One of Spurgeon’s best. Old John Gill put it this way..
but sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that is, the vitiosity and corruption of nature, which is designed by sin, took an occasion, “by that which is good”, that is, the law, through its prohibition of lust, to work in me all maimer of concupiscence, which brought forth fruit unto death; wherefore, upon the law’s entrance into my heart and conscience, I received the sentence of death in myself, that so sin by it, “working death in me, might appear sin” to me,
which I never knew before. This end was to be, and is answered by it, yea,
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful;
that the corruption of nature might not only be seen and known to be sin,
but exceeding sinful; as being not only contrary to the pure and holy nature of God, but as taking occasion by the pure and holy law of God to exert itself the more, and so appear to be as the words καθ υπερβολην αμαρτωλος, may be rendered, “exceedingly a sinner”, or “an exceeding great sinner”; that being the source and parent of all actual sins and transgressions; wherefore not the law, but sin, was the cause of death, which by the law is discovered to be so very sinful.
It is amazing today how all types of sin are readily acceptable and repentance is rarely preached.
Perhaps it’s just too much to teach in our culture or at least we are told people don’t want to hear about it. Just how to live a better life in the culture or how God is “only” love.
Maybe it’s really simple…one pastor I heard recently said all of our sins can be traced back to roots in the 10 Commandments….and even the 10th gets to the heart issues that Jesus spoke about. So it’s really all plainly there in front of us. Maybe a new verse?
“Amazing Grace that saved a pretty good person like me!”
Rainbow Trout 