Introduction

Paul seeks to educate us about sin.  In Romans he details a great deal about sin.  In thirty-seven verses he mentions the word ‘sin’ in some form forty-five times.  He mentions first that “all are under sin”.  (Rom. 3:9)  He reminds us that the “wages of sin is death”.  (6:23)  He challenges us to “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body.”  (6:12)  He declares that he is “carnal sold under sin”.  (7:14).  He tells us that the evil he does is because “sin dwelleth in me”.  (7:20)  Here he seeks to change our mindset about sin.  He desires that we might see sin and see that it is exceeding sinful. 

I.  Notice problem – to many men sin does not appear as sin.

1. There are several reasons for this.
2. One, our natural state.
3. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”  Ps. 51:5
4. This natural state brings an ignorance as to what sin is.
5. It requires divine light and knowledge to identify sin.  Rom. 7:7
6. Man’s definition of what sin is and God’s definition are often at odds.
7. Our natural state rebels at restraints and rules.
8. Our desire is for that which we should not have.  Was not this the problem of Eve?  She desired what God had placed off limits

II.  sin is deceitful.

1. Read Rom. 7:11.  Sin deceived me.
2. Heb. 3:13 we are “hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
3. How many do you know that started down sin’s path with all the confidence of being right and wound up under the bondage of sin?
4. The drunkard started with just one drink.
5. The smoker started with just one cigarette.
6. The pornographer started with just one look.
7. Solomon depicts this struggle as the cords of sin.

III.  our hearts are deceitful and wicked.

1. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  Jer. 17:9
2. My heart will deceive me in this matter of sin.  We can easily justify to ourselves that sin is not sin.  We can dismiss it as opinion.  We can dismiss it as tradition.
3. Your heart and my heart are not capable of being truthful with us in the matter of sin.

IV.  we are grossly ignorant of God’s word.

1. Rom. 7:9, 10
2. We are ignorant on purpose.
3. We are ignorant because we are unsaved.
4. We are ignorant because we are carnal or babes.
5. Oh that we might see sin as sin.
6. Oh that we might use the proper word for sin.
7. Beecher was reprimanded for calling sin by name.  He recommended that the name of strychnine be changed to make is less offensive.
8. We should call the alcoholic drunkards.
9. We should call the immoral whores and whoremongers.
10. We should call the gay/homosexual crowd sodomites (queers).
11. We should call the pro-choice murderers.
12. Notice our need – we must see sin as exceeding sinful.
13. We have become immune and hardened to the word “sinner”.
14. Suppose you were looking for just the right term for a betrayer that would depict the evil and disloyalty.  Would you settle for “back stabber” when Judas is more appropriate?  Would you settle for “disloyal” when Benedict Arnold is more appropriate?
15. Neither does God settle for the whitewashed description of this word.
16. Sinner! What an evil and ugly word!  Oh that we would see it in the evil and dark picture that God sees it!  I am a sinner.
17. God:
18. God considers sin evil – an abomination. 
19. God marks your sin.  “If I sin, then thou markest me”  Job 10:14
20. God is provoked to anger by sin.  “provoke me to anger with their sins”  I Kings 16:2
21. God recompenses for sin. 
22. God punishes sin.  “I will punish you for all your iniquities.”  Am. 3:2
23. How evil to permit sin!  We become complacent and allow it to roam in our lives without fear or concern.
24. Sin :
25. “sin is the transgression of the law.”  I John 3:4
26. ”All unrighteousness is sin:”  I John 5:17
27. “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth itnot, to him it is sin.”  James 4:17
28. “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”  James 4:17
29. “The thought of foolishness is sin”  Prov. 24:9

V.  Applications

we are grossly ignorant of God’s word.

1. Sin must be paid for.  “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
2. Sin must be confessed.  “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy”  Prov. 28:13