Sin
Deadly sin is a death of the soul that separates us from God, leading to unrest, sickness, and blindness.
W.R. Inge preaches about deadly sin as a death of the soul, separating us from God who is the life of the soul, causing unrest in the heart, sickness of the faculties, blindness of the senses, and a loss of all graces. He emphasizes that every creature must abide in God, as falling out of His mercy leads to falling into His justice, highlighting the madness of not wanting to be with God, without whom we cannot exist.
Text
DEADLY sin is a death of the soul. To die is to lose life. But God is the life of the soul; since then deadly sin separates us from God, it is a death of the soul.
Deadly sin is also an unrest of the heart. Everything can rest only in its proper place. But the natural place of the soul is God; as St Augustine says, Lord, thou hast made us for Thyself, and our heart is restless till it finds rest in Thee. But deadly sin separates us from God; therefore it is an unrest of the heart. Deadly sin is also a sickness of the faculties, when a man can never stand up alone for the weight of his sins, nor ever resist falling into sin. Therefore deadly sin is a sickness of the faculties. Deadly sin is also a blindness of the sense, in that it suffers not a man to know the shortness of the pleasures of lust, nor the length of the punishment in hell, nor the eternity of joys in heaven. Deadly sin is also a death of all graces; for as soon as a deadly sin takes place, a man becomes bare of all graces. (217)
Every creature must of necessity abide in God; if we fall out of the hands of his mercy, we fall into the hands of His justice. We must ever abide in Him. What madness then is it to wish not to be with Him, without whom thou canst not be! (169)
Sermon Outline
- Definition of Deadly Sin
- Separates us from God
- A death of the soul
- An unrest of the heart
Key Quotes
“Deadly sin is a death of the soul.” — W.R. Inge
“Lord, thou hast made us for Thyself, and our heart is restless till it finds rest in Thee.” — W.R. Inge
“We must ever abide in Him.” — W.R. Inge
Application Points
- Recognize the danger of deadly sin and its consequences.
- Abide in God and seek His mercy and justice.
- Resist falling into sin and seek to stand up against its weight.