. The Word of God says, "You have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, Wherein have we wearied him? When you say, Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or where is the God of judgment?" Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord? I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 9. Let me show you something. Deuteronomy chapter 9. I want you to watch this. Look if you would please at verse 8 and verse 9 first. Deuteronomy 9 verse 8.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 9:8-9, 18

"Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry with you to have destroyed you. When I was going up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water."

Now note if you would, in verse 8 they provoke the Lord to such an extent that God was angry and ready to destroy them.

But they're challenging God's justice. Skip down to verse 18. And Moses said, "And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first forty days and forty nights I did neither eat bread nor drink water, because all of your sins which you sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. And I was afraid of the anger and the hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wrath against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened to me at that time also." Now, notice what Moses said. Man, he said, I was afraid. I was afraid God was fixing to wipe you out. You know, it's interesting. That many times, or not many times, but at least several times, God told Moses, "Step aside."

"I'll kill all of them. And I'll make a greater nation out of you." And Moses would fall down and pray, "Lord, please don't let that happen. Lord, don't do this. Lord, remember this. Lord, remember that." There's a few times Moses got so exasperated, Moses said, "Lord, kill them all." God said, "No, I'm not going to do that for my great namesake." If Moses and God ever got together, there wouldn't have been one of them left, I can assure you.

But I want you to note what he said. They challenged God. What did they do? They were actually daring God to do His worst. Here's what they were saying. We're going to sin. We're going to do what we want to do. And God, I challenge you to do what you say. I challenge you to kill me. I challenge you to wipe us out. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 50. Psalm 50. Men wickedly challenged God. And what they don't understand is, thank God for his longsuffering. But one of these days, God's going to take him up on that challenge. Notice if you would Psalm 50, and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Psalm 50, verse 16. Look what God says.

"But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee? Now look, when thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother. Thou slanderest thine own mother's son." Now look what God says, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself. But I will reprove thee, and I will set them in order before thine eyes." What did God say? You keep challenging me. You keep denying my justice.

You think I'm like you. But God said, I've got news for you. I'm going to reprove you and I'm going to set your sins in order before your eyes. And when God does, he is going to demonstrate his justice. You'll find the same thing in Psalm 10, verses 1 through 10. You'll find the same thing. In fact, go to Psalm 94. Turn over to Psalm 94. Psalm 94, my goodness. Psalm 94, look at it, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. "O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of all the earth."

"Render a reward to the proud." Now look what the psalmist asks. "Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things, and all the workers of iniquity do boast themselves? They yet break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, you brutish among the people, and you fools, when will you be wise?"

"He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastised the heathen, shall not he correct? He that teaches man knowledge, shall he not know?" What are they saying? They commit all these sins, and they say, God doesn't know. God doesn't see. God is not going to do anything. They're challenging God.

Sin Despises God's Goodness

Romans 2:4 shows that sin despises God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, taking His blessings for granted.

If you look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 2, Romans chapter 2. You know this passage. This is such an amazing passage to me. Look in Romans chapter 2 verse 4. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds."

Now, I want you to note what the Bible says. Look in verse 4, "...or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering." Can you say the word ungrateful? Can you say the word unthankful? The goodness of God is that attribute of God where God is good to all of His creatures, even those that are unthankful and ungrateful. Thankfully, the Bible tells us in Psalm 52 and verse 1 that the goodness of God endures continually. And God continues to provide for us even when we sin against Him. Now I want you to look at verse 4. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness?"

Let me put it like this. Maybe I'll get to preach on it. I don't know. But you know why you did not die last night? You know why you were able to open your eyes alive this morning? I'll tell you why. It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, because His compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. If God's compassions or mercies had not been given to you during the night, you would never have waken this morning. God is good.

There is no two ways about that. And His goodness, of course, extends to all of His creatures. But I want you to note what verse 4 says, "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness." You know what we do? We take God for granted. We assume that God is going to give us breath. We assume that God is going to give us health. We assume that God is going to give us life. We assume that God is going to feed us. We're assuming that God owes us. God does not owe us anything. Except justice, and I got news for you, I don't want that.

But what do we do? We despise God's goodness. We're not thankful for traveling mercies, we're not thankful for daily mercies, we're not thankful for our food. I never will forget. Years ago, Harlan Popov was in our church. He was for 14 years in Romanian prison. And he went from our church to another church where I knew the pastor. And they took him out to a restaurant. And all that food was brought before him.

Sin Despises God Himself

In 2 Samuel 12, God charges David with despising Him and His Word, treating them as vile and worthless.

Instead of being thankful and grateful to me, you insult me. Sin despises the goodness of God. I want to show you something else. To 2 Samuel chapter 12. 2 Samuel chapter 12. And to me, this last point is the one that is so exceedingly grievous. Everyone knows the story of David and Bathsheba. Everyone knows the story how Nathan came to David and gave him this story. And when David was incensed, he said, "The man that had done this thing shall surely die." Nathan just pointed his long bony finger and said to David, "Thou art the man. You've done it." I want you to look in 2 Samuel, chapter 12.

And let's begin reading with verse 5. "And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die, and he shall restore the Lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, because he had no pity. And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom. And I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah." "And if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Now watch what he said. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."

Sin is not only a despisement of the Word of God. It is a despisement of God himself. When you and I let our thoughts wander. When we let our desires run rampant. When we think on things we should not. First and foremost, we are despising the Word of God. And secondly, we're despising God Himself. And the word literally means to treat as vile, worthless, despicable. When we choose sin, we are treating God's Word and God Himself as being vile and worthless and despicable. In Numbers 11 and verse 20, the Bible tells us that Israel despised God in their rebellion. In Numbers 15 and verse 30, the Word of God says this, "Because he has despised the Word of the Lord, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off, his iniquity shall be upon him." What is sin? It is a despisement of God's Word and a despisement of God.

Applications: Remembering God's Majesty

We must consider God's holiness before sinning, hide His Word in our hearts, and pray to do only what pleases Him.

How can we not come to the same conclusion that Joseph did? How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. We must remember the august, majestic and sovereign God the next time we consider sinning. And by the way, folks, please understand this. Sin does not just happen. I've had people tell me, "Well, Brother Weaver, I didn't mean to sin. It just happened." That's hogwash. If there's a hundred dollar bill laying down there and I come up to steal it, I see it and I think about it before I take it. "Well, I didn't mean to run off with that man's wife. It just happened." That's not true, folks.

You thought about it before you ever did it. There is no such thing as a sudden sin. And the next time the thought of sin comes through our mind, we have to understand that that sin is an insult to the sovereign God of heaven and earth. It is an attack upon His person, an attack upon His power and His position. It is a despising of Himself and His Word. We not only have to consider what will sin do to me, what will sin do to my family, what will sin do to my church, we have to consider what will our sin do to the sovereign God of heaven and earth.

How can we do this great wickedness and sin against God? The awfulness of sin is seen in its hatred of God. Let me just quote the Scripture. I know that you can quote it. Romans 8. "The carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." The carnal mind is enmity against God. The word enmity is a strong word for hatred.

Our minds are supposed to be renewed. We are to have a mind of Christ. We are to have his word in our mind. But when we reject and despise that word, we come back to an old carnal mind. And guess what? It is hatred of God. That's why God said, you despise my word. You despise me. You know what God said in Jeremiah 44 and verse 4, he said, "Howbeit I sent unto you my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them and saying, Listen, oh, do not this abominable thing which I hate."

Let me spell it out to you. God hates sin. And sin hates God. Every gardener hates weeds. And every gardener hates them even more when they're in his garden. You know. I came to this conclusion a long time ago. If sinless perfection is a heresy, and it is. I believe an equal heresy is thinking that we have to sin. When John wrote, "My little children, these things I write unto you, that you sin not. But," he said, "if you sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

You know what the Bible said, you can quote it, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee. Oh, let me not wander from Thy commandments." Are you listening? "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee." While I certainly do not agree with the theology of Dwight L. Moody, I do agree with one thing that he did. He wrote in the fly leaf of his Bible, "Either this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book." We have to come to this realization if we want to live holy, godly lives, if we want to live like Christ and have the mind of Christ. We have to come to the same attitude that Joseph did. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? I don't care what the sin is. It doesn't have to be adultery. It doesn't have to be murder. It can be bitterness. It can be resentfulness. It can be gossip. It can be pride. It can be arrogance. It can be any sin. We have to come to the realization that sin is against God. And if we want to live a holy, godly life, we have to know what our sin does to our God.

Illustration and Conclusion

A tragic story of a man who despised God's Word and lost his family illustrates the consequences of sin against God.

I don't think I would make my wife happy if I told her I love her, but I'm going to see another woman next week. I don't think she would really believe that I genuinely loved her. And if you take the attitude, "Lord, I love you, but I'm going to have my way in this." I want to give you one illustration. Years ago, there was a man in our church. He had two children. We had a Christian school. His children were doing poorly. I called him in and talked to him. The man was a hunter and a fisherman. Now, he worked. He worked hard. He made good money. But his son took the attitude, "Well, a real man only hunts and fishes, doesn't have to study." I kept calling him in, explaining things to him, talking to him. Finally, we had to expel his children. So I called him back in one last time.

He stood in front of my desk. Did not sit, he just stood. I explained to him church discipline. I explained to him what needed to be done. I gave him chapter and verse for everything that I said. I opened the Bible. I showed him. When I got through, here's what he said, I've never forgotten his words. He said, "Pastor, I know you're right. I know the Bible's right."

"But I'm going to have to handle this my own way." So instead of facing church discipline and letting us work with the children and the family, they left the church. The daughter turned out to be basically a prostitute. The son turned out to be a drunkard and a dopehead. And that family, that husband and that wife, had to sleep at night with a loaded pistol by their bed to protect themselves from their own son, who threatened to kill them innumerable times. They had to call the law and have their own son arrested a number of times. Finally, the young man in his early 20s got drunk, went to sleep in his car that was parked on a railroad track. After they gathered up the remaining pieces when the train went by, they identified him only by his teeth.

Here's a man who lost his family because he, in essence, despised God and God's Word. That's what sin does. It's not just what it does to us. It's what it does to God. How, then, can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We ask, Lord, that You make us holy, make us godly, make us heavenly, Father. Conform to the image of Jesus Christ. And help us, Lord, never to forget this verse.

Sear it into our minds. How we can do this great wickedness and sin against our God. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Sin is primarily against God

Summary: All sin, regardless of its earthly victims, is ultimately a personal offense against a holy God.

Evidence: Joseph said, 'How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?' (Genesis 39:9). David confessed, 'Against thee, thee only have I sinned' (Psalm 51:4).

The holiness of God

Summary: God's absolute holiness makes sin utterly contrary to His nature; He cannot look on iniquity approvingly.

Evidence: Weaver cites Habakkuk 1:13 and Revelation 15:4, emphasizing God is 'of purer eyes than to behold evil.'

Sin as rebellion against God's sovereignty

Summary: Sin seeks to dethrone God and deny His authority, as seen in Pharaoh's 'Who is the Lord?'

Evidence: Weaver references Exodus 5:2, Psalm 12:4, and Luke 19:14 to show sin's rebellious attitude.

Sin as despising God's goodness

Summary: Sin takes God's blessings for granted and treats His patience with contempt.

Evidence: Romans 2:4 says sinners 'despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering.'

The necessity of a holy mindset

Summary: Believers must adopt Joseph's attitude, hide God's Word in their hearts, and pray to please God in all things.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Psalm 119:11 and John 8:29, urging a life that pleases God.

Key Arguments

Sin is not merely against man but against God

Summary: Joseph and David both recognized that their sins were primarily against God, not just against other people.

Evidence: Joseph: 'How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?' David: 'Against thee, thee only have I sinned.'

Sin denies God's sovereignty

Summary: Every sin is a practical denial that God has authority over that area of life.

Evidence: Pharaoh said, 'Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?' (Exodus 5:2).

Sin rejects God as the supreme good

Summary: Choosing sin declares that God is not sufficient to satisfy our deepest needs.

Evidence: Every prodigal, Achan, and Demas shows that sin is preferred over God.

Sin challenges God's justice

Summary: Sinners dare God to judge, thinking He will not act, but God will eventually reprove.

Evidence: Psalm 50:21: 'Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee.'

Sin despises God's goodness and patience

Summary: Sinners take God's daily mercies for granted, not realizing His patience should lead to repentance.

Evidence: Romans 2:4: 'Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering?'

Sin treats God and His Word as vile

Summary: To sin is to despise God Himself, treating Him as worthless.

Evidence: 2 Samuel 12:9-10: 'thou hast despised me... thou hast despised the commandment of the Lord.'

Scripture References

Genesis 39:4-9

Context: Joseph's temptation and his refusal to sin against God.

Romans 6:23

Context: The wages of sin is death.

Ezekiel 18:4, 20

Context: The soul that sinneth shall die.

Galatians 6:7

Context: Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

1 Chronicles 4:10

Context: Jabez prayed to be kept from evil that it might not grieve him.

Romans 3:23

Context: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 5:12

Context: By one man sin entered into the world.

1 Timothy 1:15

Context: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Luke 19:10

Context: The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Mark 1:15

Context: Repent ye and believe the gospel.

Psalm 51:3-4

Context: David confesses his sin against God alone.

Judges 10:10

Context: Israel cried, 'We have sinned against thee.'

2 Chronicles 6:26, 36, 39

Context: Solomon's prayer acknowledges sinning against God.

Habakkuk 1:13

Context: God is of purer eyes than to behold evil.

Romans 6:11-22

Context: Sin desires to reign, but believers are dead to sin.

Exodus 5:2

Context: Pharaoh said, 'Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?'

Psalm 12:4

Context: The wicked say, 'Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?'

Luke 19:14

Context: The citizens said, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'

Malachi 2:17

Context: Sinners weary the Lord by saying evil is good and questioning His justice.

Deuteronomy 9:8-9, 18

Context: Israel provoked the Lord to wrath, challenging His justice.

Historical References

Harlan Popov

Context: A Romanian pastor imprisoned for 14 years who publicly thanked God for his food in a restaurant, illustrating gratitude for God's goodness.

Dwight L. Moody

Context: Weaver disagrees with Moody's theology but quotes his inscription: 'Either this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.'

Important Quotes

How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

Significance: This is the central verse and theme of the sermon, showing Joseph's recognition that sin is primarily against God.

Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Significance: David's confession highlights that sin is ultimately against God alone, despite its earthly victims.

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Significance: This verse underscores how sin treats God's patience with contempt.

Thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

Significance: God's rebuke to David shows that sin is a personal despising of God Himself.

Either this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.

Significance: A practical maxim emphasizing the role of Scripture in preventing sin.

Father, I know that thou hearest me always. For I do only those things which please you.

Significance: Jesus' example of living to please the Father is held up as the model for believers.

Discussion Questions

Why did Joseph refuse Potiphar's wife primarily on the basis of sinning against God rather than the other reasons he gave?

Context: Joseph listed trust, authority, liberty, and marriage sanctity, but his ultimate reason was 'sin against God.'

How does David's statement 'Against thee, thee only have I sinned' help us understand the nature of sin?

Context: David had sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah, and others, yet he saw his sin as primarily against God.

In what ways does sin deny God's sovereignty in our daily lives?

Context: Weaver argues that sin is a practical denial that God has authority over that area.

How can we cultivate a mindset that sees sin as despising God's goodness rather than taking His blessings for granted?

Context: Romans 2:4 warns against despising God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering.

What does it mean to 'despise' God and His Word, and how does sin reflect that attitude?

Context: 2 Samuel 12 shows that David's sin was a despising of God and His commandment.

How can hiding God's Word in our hearts practically help us avoid sinning against Him?

Context: Psalm 119:11 is cited as a key to cleansing one's way.

Why is it insufficient for a child of God to merely abstain from fleshly sins?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that sins of the spirit (pride, bitterness, etc.) are equally sinful and grievous to God.

Applications

Consider God's majesty before sinning

Summary: When tempted, remember that sin is an insult to the sovereign God, not just a personal failure.

Evidence: Weaver urges, 'We must remember the august, majestic and sovereign God the next time we consider sinning.'

Hide God's Word in your heart

Summary: Memorize and meditate on Scripture to prevent sin, as Psalm 119:11 teaches.

Evidence: Weaver quotes, 'Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee.'

Pray to please God in all things

Summary: Follow Jesus' example in John 8:29 by seeking to do only what pleases the Father.

Evidence: Weaver prays, 'O Father, help me to do only those things which please you.'

Recognize sins of the spirit

Summary: Understand that pride, bitterness, and other inward sins are just as offensive to God as outward sins.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'sins of the spirit are just as equally sinful as sins of the flesh.'

Do not despise God's goodness

Summary: Be thankful for daily mercies and avoid taking God's blessings for granted.

Evidence: Weaver warns against despising God's goodness as in Romans 2:4.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T00:04:52Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:47:01Z

Clean Transcript

Sinfulness of Sin

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I want you to open your Bibles, if you would please, today to the book of Genesis, chapter 39. Genesis, chapter 39. I want to share a message with you that the Lord impressed upon my heart many years ago. It has helped me immensely in my Christian life, and I hope that it will help you as well. I believe that for the true child of God, the greatest desire is to live holy, obediently, and righteously before the Lord.
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And anything that we can find in Scripture that will enable us to do that should indeed be received with thanksgiving. But notice Genesis chapter 39. And let's begin reading with verse 4. Of course, this is where Joseph is in captivity. He's a slave. He's in Potiphar's house. And Joseph found grace in his sight and he served him. And they made him overseer over his house and all that he had, he put into his hand. And it came to pass over the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake. And the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand, and he knew not all he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person and well favored. And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and said, Lie with me.
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But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not, or knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Sin is a small three-lettered word, and yet for a word so simple, so easily spelled, and so easily pronounced, it carries great consequences. Sin is something that is frequently committed, constantly denied, and strenuously rejected as the cause of all of our heartache, trouble, and helplessness. In fact, we usually use euphemistic terms in reference to sin.
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Euphemism is just a term where you make something much lighter. For instance, most people don't even talk about death. They talk about passing. And they don't talk about adultery. They talk about having an affair. In other words, it's a lighter term. Well, men do that with sin. For instance, men call sin an accident. God calls it an abomination. Men call sin a blunder, God calls it blindness. Men call sin chance, God calls sin a choice. Men call sin a defect, God calls it a disease. Men call sin an error, God calls it enmity. Men call sin fascination, God calls it a fatality. Men call sin good, God says it is godlessness. Men call sin luxury, and God calls it lawlessness. Men call sin infirmity, God calls it iniquity. God calls it madness, while men call it a mistake. Men always refer to sin as weakness. God says it is willfulness.
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And we do everything we can to water it down. And the interesting thing is when we begin to talk about sin, that usually which is discussed in reference to sin, the forefront is sin's consequences and especially its consequences upon us. Because we remember Romans 6 and verse 23, "For the wages of sin is death," and we think about sin, how it kills us, and how sin, of course, hurts ourselves, our family, our friends, our society, and certainly sin brings all kinds of suffering, not only physically, but mentally, and spiritually, and emotionally, and financially. And the Bible says very plainly, in the book of Ezekiel chapter 18, verse 4, and verse 20, "The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die." There are consequences to sin.
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And very obviously, one of the principles of Scripture makes this exceedingly clear. For God said, "Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Do you remember one of my favorite verses in the book of Chronicles is found in 1 Chronicles chapter 4, where Jabez, the Bible says, was more honorable than his brethren. And he prayed to the Lord. And listen to what he prayed. It's a good prayer. He said, "Lord, that thou mightest bless me indeed, and thy hand mightest be upon me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it might not grieve me." Very obviously, sin does indeed grieve us. Not only do we talk about the consequences of sin, we frequently talk about the fact that we're sinners.
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Everyone understands, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Everyone understands, "Wherefore, by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." We know that man is a sinner. The Apostle Paul said, "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Even our Lord said in Luke 19, in verse 10, that He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Our Lord began His preaching ministry in Mark 1 verse 15.
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Then He said, "Repent ye and believe the gospel." Now let me ask you a question. Why in the world do you need to repent if you have nothing to repent over? Why in the world do you need to believe if you're not an unbeliever? So very obviously we are sinners.
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Now it's not my intention today to discuss from our theology, that is, the doctrine of sin, at least not the full range of it. What I want to do today is show you very, I pray, very emphatically that we sin, when we sin, against a personal God. I want you to look what Joseph said in verse 9. And when I get started in just a moment, my entire message is going to be explaining this one phrase. Notice if you would, in verse 9, the latter part, Joseph asked this question, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" Now, I want to show you something. Joseph was a believer in a pagan household.
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His master's wife was wicked and ungodly. And the day came when his master's wife literally made a play for him. And when she did, I want you to notice that Joseph countered her with their illogical arguments, arguments that were exceedingly rational, arguments that could be easily understood even by a heathen, for instance. Look, if you would, in Genesis 39 verse 7, "And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused. And he said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not, or knoweth not what is with me in the house."
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"And he hath committed all that he hath into my hand." The very first thing he does is he emphasizes the trust that his master has placed in him. And Joseph is telling her it would be wrong and it would be wicked for me to betray that trust.
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Secondly, he argues that his master had promoted him to great authority in that house. He told her that no one else had any authority greater than his. Look in verse 9. "There is none greater in this house than I." He had great authority. And so his argument here is he would be wicked and wrong to abuse and misuse this authority. Would to God our politicians understood that. See? But now watch it.
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He said, I'm in a position of trust. I'm not going to do that. I'm in a position of authority. I'm certainly not going to violate that position of authority. Then thirdly, he argues also upon the liberty and the freedom and the graciousness that his master had given him. He said that he's kept back nothing from him. In other words, Joseph is saying, look, I have anything I desire in this household. I have liberty. I have freedom. Everything that my master has, he's committed to my hand. I can do it.
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He doesn't even know what he has except what he eats. I'm in control of everything. And then fourthly, he argues the sanctity of marriage. He said in verse 9, "He's not kept back anything from me except thee because thou art his wife." He said, I have no right to you. You are the personal property of your husband. He rightfully has kept you back from me, and I'm not going to violate any of these trusts or any of these positions of authority.
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But I want you to note something. While he argues with this woman logically and rationally, and he explains things to her, when it comes to himself, he says this in verse 9, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" In other words, here's Joseph's argument for himself. He leaves all of these peripheral issues. Yes, all of those things would be sinful, and all of those things would be wicked, and all of those things would be wrong.
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But what he's saying, that is not the main point. The main point is this. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And in the Hebrew, it's really emphatic. He calls it this wickedness, this exceeding great one. And, of course, adultery was reckoned as a sin at that time just as it is now. And had Joseph committed that sin, very obviously it would have been aggravated not only by his position of trust, his position of authority, and all the favors and blessings that his master had given upon him and placed upon him. Had Joseph committed that sin, certainly it would have been against all of those things, but primarily he said it's going to be a sin against God. It'll be a sin against God's revealed will. It'll be a sin against God's righteous nature. It will be a sin against God personally. And so he said, how then can I do this great evil and sin against God? So Joseph said, I'm not about to comply with my master's wife's request.
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I'm just simply not going to do that. Had Joseph done so, certainly he would have sinned against his master. He would have sinned against his master's wife. He would have sinned against his master's household. He would have sinned against his family. He would have sinned against himself. Yet all of these trespasses were put kind of to one side and said, my greatest concern is that I'm going to sin against God.
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Now I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Genesis 39, but turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 51 very quickly, and I want you to see what David says in verses 3 and 4. Most of you are familiar with this passage. Notice Psalm 51 and verses 3 and 4. Look what David says. Psalm 51, verse 3. David is praying, this is one of his penitential psalms, he says, "For I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me." And then he says in verse 4, "Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." Now, this is David's penitential psalm, one of them, where David is confessing and acknowledging his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and, of course, the murder of Uriah. But I want you to note what he says in verse 4. He said, "Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight."
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Now, let me ask several questions. Did not David sin against Bathsheba? Well, of course he did. Did not David sin against Uriah? He most certainly did. He had him murdered. And God charged David with Uriah's murder. He said, you murdered Uriah with the sword of the children of Ammon. Did not David sin against Bathsheba's household? And the answer is yes. Did he not only sin against her household, but he sinned against his family as well? He not only sinned against his family, he sinned against his kingdom because he was king. So my question is, how is it that in Psalm 51 and verse 4, David says, "Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this wickedness in thy sight." He had sinned against so many other people, but yet he comes down to this one thing, "Against thee, thee only have I sinned." While David certainly had trespassed against all of these other people, David realized the great transgression that he had committed was primarily against God alone. His greatest sin was against God.
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Now there is a difference between Joseph and David. Now listen carefully. The iron of this truth that our God is a personal God, and that we are in a covenantal relationship with Him, and that He is our Father, and He is our holy, righteous Sovereign. The iron of this truth had previously entered into Joseph's heart, and when his master's wife made a play for Joseph, Joseph exclaimed, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against my God?"
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I'm not going to do it. David, on the other hand, sinned without thinking of the magnitude of his wickedness. But afterwards, when the reality of what he had really done sunk into his soul, David repented and David wrote eight penitential psalms saying, Lord, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've sinned against you. I've violated my word. So we fail to comprehend this one singular fact that while we sin against other people, our sin primarily is against the Holy God. You know, if you were to go through Scripture and look at what in the ways that the Bible describes sin. For instance, sin is talking about acts of enmity and hostility against God. In Leviticus 26, it's talking about walking contrary to God. In Isaiah 1, it's called rebelling against God. In Isaiah 45 and verse 9, it's called contending with God. And in Numbers 11, it's despising God. In other words, all of our sins have reference to God. Sin literally makes men haters of God. It makes men resistors of God, according to Acts chapter 7.
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It makes men fighters against God. It makes men blasphemers against God. It makes men deniers of God. Sin is so personally against God. If we understood—if it really, really sunk deep into our souls, what our sin was actually doing, how it's not just grieving us, but it's grieving the Lord. And it's not just against our brethren, it's against the Lord. I want you to very quickly turn to several passages.
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I'm not going to go over all of these, but look in your Bibles to Judges chapter 10 and verse 10. I want you to see how the Scripture repeatedly talks about sin being against God. So look in your Bibles to the book of Judges chapter 10 and verse 10. Notice what the Scripture says, Judges chapter 10 and verse 10. The Word of God says this, "And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God and also served Baalim."
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Now note what they said though. "We have sinned against thee." Turn right over to 2 Chronicles chapter 6 and look if you would please at verse 26. 2 Chronicles chapter 6 and verse 26. 2 Chronicles 6 and notice if you would please verse 26. "When the heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, yet if they pray toward this place and confess thy name and turn from their sin when thou dost afflict them." Nobody said when they have sinned against thee. Skip down to verse 36. "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives into a land far off." Skip down, if you would, now to verse 39. "Then hear thou from heaven, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer, and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee."
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So I don't care if you're looking in the book of Nehemiah. I don't care if you're looking in the book of Psalms. I don't care if you're looking in Jeremiah. I don't care if you're reading in Ezekiel or Ezra or Nehemiah. Notice when all of these men pray, they say, "Against thee, O Lord, have we committed these sins. To us belong confusion of faces. Thou art righteous, O God, but we have sinned against thee."
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So here's what I want you to think about today. I want you to think about that sin is against God personally. Every one of us have heard the old expression, "Out of sight, out of mind." Out of sight, out of mind. You know, we see our brethren. And we can see the results of our sin against them. We can even see the results of our sin against our families. But you can't really see, in one sense of the word, the consequences of our sin against God. However, when you understand that He is a personal God, He is our God, He is our Father, it then makes things a little more personal. Let me ask you, I want you to envision this.
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Suppose I stole some money from Brother Tim. Here's my question, I've not only sinned against him. But do you think I'm going to be anxious to face him and to be around him? The truth of the matter is I don't want to face him. I don't want to be around him. Because I'm embarrassed, yes, he may have caught me or if he hadn't caught me, I still don't want to be around him because I'm afraid he might catch me.
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Do you realize that our sin affects God? In fact, the Bible talks about grieving him, vexing him, quenching him, angering him, provoking him, insulting him. In other words, we've got to come to the realization that our God is a personal God. Sin is so contrary to God and so contrary to the person and nature of God. You have to remember that God is holy. God's name is holy. And as His name is, so is He. In Exodus 15, verse 11, the Bible tells us that God is glorious in holiness. In Revelation 15 in verse 4, the Bible says, "Thou only art holy." God is holy, all holy, only holy, altogether holy, and always holy. And so sin is always sinful, it is all sinful, it is only sinful, and it's always sinful. As there is no sin in God, there is no holiness or good in sin. Holiness is the attribute of God which frees God not only from evil itself, but from all appearance and suspicion of evil. That's why He said, "Let no man say, When he is tempted, I am tempted of God."
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"For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." The Bible tells us in the book of Habakkuk, chapter 1 and verse 13, that God is of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look upon iniquity. That is, God may look upon it to judge it, but He cannot look upon it approvingly. He cannot look upon it condoningly. Why? It's totally, absolutely contrary to Him. So Joseph said, "How then can I do this wickedness and sin against my God?" I want to try to show you from Scripture today how sin affects God. I want to show you how absolutely blasphemous and wicked and insulting sin is to our gracious, sovereign, heavenly Father. Here's the first truth. Listen carefully. Sin, if possible, would depose and dethrone God. Do you realize sin will not allow God to be on his throne? If it could, it would depose and dethrone God. Sin does not want God to rule and control the world that he's created. Sin desires to rule.
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All you have to do is read Romans chapter 6, verses 11 through 22, where the Apostle Paul is telling us as Christians, "Likewise reckon ye yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Now listen, "Let not sin therefore have dominion over you." Sin wants to reign as a king. And the whole thrust of Romans chapter 6 is that we have been delivered from the kingship and the dominion of sin. We may be sinners, but the difference between a Christian and non-Christian is sin does not reign over us. Jesus Christ reigns over us. Jesus Christ is Lord and sin is not Lord, but sin, if it could, would dethrone God and reign as God itself. Do you remember the attitude of Pharaoh in Exodus chapter 5? When Moses came up and said, "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let my people go." How did Pharaoh respond? He said, "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice, let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go."
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What was he saying? I don't recognize God. I don't recognize his sovereignty. His word means nothing to me. I don't have to obey Him. He's not my God. No, no, no. I will not let Israel go. You know, that is the attitude of sin. That is what sin says. I don't recognize God's sovereignty. God doesn't order me around. God has no right to tell me what to do.
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That's why in Psalm 12 and verse 4, we read this, "Who say with our tongue, we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us?" What blasphemy! In Jeremiah 2, in verse 31, sin is so bold to say, "We are lords. We'll not come to thee anymore." And do you remember that passage in the New Testament? In Luke chapter 19, in verse 14, where those wicked men sent word and said, "We will not have this man to reign over us." That's the attitude of sin. Sin, if it could, would depose our sovereign God and rule and reign in our lives and keep us under its dominion. It would deny God's sovereignty that it might be sovereign.
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The Scriptures are exceedingly clear. There's only one sovereign, and that is our God. And when you and I sin, hang on, in one sense of the word, we're denying God's sovereignty. We're kind of saying, God really doesn't have authority in this area. God really can't tell me what to do right here because I'm going to do in this area exactly what I want to do. So it kind of pigeonholes God and puts him sovereign over all of these other things, but not sovereign over this thing. So sin will deny the sovereignty of God. Don't you listen, secondly, sin is also a denial of God as the chief good. Our Lord in Matthew, chapter 19, verse 17, says there is none good but one. That is God. Do you realize that God is not only good, he's the chief good. He is the sum and substance of all good. As God is necessarily God, likewise He is necessarily good. He is perfectly, immutably, infinitely, essentially, and necessarily good.
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There is sufficient goodness in God to satisfy our every desire and our every longing. However, when we sin, we deny that truth. Our attitude and our actions when we sin indicate that we do not believe that God is sufficient to satisfy us. Do you realize that every prodigal that leaves a father's house confesses and acknowledges that God is not good enough, God is not sufficient, it's better somewhere over here? Every Achan admits to the fact that God is insufficient to satisfy him. He needs his lust. He needs his covetousness. He needs his desires to be taken care of. God is not sufficient for that. Every demon who forsakes and loves God and loves the world more is confessing and acknowledging that God is insufficient. God is not the chiefest good. Sin is better than God. My desires are better than God. My lusts are better than God. My thoughts are better than God. So when we sin, we're not only denying God's sovereignty, we're denying the fact that God is our chief good. We no longer confess Him and acknowledge Him to be our chief good.
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Rather, we're saying that sin is what we really need to satisfy us. I don't know about you, but I tend to think God would look upon that as blasphemy. I don't think he'd be pleased with that attitude. I believe it would be insulting to him. How in the world could Joseph say, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" What is he saying? My sin would be in denial of God's sovereignty. My sin would be in denial of God as chief good. Thirdly, sin would be a denial and a challenge of God's justice.
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I want you to listen to this. In the book of Malachi, chapter 2 and verse 17, here's a verse that illustrates how sin will challenge the justice of God. The Word of God says, "You have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, Wherein have we wearied him? When you say, Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or where is the God of judgment?" Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord? I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 9.
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Let me show you something. Deuteronomy chapter 9. I want you to watch this. Look if you would please at verse 8 and verse 9 first. Deuteronomy 9 verse 8. "Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry with you to have destroyed you. When I was going up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water." Now note if you would, in verse 8 they provoke the Lord to such an extent that God was angry and ready to destroy them.
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But they're challenging God's justice. Skip down to verse 18. And Moses said, "And I fell down before the Lord, as at the first forty days and forty nights I did neither eat bread nor drink water, because all of your sins which you sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. And I was afraid of the anger and the hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wrath against you to destroy you. But the Lord hearkened to me at that time also." Now, notice what Moses said. Man, he said, I was afraid. I was afraid God was fixing to wipe you out. You know, it's interesting. That many times, or not many times, but at least several times, God told Moses, "Step aside."
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"I'll kill all of them. And I'll make a greater nation out of you." And Moses would fall down and pray, "Lord, please don't let that happen. Lord, don't do this. Lord, remember this. Lord, remember that." There's a few times Moses got so exasperated, Moses said, "Lord, kill them all." God said, "No, I'm not going to do that for my great namesake." If Moses and God ever got together, there wouldn't have been one of them left, I can assure you.
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But I want you to note what he said. They challenged God. What did they do? They were actually daring God to do His worst. Here's what they were saying. We're going to sin. We're going to do what we want to do. And God, I challenge you to do what you say. I challenge you to kill me. I challenge you to wipe us out. I want you to look in your Bibles to Psalm 50. Psalm 50. Men wickedly challenged God. And what they don't understand is, thank God for his longsuffering. But one of these days, God's going to take him up on that challenge. Notice if you would Psalm 50, and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Psalm 50, verse 16. Look what God says.
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"But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behind thee? Now look, when thou sawest a thief, then thou consentest with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother. Thou slanderest thine own mother's son." Now look what God says, "These things hast thou done, and I kept silence. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself. But I will reprove thee, and I will set them in order before thine eyes." What did God say? You keep challenging me. You keep denying my justice.
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You think I'm like you. But God said, I've got news for you. I'm going to reprove you and I'm going to set your sins in order before your eyes. And when God does, he is going to demonstrate his justice. You'll find the same thing in Psalm 10, verses 1 through 10. You'll find the same thing. In fact, go to Psalm 94. Turn over to Psalm 94. Psalm 94, my goodness. Psalm 94, look at it, if you would please, beginning there with verse 1. "O Lord God, to whom vengeance belongeth, O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself. Lift up thyself, thou judge of all the earth."
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"Render a reward to the proud." Now look what the psalmist asks. "Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things, and all the workers of iniquity do boast themselves? They yet break in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflict thine heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, you brutish among the people, and you fools, when will you be wise?"
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"He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastised the heathen, shall not he correct? He that teaches man knowledge, shall he not know?" What are they saying? They commit all these sins, and they say, God doesn't know. God doesn't see. God is not going to do anything. They're challenging God.
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Now let me tell you, what the wicked do boldly and brazenly, we do secretly. Because somehow we think that we can sin and get by with it. Let me explain something. And this is the thing that grieves my heart. It grieves me in my own life. And it ought to grieve you. You know, I do not think for one minute there's a drunkard in this room. I don't think there's an adulterer in here. I don't think there's a murderer in here. I think God's people are here.
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But do you understand it is not sufficient as a child of God to abstain from fleshly sins? We should abstain from fleshly sins. But you remember that passage in 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1. Let me just quote it. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved." Now listen to that. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
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You know, it's our thoughts that are often wicked. It's our pride that enters in. It's our bitterness. It's our resentment. It's our failing to keep our hearts, to keep our minds. And do you realize that sins of the spirit are just as equally sinful as sins of the flesh? Sin is sin. All sin is a violation of God's law. All sin grieves God. All sin quenches God, all sin vexes God. And when we sin, it is an affront to God. It is, in essence, a slap in God's face, challenging Him to exercise justice.
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I had a friend who is now dead. The man was about six foot four. I am not exaggerating. He had shoulders this long and this thick. He owned a gym. He was a bodybuilder. He probably had more muscles in his little finger than I did just about in my wrist. And I do have a bad back. And there are occasionally, occasionally I have to wear a back brace. But I saw my friend standing on the sidewalk one day. And he was talking to another man and I hadn't seen him in a while.
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So I stopped the truck. I got out and I started walking toward him. And he was a professing Christian. And when I got to him, I put my hand on my back like this. I said, "You know, you're really blessed today." He said, "How's that?" I said, "Well, when I got up this morning, I just felt like fighting and whipping somebody." And I said, "I saw you standing on the street corner and I thought, well, there's the man I want to whip." And I said, "I started walking over to here to you. And just as I touched my back, I felt this back brace. And I said, you better be thankful I've got this back brace on or I'll just whip you right here." He laughed. He said, "Well, preacher," he said, "if you ever get the back brace off, please come again."
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I said, "Brother, let me tell you something. You couldn't pour me all over you if I was water." But now, would I not have been an absolute fool to go over and try to start a fight with such a man? But, you know, we do that with God all the time. We slap God in the face with our sins, our sins of the spirit, we slap him in the face and dare him to chastise us. We dare Him to whip us. We dare Him to judge us.
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Sin not only denies God's sovereignty. It not only denies God His chief good. Sin is an affront to God. It challenges God's justice and dares God to do His worst. I don't know about you. But I'm not interested in jumping on a holy, sovereign, omnipotent God, who all he has to do is withhold my breath and I can do nothing. Fourthly, I want you to note that God, that sin despises the riches of God's goodness.
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If you look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 2, Romans chapter 2. You know this passage. This is such an amazing passage to me. Look in Romans chapter 2 verse 4. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds."
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Now, I want you to note what the Bible says. Look in verse 4, "...or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering." Can you say the word ungrateful? Can you say the word unthankful? The goodness of God is that attribute of God where God is good to all of His creatures, even those that are unthankful and ungrateful. Thankfully, the Bible tells us in Psalm 52 and verse 1 that the goodness of God endures continually. And God continues to provide for us even when we sin against Him. Now I want you to look at verse 4. "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness?"
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Let me put it like this. Maybe I'll get to preach on it. I don't know. But you know why you did not die last night? You know why you were able to open your eyes alive this morning? I'll tell you why. It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, because His compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. If God's compassions or mercies had not been given to you during the night, you would never have waken this morning. God is good.
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There is no two ways about that. And His goodness, of course, extends to all of His creatures. But I want you to note what verse 4 says, "Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness." You know what we do? We take God for granted. We assume that God is going to give us breath. We assume that God is going to give us health. We assume that God is going to give us life. We assume that God is going to feed us. We're assuming that God owes us. God does not owe us anything. Except justice, and I got news for you, I don't want that.
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But what do we do? We despise God's goodness. We're not thankful for traveling mercies, we're not thankful for daily mercies, we're not thankful for our food. I never will forget. Years ago, Harlan Popov was in our church. He was for 14 years in Romanian prison. And he went from our church to another church where I knew the pastor. And they took him out to a restaurant. And all that food was brought before him.
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And Popov pull back his chair, drop to the floor on his knees, and in a loud voice, "Oh, God, I thank thee" and begin to pray and thank God. Of course, everyone in the restaurant stopped eating and turned to look. My pastor friend said, "You know, at first I was embarrassed. And then I got embarrassed that I was embarrassed." He said, "If I'd lived on ranch for 14 years as well," he said, "I might learn to be thankful for my daily bread."
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I want you to think about that, folks. When we despise God's goodness, here's what happens. God does not instantly slap us down. Rather, he forbears. He continues to bless us. And guess what? When the end of his forbearance is reached, then his longsuffering comes in. I love the word for longsuffering. I'll tell you what it is. Makrothumia. It literally means to be great or long nostrils. Really. I want you to notice something.
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When you start getting angry, you do this. Your nostrils start flaring. The longer the nose and the bigger the nose, the more indiscernible that flare is. In that sense, God is long-nostriled. You can't tell that that anger is building up. And He just does that long. But then after His goodness is despised, His forbearance is despised. His longsuffering comes to an end. And then it's when we find out that he is indeed a holy, just God. And what he says is sin is a despising of his goodness. Can you imagine?
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Stop and think about this. Can you imagine taking the money that God has so graciously allowed you to have. And spending it on sin and that which is wicked and contrary to God. Can you think about taking your food that God has given you and being ungrateful and unthankful, or maybe even offering it to some dumb idol? That's what they did in the Bible many times. They took, and that's why God complained against them. God said, I gave you the wine. I gave you the corn. I gave you everything. And now you turn around and give it to a dumb idol.
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Instead of being thankful and grateful to me, you insult me. Sin despises the goodness of God. I want to show you something else. To 2 Samuel chapter 12. 2 Samuel chapter 12. And to me, this last point is the one that is so exceedingly grievous. Everyone knows the story of David and Bathsheba. Everyone knows the story how Nathan came to David and gave him this story. And when David was incensed, he said, "The man that had done this thing shall surely die." Nathan just pointed his long bony finger and said to David, "Thou art the man. You've done it." I want you to look in 2 Samuel, chapter 12.
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And let's begin reading with verse 5. "And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die, and he shall restore the Lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, because he had no pity. And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom. And I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah."
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"And if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Now watch what he said. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart out of thine house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."
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Sin is not only a despisement of the Word of God. It is a despisement of God himself. When you and I let our thoughts wander. When we let our desires run rampant. When we think on things we should not. First and foremost, we are despising the Word of God. And secondly, we're despising God Himself. And the word literally means to treat as vile, worthless, despicable. When we choose sin, we are treating God's Word and God Himself as being vile and worthless and despicable. In Numbers 11 and verse 20, the Bible tells us that Israel despised God in their rebellion. In Numbers 15 and verse 30, the Word of God says this, "Because he has despised the Word of the Lord, and has broken his commandment, that soul shall be utterly cut off, his iniquity shall be upon him." What is sin? It is a despisement of God's Word and a despisement of God.
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Let me just try to boil this down for you. 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 upbraiding of His providence, the scoff of His promise, the unbelief of His word, the denial of His authority, and the despisement of His person and the reproach of His wisdom. Sin is against God, a personal God.
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How can we not come to the same conclusion that Joseph did? How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Let me make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. We must remember the august, majestic and sovereign God the next time we consider sinning. And by the way, folks, please understand this. Sin does not just happen. I've had people tell me, "Well, Brother Weaver, I didn't mean to sin. It just happened." That's hogwash. If there's a hundred dollar bill laying down there and I come up to steal it, I see it and I think about it before I take it. "Well, I didn't mean to run off with that man's wife. It just happened." That's not true, folks.
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You thought about it before you ever did it. There is no such thing as a sudden sin. And the next time the thought of sin comes through our mind, we have to understand that that sin is an insult to the sovereign God of heaven and earth. It is an attack upon His person, an attack upon His power and His position. It is a despising of Himself and His Word. We not only have to consider what will sin do to me, what will sin do to my family, what will sin do to my church, we have to consider what will our sin do to the sovereign God of heaven and earth.
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How can we do this great wickedness and sin against God? The awfulness of sin is seen in its hatred of God. Let me just quote the Scripture. I know that you can quote it. Romans 8. "The carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." The carnal mind is enmity against God. The word enmity is a strong word for hatred.
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Our minds are supposed to be renewed. We are to have a mind of Christ. We are to have his word in our mind. But when we reject and despise that word, we come back to an old carnal mind. And guess what? It is hatred of God. That's why God said, you despise my word. You despise me. You know what God said in Jeremiah 44 and verse 4, he said, "Howbeit I sent unto you my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them and saying, Listen, oh, do not this abominable thing which I hate."
#69 | 54:05 to 54:41 | cleaned
Let me spell it out to you. God hates sin. And sin hates God. Every gardener hates weeds. And every gardener hates them even more when they're in his garden. You know. I came to this conclusion a long time ago. If sinless perfection is a heresy, and it is. I believe an equal heresy is thinking that we have to sin. When John wrote, "My little children, these things I write unto you, that you sin not. But," he said, "if you sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
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You know what the Bible said, you can quote it, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee. Oh, let me not wander from Thy commandments." Are you listening? "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee." While I certainly do not agree with the theology of Dwight L. Moody, I do agree with one thing that he did. He wrote in the fly leaf of his Bible, "Either this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book."
#71 | 55:45 to 56:30 | cleaned
We have to come to this realization if we want to live holy, godly lives, if we want to live like Christ and have the mind of Christ. We have to come to the same attitude that Joseph did. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? I don't care what the sin is. It doesn't have to be adultery. It doesn't have to be murder. It can be bitterness. It can be resentfulness. It can be gossip. It can be pride. It can be arrogance. It can be any sin. We have to come to the realization that sin is against God. And if we want to live a holy, godly life, we have to know what our sin does to our God.
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I love that passage in John 8, I believe it's verse 29, where our Lord said, "Father, I know that thou hearest me always. For I do only those things which please you." Would to God that we would learn to pray in our daily lives, "O Father, help me to do only those things which please you." And we can only do that when we have the same attitude about sin that God does. And when we understand that when we sin, we sin against God. It's a despisement of Him. A despisement of His Word. How can we profess to love Him in one breath? And then turn and do that which is contrary to him in the next breath. How can we say, "Yes, Father, I love you, but..."
#73 | 57:31 to 58:52 | cleaned
I don't think I would make my wife happy if I told her I love her, but I'm going to see another woman next week. I don't think she would really believe that I genuinely loved her. And if you take the attitude, "Lord, I love you, but I'm going to have my way in this." I want to give you one illustration. Years ago, there was a man in our church. He had two children.
#74 | 58:56 to 59:32 | cleaned
We had a Christian school. His children were doing poorly. I called him in and talked to him. The man was a hunter and a fisherman. Now, he worked. He worked hard. He made good money. But his son took the attitude, "Well, a real man only hunts and fishes, doesn't have to study." I kept calling him in, explaining things to him, talking to him. Finally, we had to expel his children. So I called him back in one last time.
#75 | 59:32 to 1:00:19 | cleaned
He stood in front of my desk. Did not sit, he just stood. I explained to him church discipline. I explained to him what needed to be done. I gave him chapter and verse for everything that I said. I opened the Bible. I showed him. When I got through, here's what he said, I've never forgotten his words. He said, "Pastor, I know you're right. I know the Bible's right."
#76 | 1:00:20 to 1:01:00 | cleaned
"But I'm going to have to handle this my own way." So instead of facing church discipline and letting us work with the children and the family, they left the church. The daughter turned out to be basically a prostitute. The son turned out to be a drunkard and a dopehead. And that family, that husband and that wife, had to sleep at night with a loaded pistol by their bed to protect themselves from their own son, who threatened to kill them innumerable times. They had to call the law and have their own son arrested a number of times.
#77 | 1:01:04 to 1:01:54 | cleaned
Finally, the young man in his early 20s got drunk, went to sleep in his car that was parked on a railroad track. After they gathered up the remaining pieces when the train went by, they identified him only by his teeth.
#78 | 1:02:01 to 1:02:27 | cleaned
Here's a man who lost his family because he, in essence, despised God and God's Word. That's what sin does. It's not just what it does to us. It's what it does to God. How, then, can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We ask, Lord, that You make us holy, make us godly, make us heavenly, Father. Conform to the image of Jesus Christ. And help us, Lord, never to forget this verse.
#79 | 1:02:35 to 1:03:18 | cleaned
Sear it into our minds. How we can do this great wickedness and sin against our God. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
#80 | 1:03:18 to 1:03:32 | cleaned

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T00:04:52Z

Sinfulness of Sin

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver preaches from Genesis 39:9, focusing on Joseph's response to temptation: 'How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?' He argues that sin is primarily against a personal, holy God, not merely against others or ourselves. Sin denies God's sovereignty, rejects Him as the chief good, challenges His justice, despises His goodness, and treats Him and His Word as vile. Believers must adopt Joseph's attitude to live holy lives.

Introduction: The Desire for Holiness

Weaver introduces the message as one that helped him live a holy life, emphasizing that the true child of God desires to live righteously.

Joseph's Temptation and Logical Arguments

Joseph refuses Potiphar's wife by appealing to trust, authority, liberty, and the sanctity of marriage, but his ultimate reason is that it would be a sin against God.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 39:4-9

"How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?"

Scripture Reading — Genesis 39:4-9

"And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, Lie with me. But he refused. And he said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not, or knoweth not what is with me in the house."

Sin's Euphemisms and Consequences

Weaver contrasts how men soften sin with euphemisms while God calls it abomination, and notes that sin brings death and suffering.

David's Confession: Sin Against God Alone

David, after adultery and murder, declares in Psalm 51:4 that he sinned against God only, showing that sin is primarily against God.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"For I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me."

And then he says in verse 4,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this wickedness in thy sight."

He had sinned against so many other people, but yet he comes down to this one thing,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 51:3-4

"Against thee, thee only have I sinned."

While David certainly had trespassed against all of these other people, David realized the great transgression that he had committed was primarily against God alone. His greatest sin was against God.

Sin Denies God's Sovereignty

Sin seeks to dethrone God and reign in our lives, as seen in Pharaoh's defiance and the wicked who say 'Who is Lord over us?'

That's why in Psalm 12 and verse 4, we read this,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 12:4

"Who say with our tongue, we will prevail. Our lips are our own. Who is Lord over us?"

Sin Rejects God as the Chief Good

When we sin, we declare that God is insufficient to satisfy us, preferring sin over Him, which is blasphemous.

I want you to listen to this. In the book of Malachi, chapter 2 and verse 17, here's a verse that illustrates how sin will challenge the justice of God. The Word of God says,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 2:17

"You have wearied the Lord with your words, yet you say, Wherein have we wearied him? When you say, Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or where is the God of judgment?"

Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord? I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 9.

Sin Challenges God's Justice

Sin dares God to judge, as seen in Malachi and Psalm 50, where sinners think God is like them and will not act.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 9:8-9, 18

"Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry with you to have destroyed you. When I was going up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water."

Now note if you would, in verse 8 they provoke the Lord to such an extent that God was angry and ready to destroy them.

Sin Despises God's Goodness

Romans 2:4 shows that sin despises God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, taking His blessings for granted.

Sin Despises God Himself

In 2 Samuel 12, God charges David with despising Him and His Word, treating them as vile and worthless.

Applications: Remembering God's Majesty

We must consider God's holiness before sinning, hide His Word in our hearts, and pray to do only what pleases Him.

Illustration and Conclusion

A tragic story of a man who despised God's Word and lost his family illustrates the consequences of sin against God.

Sear it into our minds. How we can do this great wickedness and sin against our God. Give us grace to serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

Sinfulness of Sin

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	8110164173
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: The Family
Genre	Sermon
Date	2010-08-01
Dictation Name
Book	Book 027: The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order — Chapter 12
Source Timed Segments	80

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Desire for Holiness: Weaver introduces the message as one that helped him live a holy life, emphasizing that the true child of God desires to live righteously.
Joseph's Temptation and Logical Arguments: Joseph refuses Potiphar's wife by appealing to trust, authority, liberty, and the sanctity of marriage, but his ultimate reason is that it would be a sin against God.
Sin's Euphemisms and Consequences: Weaver contrasts how men soften sin with euphemisms while God calls it abomination, and notes that sin brings death and suffering.
David's Confession: Sin Against God Alone: David, after adultery and murder, declares in Psalm 51:4 that he sinned against God only, showing that sin is primarily against God.
Sin Denies God's Sovereignty: Sin seeks to dethrone God and reign in our lives, as seen in Pharaoh's defiance and the wicked who say 'Who is Lord over us?'
Sin Rejects God as the Chief Good: When we sin, we declare that God is insufficient to satisfy us, preferring sin over Him, which is blasphemous.
Sin Challenges God's Justice: Sin dares God to judge, as seen in Malachi and Psalm 50, where sinners think God is like them and will not act.
Sin Despises God's Goodness: Romans 2:4 shows that sin despises God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, taking His blessings for granted.
Sin Despises God Himself: In 2 Samuel 12, God charges David with despising Him and His Word, treating them as vile and worthless.
Applications: Remembering God's Majesty: We must consider God's holiness before sinning, hide His Word in our hearts, and pray to do only what pleases Him.
Illustration and Conclusion: A tragic story of a man who despised God's Word and lost his family illustrates the consequences of sin against God.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Sin is not merely against man but against God

Joseph and David both recognized that their sins were primarily against God, not just against other people.

Joseph: 'How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?' David: 'Against thee, thee only have I sinned.'

Sin denies God's sovereignty

Every sin is a practical denial that God has authority over that area of life.

Pharaoh said, 'Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?' (Exodus 5:2).

Sin rejects God as the supreme good

Choosing sin declares that God is not sufficient to satisfy our deepest needs.

Every prodigal, Achan, and Demas shows that sin is preferred over God.

Sin challenges God's justice

Sinners dare God to judge, thinking He will not act, but God will eventually reprove.

Psalm 50:21: 'Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee.'

Sin despises God's goodness and patience

Sinners take God's daily mercies for granted, not realizing His patience should lead to repentance.

Romans 2:4: 'Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering?'

Sin treats God and His Word as vile

To sin is to despise God Himself, treating Him as worthless.

2 Samuel 12:9-10: 'thou hast despised me... thou hast despised the commandment of the Lord.'

Scripture References

Genesis 39:4-9: Joseph's temptation and his refusal to sin against God.
Romans 6:23: The wages of sin is death.
Ezekiel 18:4, 20: The soul that sinneth shall die.
Galatians 6:7: Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
1 Chronicles 4:10: Jabez prayed to be kept from evil that it might not grieve him.
Romans 3:23: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Romans 5:12: By one man sin entered into the world.
1 Timothy 1:15: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Luke 19:10: The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Mark 1:15: Repent ye and believe the gospel.
Psalm 51:3-4: David confesses his sin against God alone.
Judges 10:10: Israel cried, 'We have sinned against thee.'
2 Chronicles 6:26, 36, 39: Solomon's prayer acknowledges sinning against God.
Habakkuk 1:13: God is of purer eyes than to behold evil.
Romans 6:11-22: Sin desires to reign, but believers are dead to sin.
Exodus 5:2: Pharaoh said, 'Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?'
Psalm 12:4: The wicked say, 'Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?'
Luke 19:14: The citizens said, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'
Malachi 2:17: Sinners weary the Lord by saying evil is good and questioning His justice.
Deuteronomy 9:8-9, 18: Israel provoked the Lord to wrath, challenging His justice.

Historical References

Harlan Popov: A Romanian pastor imprisoned for 14 years who publicly thanked God for his food in a restaurant, illustrating gratitude for God's goodness.
Dwight L. Moody: Weaver disagrees with Moody's theology but quotes his inscription: 'Either this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.'

Important Quotes

How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

This is the central verse and theme of the sermon, showing Joseph's recognition that sin is primarily against God.

Against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

David's confession highlights that sin is ultimately against God alone, despite its earthly victims.

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

This verse underscores how sin treats God's patience with contempt.

Thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

God's rebuke to David shows that sin is a personal despising of God Himself.

Either this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book.

A practical maxim emphasizing the role of Scripture in preventing sin.

Father, I know that thou hearest me always. For I do only those things which please you.

Jesus' example of living to please the Father is held up as the model for believers.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why did Joseph refuse Potiphar's wife primarily on the basis of sinning against God rather than the other reasons he gave?

[Context]

Joseph listed trust, authority, liberty, and marriage sanctity, but his ultimate reason was 'sin against God.'

[Question]

How does David's statement 'Against thee, thee only have I sinned' help us understand the nature of sin?

[Context]

David had sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah, and others, yet he saw his sin as primarily against God.

[Question]

In what ways does sin deny God's sovereignty in our daily lives?

[Context]

Weaver argues that sin is a practical denial that God has authority over that area.

[Question]

How can we cultivate a mindset that sees sin as despising God's goodness rather than taking His blessings for granted?

[Context]

Romans 2:4 warns against despising God's goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'despise' God and His Word, and how does sin reflect that attitude?

[Context]

2 Samuel 12 shows that David's sin was a despising of God and His commandment.

[Question]

How can hiding God's Word in our hearts practically help us avoid sinning against Him?

[Context]

Psalm 119:11 is cited as a key to cleansing one's way.

[Question]

Why is it insufficient for a child of God to merely abstain from fleshly sins?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that sins of the spirit (pride, bitterness, etc.) are equally sinful and grievous to God.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T14:47:01Z