Shame and Hatred of Sin

The 4th and 5th phases inThe Doctrine of Repentance

Review: Confession

1. Self-Accusing and Voluntary2. Compunction (Resentment – Feeling sin)3. Sincere – the heart4. Particularizing Sin5. Sin in the Fountain (willing submitting to the sin

nature)6. All Circumstances and Aggravations (Root)7. Charge oneself as to clear God8. A resolution not to act on one’s sins again

Outline

I. Shame of Sina. Nine considerations about sin that cause shameb. Those who have no shamec. Showing our penitence

II. Hatred of Sina. A two-fold hatred: abominations and enmityb. How true hatred of sin may be knownc. Look upon sin with conceit

Shame of Sin“That they may be ashamed of their iniquities.”

Ezekiel 43:10

A Holy Bashfulness

“When the heart has been made black with sin, grace makes the face red with blushing: ‘I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face’ (Ezra 9:6). Repentance causes a holy bashfulness. If Christ’s blood were not at the sinner’s heart, there would not so much blood come in the face.”

The Doctrine of Repentance

Nine Considerations

The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson gives nine considerations for why sin should cause us to be ashamed:

1. Guilt2. Ungratefulness3. Nakedness4. Christ Shamed5. Instigation of the

Devil

6. Men into Beasts7. Folly8. Our sins are worse

than those of the unsaved

9. Our sins are worse than the sins of the fallen angels

1. Guilt

Every sin makes us guilty. Adam never blushed when he was innocent, but when he tainted his soul by sin, then he was ashamed. Sin has tainted our blood, and we are guilty of high treason against the Crown of Heaven.

2. Ungratefulness

We should be scolded for our sin of ingratitude since God has clearly given us no cause. We have everything we need on this earth and eternal life with Christ, and yet we constantly abuse the kindness of so good a God.

3. Nakedness

Sin has made us naked – it has stripped us of our white linen of holiness. It has made us deformed in God’s eyes, showing our emptiness without Him and our constant rebellion against His decrees.

4. Christ Shamed

Our sins have put Christ to shame. The Jews arrayed Him purple, put a reed in His hand, spat in His face and reviled Him. Christ was crucified and reviled because of our sin, and yet we still keep on sinning.

5. Instigation of the Devil

Many sins which we commit are by the special instigation of the devil. The devil put it into the heart of Judas to betray Christ (John 13:2). He filled Ananias’ heart to lie (Acts 5:3). He often stirs up our passions (James 3:6).

6. Men into Beasts

Sinners are compared to foxes (Luke 13:32), to wolves (Matt. 7:15), to donkeys (Job 11:12), and to swine (2 Pet. 2:22). Our sins take away that noble, righteous spirit we are called to possess as sons and daughters of God.

7. Folly

In every sin, there is folly (Jer. 4:22). Is it not folly to labor more for the bread that perishes than for the bread of life, to believe a temptation before the promises of God?

8. Our sins are worse than those of the unsaved

The sin committed by a Christian is worse than the same sin committed by the unsaved, because the Christian sins against clearer conviction – He knows God and all His attributes yet willing rebels against Him.

9. Our sins are worse than the sins of the fallen angels

The fallen angels (demons) never sinned against Christ’s blood – Christ didn’t die for them; but He did die for us, and we have seen and understood this truth and have regarded it as being of little worth.

No Shame

“Many have sinned away shame: ‘The unjust know no shame’ (Zeph. 3:5). God set it as a brand on the Jews: ‘Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush’ (Jer. 6:15). The devil steals shame from man. When men have hearts of stone and foreheads of brass, it is a sign that the devil has taken full possession of them.”

The Doctrine of Repentance

Showing Penitence

“Let us show our penitence by a modest blushing: ‘O my God, I blush to lift up my face’ (Ezra 9:6). ‘My God’ – there was faith; ‘blush’ – there was repentance. Be assured, the more we are ashamed of sin now, the less we shall be ashamed at Christ’s coming. If the sins of the godly be mentioned at the day of judgment, it will not be to shame them, but to magnify the riches of God’s grace in pardoning them.”

The Doctrine of Repentance

Hatred of Sin“You shall loathe yourselves for your iniquities.”

Ezekiel 36:31

A Hatred of Abominations

“A true penitent is a sin-loather. If a man loathe that which makes his stomach sick, much more will he loathe that which makes his conscience sick. It is more to loathe sin than to leave it. Christ is never loved till sin be loathed. Let all my self-love be turned into self-loathing (Zech. 3:4-5).”

The Doctrine of Repentance

Job’s Repentance“Therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” – Job

42:6

Hatred of Enmity

“There is no better way to discover life than by motion. The eye moves, the pulse beats. So to discover repentance there is no better sign than by a holy antipathy against sin. Hatred, said Cicero, is anger boiled up to an inveteracy. Sound repentance begins in the love of God and ends in the hatred of sin.”

The Doctrine of Repentance

Regeneration“He saved us… according to his own mercy, by the washing of

regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” – Titus 3:5

How may true hatred of sin be known?

1. When a man’s spirit is set against sin.2. True hatred of sin is universal. It is universal in

two ways: in respect of the facilities, and of the object.

3. True hatred of sin is against sin in all forms.4. True hatred is implacable.5. Where there is a real hatred, we not only oppose

sin in ourselves but in others too.

Look upon sin with conceit

1. Look upon the origin of sin, from where it comes.2. Look upon sin in it’s nature, and it will appear

very hateful.3. Look upon sin in its comparison, and it appears

ghastly.4. Look upon sin in the issue and consequence, and

it will appear hateful.

1. Origin of Sin

0 Its pedigree is from hell (1 John 3:8)0Sin is the devil’s occupation, his work0God has a hand in ordering sin, but Satan has a

hand in acting it out0 It is hateful to be doing that which is the

occupation of the devil, and that which makes men like the devil

2. Nature of Sin

0 It is a dishonoring of God (Rom. 2:23)0A despising of God (1 Sam. 2:30)0A fretting of God (Ezek. 16:43)0A wearying of God (Isa. 7:13)0A breaking the heart of God (Ezek. 6:9)0A crucifying of Christ afresh and putting him to

open shame (Heb. 6:6)

3. Comparison of Sin

0Sin is worse than affliction and hell0Affliction can take away the life; sin takes away the

soul (Luke 12:20)0Affliction only reaches the body, but sin goes

further: it poisons the mind and disorders the affections

0Hell is of God’s make; sin is none of His making0 In hell there is the execution of divine justice, but

sin is the highest injustice – it robs God of his Glory, Christ of his atonement, and the soul of joy

4. Issue and Consequence of Sin

0Sin reaches the body and exposes it to a variety of miseries – it gives momentary pleasure and racks the body with pain afterwards

0Sin reaches the soul – by sin we lose the image of God, our innocence and majesty found in Christ; and it separates us from the vision of God, in whose presence is the fullness of joy

0 It is responsible for Christ’s death and divine wrath inflicted upon Him because of our sin