“GOD’S DIRECT COVERING” Lesson One
I: Sin Defined:
A. I’m going to say a word, and you pay attention to what the first thing is that comes to your mind;
a. The word is “SIN!!!”
1. What was the first thing that came to your mind?
1a. Most believers would say, “Adultery, Fornication, Perversion, or
Drinking, or Looking and Acting like the world;
2a. Or gambling, stealing, murder or witchcraft;
3a. Some may say, hatred, strife, jealousy or un-forgiveness ;
b. Can I say, “Adam did not sleep with another woman, nor did he go out and get drunk;
1. Yet his sin was so serious it brought all creation into captivity and bondage.
1a. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned:” Rom 5:12
N> What did Adam do that brought so much destruction on mankind?
2a. Paul said, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made
Sinners,….” Rom 5:19
N> Adams sin was, “disobedient to what God had told him;”
B. Scripture says, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4
a. Transgression means, “without law or lawlessness;”
1. According to Thayer’s Greek dictionary it is, “the condition of being without law, because of ignorance of it or because of violation it:”
2. Vine’s dictionary states that this verse gives, “the real meaning of the word sin.
1b. Vine’s goes on to say, “This definition of sin sets forth its essential
character as the rejection of the law, or will, of God and the
substitution of the will of self.”
b. To confirm this definition, look at a parable of Jesus; Luke 14
1. Jesus said, “ A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were
bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.”
1b. In this parable the Father’s will is spoken: “Come, for all things are
now ready.”
** The word servant is directed toward those already invited, that is,
those in the church, not unbelievers;
N> However, these people begin to make excuses for not heeding
the call: “COME.”
** The first said, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and
see it.”
** The second said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go and
test them;”
** The third said, “ I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot
come;”
2b. None of these said, I can’t come because I’m going to a party
tonight, or I’m going to the casinos, or I’ve fallen in love with my
secretary and we’re going to Hawaii.
N> The question is, is buying land wrong, buying equipment wrong,
or marrying wrong, NO
2. But listen to what Jesus said, “That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”
N> Why would the master make such a strong statement, when what they
were doing was not wrong;
** Because of a simple act of “Disobedience:”
** The word of the Master was, “COME:”
N> They refused to OBEY the word of the Master;
II: What About the “Big Ones;”
A. What about lying, drunkenness, adultery, stealing, murder?
a. Aren’t these sins? Absolutely!!!
1. They go against His authority as well.
1a. Scripture deals with all of these;
** 1 Cor 6:9-10, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God.”
** Rev 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable,
and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake
which burneth with fire and brimstone:”
b. Pro. 6: 16-19 deals with things God hates;
1. These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among
brethren.
c. Paul says in II Cor. 12:21,
I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and
that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be
debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings,
swellings, tumults:
And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you,
and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have
not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and
lasciviousness which they have committed.
1a. Debates means to “argue or quarrel,”
2a. Backbiting means to, “defamation, or talkative against, or slander:”
** Defamation means, to insult, slur, smear,”
3a. Whisperings means, “secret detraction, or to utter untruth or
attempt to deceive by falsehood.”
** It means to reduce the quality, value or importance from
something, the act of damaging somebody’s reputation, by
making discrediting comments.
N> And Paul said, I fear lest some have sinned already and have not
repented……
N> Sin is not just the homosexual or fornicator, but the saint who refused
to obey Gods Word and repent..
B. Jesus said, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matt 24:12-13
a. Question, does this apply to our world or not;
1. May I say, Jesus was not describing society in that statement.
1b. But He was describing the church!!
2. The key in this phrase is, “the LOVE of many will grow cold.”
1b. The Greek word for LOVE here is, “Agape”
2b. Remember Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that
you LOVE (agape) one another;”
N> Agape speaks of the unconditional love of God;
N> Rom 5:5 says, “…….the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the
Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
** Love here is Agape, same word Jesus used in Matt. 24
** And one cannot have the Agape of God, without the Holy Ghost;
b. The word “iniquity” means “lawless or violation of the law;”
1. So Jesus was saying, “because lawlessness will abound, the love of may will grow cold.”
N> Jesus was saying, that lawlessness is going to abound in the church in
the last days.
N> We have taught that all you have to do is be baptized in Jesus name,
receive the Holy Ghost, look Holy and you’ll be alright;
N> And I believe you must repent, be baptized in Jesus name, and be filled with the Holy Ghost;
N> But we have neglected or placed no emphasis on keeping His
Word;
2. Jesus said, “ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.’’
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name
done many wonderful works? Matt 7:21-22
N> Unbelievers cannot cast out demons in Jesus’ name. Again Jesus was
addressing the church.
3. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt 7:23
1b. Notice what they were practicing, “Lawlessness.”
** They have developed a pattern of placing their agenda, pleasure, or
plans before the commands of the Lord.
** They only obey what fits in their plans, ideas and agendas;
N> Yet they are unaware of their own lawlessness and sin;
C. Second reason we know Jesus was addressing the church is found in His next phrase.
a. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
1. To endure a race, one must have begun a race.
1c. Unbelievers have yet to begin the Christian race.
2. Paul said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Cor 9:27
N> Eccl. 12: 13 says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear
God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s
all..”
b. Jesus said, “He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings:
John 14:24
N> God is looking for children whose hearts yearn to walk in obedience.
