James
How to Cover Sin
James says
19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20
How should we handle someone who has known the Truth
And is wandering from it?
How do we bring them back?
How do we turn a sinner from the error of his ways?
How do we keep people from hurting themselves and others?
How do we keep them from destroying
And killing the life Christ died for us to have?
So when a brother or sister sins 77 times, how do we cover that?
Is your covering big enough to cover a 77 times sin (multitude of sins)?
Reminder, Jesus forgave your sins
Show your gratitude and forgive others
Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Matthew 18:33-35
How to Cover Sin
How should we handle someone
who has known the Truth
and is wandering from it?
How do we bring them back?
How do we turn a sinner
from the error of his ways?
How do we keep people from
hurting themselves and others?
How do we keep them from destroying and
killing the life Christ died for us to have?
So when a brother or sister sins 77
times, how do we cover that?
When I think of what it takes
to cover sin, I think of a quilt.
I know there are women with
much more patience than me, who
sit for days sewing patches together.
Quilts typically consist of three layers…
Woven cloth on top and bottom
with a filling layer in-between.
The top of the quilt typically has
many pieces of fabric stitched together
to form a complex or more simple pattern.
They are designed to be used with
sheets and other blankets for warmth.
The quilt that covers sin has
to have patches of…
Love, patience, kindness, forgiveness, endurance,
justice, mercy, compassion, etc.
The quilt that covers sin…
Takes every bit of life from us.
No greater example is Jesus Christ who gave
every breath, sweat and blood to cover our sin.
Al the pieces of His character,
His life came together to die for us.
Maybe the word, Sacrifice, describes
the thread that holds it all together.
No wonder our first reaction to sin is
generally anger, working its way into hate.
Jesus goes into great detail in Matthew 18
concerning this matter of covering sin.
He lets us know it is not just little sins that He
wants us to cover when He tells us to forgive…
I tell you, not seven times,
but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18:22
Jesus reminds His disciples of His mission…
For the Son of man is come
to save that which was lost.
Matthew 18:11
Everything Jesus says in Matthew 18 is to
not only tell us saving the lost (covering
sin) is our mission, but how to cover sin.
Jesus illustrates with wandering sheep.
James says wandering from the Truth.
Our first mission is to keep
an eye out for wanders.
This is not the snooping neighbor next door.
It is the life guard at the beach.
This is the implication when Jesus says…
If your brother sins against you,
go and show him his fault,
just between the two of you.
Matthew 18:15
There are two natural tendencies
we have when we see sin…
One, vent our frustration and
anger on the sinner.
The other is to vent on others.
When we vent on others…
We create an image in the mind of those
we talk to and a greater challenge
for the sinner to overcome.
I have never seen in my
life time more venting.
The world wants to call names
and make others look bad.
The Democrats use the race card and
the Republicans use the socialist card.
And there is not peace.
Jesus says sin needs to be handled
between the “two” of you.
In my years of experience I have
found “humility” the best approach.
Before Sandy and I had children, we
had a dachshund named Snooker.
Like every pet loving owner
we had the best dog in the world.
But if you backed Snooker
into a corner, you might get bit.
Always communicate a desire to
see the sinner find a way out.
You don’t want to see them trapped.
Humility also benefits you if you find your
facts were not as you thought they were.
I have many times gone to a person only
to find out I did not have all the truth.
This so often happened when we
only hear one side of the story.
Sadly, if the one on one approach fails.
This is when you get one or two others involved.
This is not a matter of bringing in more guns.
This is a matter of…
'Every matter may be established by
the testimony of two or three witnesses.'
Matthew 18:16
The “matter” isn’t what was done,
the act of sin.
The “matter” is the “truth”.
Not the truth of want was done,
but the truth of God’s Word.
Let God be true and every man a liar.
Establish what God’s Word
has to say on the “matter”.
Sadly, after establishing through prayer,
God’s truth, some will not listen.
Never is unity for unity sake
or peace at all cost, the answer.
James says the issues or the matter
is “Truth” and we know…
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
The Way, the Truth and the Life
is our only hope.
There will be people we love refuse to
walk in the Way, the Truth and Life.
We must let them go.
Like Paul says about an unbelieving spouse…
Let the unbeliever leave.
1 Corinthians 7:15
Jesus says it this way…
…if he refuses to listen even to the church,
treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Matthew 18:17
They will not be your close friends…
The Truth stands between
the church and the sinner.
But we do not give up hope that they over
time will see the Light as did the man in…
1 Corinthians 5, repented in
2 Corinthians 2:6-11.
A key word in the covering
of sin is “Forgiveness”.
We must always work for
reconciliation and forgiveness.
There are wrong ways to cover
sin and right ways to cover sin.
Our covering sin must be made
of the same fabric as our Savior.
Our Savior Jesus came to save sinners.
He has given us the same ability to
bind and lose in earth and heaven.
In the same way…
If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.
John 20:23
What does your covering look like?
Do you cover sin like Jesus our Savior?
Are you ready to help a sinner who is wandering
from the Truth, see the error of their ways?
Is your covering big enough to cover
a 77 times sin (multitude of sins)?
Remember, Jesus forgave your sins.
Show your gratitude and forgive others…
Shouldn't you have had mercy on your
fellow servant just as I had on you?'
In anger his master turned him
over to the jailers to be tortured,
until he should pay back all he owed.
"This is how my heavenly Father will
treat each of you unless you
forgive your brother from your heart."
Matthew 18:33-35
Scripture Reading
James 5:19-20 NIV
19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
