A defiling, debasing, damning evil—more to be dreaded than death itself!

(Charles Simeon)  LISTEN to Audio!  Download Audio

"Fools mock at sin!" Proverbs 14:9

1. However much the ungodly mock at sin, they can never alter the nature of sin.

Sin is "that abominable thing which God hates!" Jeremiah 44:4. God cannot look upon sin, or on those who commit sin—without the utmost abhorrence, Habakkuk 1:13. Sin is, whether we will believe it or not, "exceedingly sinful!" Romans 7:13

Whatever harmless construction the wicked may put upon sin, and however they may attempt to mitigate its horribleness—sin will ever remain immutably the same: a defiling, debasing, damning evil—more to be dreaded than death itself!

The ungodly imagine that sin is harmless, but in the end "it bites like a serpent, and poisons like a viper!" Proverbs 23:32. They may roll sin as a sweet morsel under their tongues, but it will become a deadly venom in their hearts!

2. However much the ungodly mock at sin, they can never avert the consequences of sin.

God has said, "The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God!" Psalm 9:17

Now they may imagine that God regards sin as inconsequential, but He will never separate their sin from it's consequence, Hell!

They may represent their sins as trivial, and may talk about the goodness of God, and the impossibility of His punishing 'such minor offences' with such a tremendous punishment; but they shall never prevail on Him to rescind His decree, or to reverse His sentence. He has said, "The soul that sins—it shall surely die!" Ezekiel 18:20. And die it shall—even "the second death in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone!"

Even if the whole universe should combine their efforts to avert the consequences of sin, they can never prevail in any single instance! Proverbs 11:21. "The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men!" Romans 1:18. Sooner shall Heaven and earth pass away—than one impenitent transgressor escape God's prison! How great then must be the folly of mocking at sin!

If the ungodly convince themselves that their sins shall go unpunished—they only deceive themselves, and rivet the chains with which sin and Satan have already bound them!

Solomon's view of such conduct is correct: All who mock at sin are utter fools!

3. Never make light of sin!

Your souls, your immortal souls, are at stake! Were the consequences of your error only temporary, we might leave you to enjoy your own delusions—but they are eternal! There is no repentance in the grave. "As the tree falls, so it will lie." If you die under the guilt of unforgiven sin—then your doom is irreversible, and your misery is everlasting! How do millions that are now in the eternal world curse their folly for making light of sin, in direct opposition to all that God had spoken in his Word respecting it! I beg you then, to be wise in time, and seek without delay to obtain "the forgiveness of your sins through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus!" Colossians 1:14