Take Christ seriously. Yes, of course. For every look at your sin, take ten looks at Christ. But will you want to look at Christ if you have not seen your need? Will you see your need if you have not seen your sin?

Why is the Son of God taken for granted in the visible church today? Only because sin is taken lightly. The rediscovery of the glory of Christ’s salvation is our most pressing need. The most mature man of God needs a fresh vision of Jesus Christ so that he cries out, “Hallelujah! What a Savior!” This is the mark of a growing and a revived congregation, and that fullness of the Spirit as He glorifies the Son comes in large part by means of a conviction of our sin and a realization of our need of this glorious Deliverer from sin’s dominion, perversity, and condemnation. So, young Christian, take sin seriously.

See how sin smashes in pieces the law of God. Two tables with safe, good, holy, just, spiritual, and profitable rules—sin dashes them down and destroys both tablets. Is that an insignificant action? To disdain and destroy the holy law of God, the summary of God’s nature and perfections?

See how sin looks coldly at the character of our Creator, the Maker of all that is majestic, glorious, beautiful, and excellent. It pours contempt on Him. Look at the scariest creatures in the world and imagine that they are honing in on you. Yet none of those creatures naturally hates God. Only sin—your sin and mine—despises and rejects God.

See how sin lies under the warnings of the living God. God hates all that is a contradiction of His nature. All that is mean, sly, cruel, egotistical, idolatrous, greedy, and lustful is disdained by the thrice-holy Lord. Everything in heaven and in the heaven of heavens, the angels and seraphim, the spirits of just men made perfect, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one in all their righteous anger and fury aimed at the head of sin, and are we going to go on being indifferent to it? One day, by grace, we shall loathe it as they do.

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