But that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will,
shall be beaten severely.– Luke 12:47
Question 151 of the Larger Catechism asks, “What are those aggravations that make some sins
more heinous than others?” The third part of the answer says, “Sins receive their aggravations,
3. From the nature and quality of the offence: if it be against the express letter of the law, break
many Commandments, contain in it many sins: if not only conceived in the heart, but breaks
forth in words and actions, scandalize others, and admit of no reparation...” Last time we saw
how the person or persons against whom sin is committed can affect the gravity of the offense.
Today we consider how the very nature and quality of the sinful act can do the same.
It is one thing for me as a Christian to admit to sinning in general, or that my obedience in some
specific instance was lacking, insincere, or flawed. I can do that without much resistance from
my old nature. However, it is another thing entirely when I consider confessing to directly
disobeying an express commandment of God. When I am convicted of that type of iniquity, I
want to immediately begin to qualify my offense: “There were extenuating circumstances, I was
having a bad day, people were pushing my buttons, I did not think things through,” etc. In other
words we want to say, “It’s more complicated than that I simply disobeyed. I mean, c’mon, how
bad do you think I am? Don’t you see? It wasn’t entirely my fault. These other factors lessen my
share of the blame,” and etc. Even as believers we are still quite good at imitating our father
Adam, who when he was asked the simple yes or no question, “Have you eaten from the tree of
which I commanded you that you should not eat? (Gen. 3:11)” thought instead to offer God some
details about which He had not inquired: “The woman, whom You gave to be with me, she gave
me of the tree, and I ate” (v. 12). God had not asked about the woman. What the woman did or
did not do in no way lessoned Adam’s obligation to obey God. As in the Scripture above, Adam
knew his master’s will. He had received the command immediately. It was clear and simple, and
he directly disobeyed it. No circumstance could ameliorate Adam’s guilt from breaking the
express letter of the law. To the inquiry of God the man who was ready to take full responsibility
for his actions would have simply replied, “Yes.”
Additionally, Adam’s sin of eating the forbidden fruit broke many commands. The woman
became God to him as he did her will instead of God’s. The fruit of the tree and his own desires
became idols to him as he served them rather than God. He took God’s Name in vain by breaking
covenant with God and in exalting the creature above the Creator. He did not honor his Father.
He committed murder against himself and his posterity. He stole. He bore false witness. He
coveted. Logically he had to have first willed the act of disobedience in his heart as he accepted
the offer of his wife, reached out his hand, and took, and ate. Adam’s sin uniquely scandalized the
whole human race, though it then consisted of only two persons. Likewise, our sins often cause
harm to many people.
Finally, Adam’s transgression, like many of our sins, admitted of no reparation. It could not be
undone. Though no doubt he wished it could. I remember once in elementary school, being late
for lunch and very hungry. As I set down my tray someone distracted me from behind. My friend
Pete then grabbed all my tater-tots, so that when I turned back around, they were gone. Feeling
foolish and angry at the same time, I demanded “What happened? Where’s my food?” Their
trays were all empty, so I got up to begin peace talks when someone grabbed my arm & asked
me to calm down. Then I looked down at my tray and my tater-tots were back. My friend Pete
had a big smile on his face. I started to relax, but then I saw greasy dirt on my food and on the
tray from Pete’s hands. The thought of eating them made me nauseous. I pushed my tray away
and went hungry that day. Pete did not mean to ruin my food but he did, and though he felt bad
because he was my friend, he could not undo it. So also with much sin: we cannot restore what
our actions have done; even when we did not mean for things to turn out the way they did; even
when we are forgiven. The filth of sin corrupts everything it touches, and we must live with the
consequences. May God grant us to see through the lie of sin before it’s too late.
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