This is the 1of 10 messages by A.W. Pink on “Profiting from the Word”. (Read it here.) In “Scriptures and Sin”, Pink encourages those who are reading Scripture to do so Biblically—this is actually the reason for all ten messages. In this essay, using much Scripture, Pink shows that Scripture is not a mere intellectual pursuit, and the Bible should not be read like a textbook. Pink lays out seven was that an individual is spiritually profited from Scripture which he explicates—something I won’t be doing here. Here is an outline of his seven points though.
An individual is spiritually profited from Scripture when:
1) The Scripture convicts him of his sin.
2) He is sorrowed over sin
3) The Word leads him to confession of sin.
4) He produces a greater hatred for sin.
5) It causes the him to forsake sin.
6) The Word fortifies him against sin.
7) The Word causes him to practice the opposite of sin.
Because, when reading Scripture, it is easy to do so for the purpose of knowledge, Pinks essay brings a helpful compilation of Scripture references to support his above seven points.
To those who may not read this article but are just browsing on this blog for some reason, Pink suggests that Christians who are reading Scripture ask themselves the following questions:
1) “Is the reading and studying of God’s Word producing a purging of my ways?”
2) “Are my thoughts being formed, my heart controlled, and my ways and works regulated by God’s Word?”
“Till sin be hated, it cannot be mortified; you will never cry against it, as the Jews did against Christ, Crucify it, Crucify it, till sin be abhorred as He was.” (Thomas Manton)
