35 God's Design in Revealing Sin

God’s Design in Revealing Sin "Why do You show me iniquity?" Habakkuk 1:3

Part of the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of His people — is to reveal the iniquity within them. While to reveal iniquity without us — is one of the ends of Divine Providence. As believers in Jesus — we are daily learning more of the pollution and depravity of our nature; and as inhabitants of the world — we are daily discovering more of the sin that is in the world. If the Lord reveals iniquity to us as an act of grace, he leads us to sympathize with himself respecting it; and then we hate it, seek to free ourselves from it, and bear our testimony against it. The design on the Lord’s part is always gracious; the effects on our part are various. The Lord’s end is worthy of himself, and the result in our experience will be useful.

Let us ask with the prophet, "Why do You show me iniquity?"

First, to produce HUMILITY. We are prone to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think; we lose sight of our sinful origin; we forget our just desert; and we swell with self-importance! Then the Lord allows the corruption of our nature to work, the evils of the heart to appear — and we have a fresh view of our fallen condition — and what we really are! We see that our nature is radically bad, that our heart is a nest of unclean birds, and that our motives and actions are impure. This brings us down from our eminence, lays us in the dust, fills us with confusion, and we exclaim, with Job, "Behold, I am vile!" We are now forced into our proper place in the dust, and agree that God would be infinitely just in our eternal destruction.

Secondly, to endear the LORD JESUS. The Savior is never so precious — as when we have a vivid sense of our own sinfulness, and a manifestation of the sins from which He died to deliver us! He may have much lip-love — when we have wrong views of ourselves. But He will have heart-love — when the Spirit shows us our iniquities. Then we love Him, for his condescension in noticing us, for his grace in assuming our nature, and for his great mercy in putting "away our iniquities — by the sacrifice of himself." When we look up from the depths of humility, into which a discovery of sin has brought us — then the Savior does appear most lovely, his grace is precious, his name is sweet, and his salvation is glorious.

Yes, if Jesus is to be endeared to our hearts — the Lord must show us our iniquity.

Thirdly, to excite GRATITUDE. A sense of our just desert, on the one hand; and of the love of Jesus, on the other hand — will fill our hearts with gratitude! When we look unto the rock from whence we were hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence we were dug; when we look at what our lives have been, and down into the Hell which we justly deserve — and realize the greatness of the mercy shown to us — we become sincerely grateful! And just in proportion as the Lord shows us iniquity, and we realize salvation from the desert of that iniquity — will be the depth and power of our gratitude. The Lord loves to see us grateful, to hear our feeble praises, and to observe the tear of gratitude starting in the eye — and therefore He shows us our iniquity!

Fourthly, to awaken CONCERN for others. For when we perceive sin in ourselves, and realize the desert of it; and then look around and see iniquity abounding in every direction, and realize something of the nature of that Hell which a the just punishment of such iniquities; a concern arises in our hearts for the perishing thousands that surround us. We do not half feel for their state — because we have not vivid views of iniquity; nor have we half the concern we ought to have for their deliverance from a deserved Hell. If we felt the concern we ought for them — how would we pray for them, watch for opportunities to speak to them, and use every means to snatch them as fire-brands from the flames? May the Lord awaken a deep and abiding concern for sinners in our hearts, even if it is necessary, in order thereto, to show us more of iniquity.

Fifthly, to lead us to ACTIVITY. We are not half alive in God’s cause, nor half diligent enough in God’s work. The truth of the gospel becomes common-place, and the condition of those around us ceases to impress us. We lose sight of the fact that sin is infinitely offensive to God, that those around us must be delivered from it — or perish for it. The thought of relatives and neighbors, and the mass of mankind going to an eternal Hell — does not affect us; therefore we slumber and sleep, procrastinate and put off, and are anything but active in God’s cause. May the Lord so show us iniquity, in its nature, and in its consequences on those around us — as to stir us up to activity in His cause, and zeal for the conversion of souls.

Sixthly, to compel us to JUSTIFY God in His judgments. When we see what wickedness there is in our hearts, and in our world; and how that wickedness is in direct opposition to God’s law, and is grieving God’s heart — can we do otherwise than wonder at His forbearance, and justify Him in the judgments He inflicts? This closes the mouth from complaining, and the heart from repining; and, under the sorest visitations, we exclaim, "Righteous are You, O Lord!" The Lord is righteous in all that is brought upon us. "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works."

Lastly, to fill us with admiration at His SOVEREIGN LOVE. He could not naturally love sinners. He could not love such as we are, or those who are around us — for anything in us, or for anything done by us. If he loves — it must he freely. If he blesses — it must be in sovereignty. But he has told us, that he has loved such as we are, with an everlasting love; and therefore with loving-kindness drew them to himself. That he has loved his chosen people, even as he has loved his only-begotten Son.

Now just in proportion to our knowledge of iniquity on the one hand, and of God’s infinite love on the other — will be our admiration of the conduct of the Most High God. Those who know most of sin, and of their sinful selves — most admire the wondrous love of God; and if we are to be filled with admiration of God’s love, we must be shown our iniquities. May the Lord so deal with us as . . .
to fill us with profound humility,
to endear to us the Lord Jesus,
to excite in us fervent gratitude,
to awaken in us a lively concern for the salvation of all around us,
to lead us actively to engage in every attempt to pluck sinners as brands from the burning,
to justify him heartily in all his judgments, and
to fill us with admiration of his sovereign love.

Reader, you must see iniquity, so as to hate it, seek the pardon of it, flee from it, and justify God in punishing it — or you will remain a stranger to salvation, to the joys of real religion, and to that holiness without which no man can see the Lord. Unless we see iniquity, flee to Jesus to be saved from it, and have our hearts set against it — we shall be eternally punished for it! Hell is the effect and natural consequence of sin. Hell is the sinner reaping what he has sown, and receiving the due desert of his deeds. May free grace save both writer and reader from ever experiencing it. "O Lord, pardon my iniquity — for it is great!" Psalms 25:11