SCRIPTURE: John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
PROPOSITION: to use this text and others to show how much sinners love darkness, and also to show the great lengths that sinners are willing to go to in order to continue in sin, and also to show that Christ is the only way to be set free from sin.
1.) Why loving darkness is so heinous.
A.) Because it affects our good judgement. When a man is drunk with strong drink his judgements are skewed, and when a sinner is drunk with a love for sin and pride his mind lacks the ability to make good moral decisions. Romans 1:28 "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;"
B. Because a love for sin hardens the heart, calluses the conscience, and freezes the soul in impenatence. Romans 2:5 "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;"
C. Because a love for sin shackles us and enslaves us. Romans 6:20 "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness."
D. Because a love for sin increases one's hatred for purity. John 3:20 "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved."
E. Because a love for sin turns a mans mind into a sewage of sin causing a sinner to dwell upon that which is unwholesome, and to live out those sins he imagines in his heart. Genesis 6:5 "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
F. Because a love for sin conforms a man into the very image of "that old serpent the Devil."
Matthew 12:34 "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
G. Because a love for sin causes unregenerate men to suppress the truth in unrighteous. Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;"
H. Because a love for sin causes natural men to "pervert the right ways of the Lord" Romans 1:26-27 "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."
J. Because a love for sin causes blind sinners to "change the truth of God into a lie" Isaiah 5:20 "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
K. Because a love for sin defiles a man from the inside out, until the whole body and being is corrupted. Romans 3:13-16 "Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways:"
L. Because a love for sin dares a loving God who "takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked" to damn them eternally.
2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
2.) To what degree do unconverted men love darkness? This can only be measured by the depth of depravity that unconverted men sink into, and also what sinners are willing to give up instead of repenting of sin, and also the degree to which unconverted men are willing to go in order to justify sin.
A. Some sinners have sunk into such depths of depravity that they have done unspeakable evils, even riping up women with children with is a profound testimony to the depth of depravity that the human heart is capable off. 2 Kings 8:12 "And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child."
B. Some sinners would rather inflict suffering upon themselves than part with their sin. 1 Kings 18:28 "And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them."
C. Some sinners would rather give their children as a sacrifice than part with sin. Micah 6:7 "...shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"
D. What would you think of a slave who was offered freedom and full retirement funds, and he refused it? Sinners are slaves and bankrupt of any righteousness, and Christ offers them freedom, forgiveness, and purity and they refuse it. this is a tremendous testimony to the wickedness of the human heart. John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"
E. Some deluded impenatent sinners would rather give their very life than part with their beloved sins, thinking that God will reward them for acts of terror and suicide. 1 Corinthians 13:3 "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."
F. Sinners are willing to go to great lengths to justfy their sin. many times they spend their life perfecting this art, they even condemn God in an effort to elevate themselves. Deuteronomy 1:27 "And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us."
3.) How can sin lovers become sin haters?
A. A sin lover can only become a sin hater, when he becomes a God lover. and the only way this type of a miraculous transformation can take place is by the mighty working of the Spirit of God upon our dead spirit, giving us new life from above. Ezekiel 36:26 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."
CONCLUSION: When Christ was crucified "the rocks rent", but a sin lovers heart is harder than a rock, it remains unbroken. but when the sin lover becomes moved by his miserable condition and he is awakened to the fearful curse of the law that he is under, and he also sees the Son of God hanging on that rugged cross with Gods wrath being burned out upon Jesus Christ, then "the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" the chains are broken and a new life given.
