Communion Message
No Evidence of Coveting
December 21, 2003
Pastor Leighton Sheley

Some people have thought that the Old Testament was exclusively interested in behavior and action and works, and the New Testament is exclusively interested in grace, and that's not true either. You see when we look at the Ten Commandments we see thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not kill; that's behavior, that's activity, but the 10th Commandant is thou shalt not covet. Coveting is something that happens inside of the heart and the mind. People can be arrested based on evidence of stealing, people can be arrested based on evidence of killing, but there's no evidence of coveting because it's something that takes place inside of the individual.

From the very beginning, God has dealt with the inside of mankind, because it's from the inside that sinfulness flows. We couldn't find salvation through the Ten Commandments. Their purpose was to direct us to the salvation that is from God in the realization that we could not save our self. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

So as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. The word justified paraphrased means just as if: just as if we had never sinned for those who have faith in Jesus. But how could God be both just and justifier, treating us as though we had never sinned, when in fact, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?

From a human perspective this creates a dilemma that there is really know human solution to, but God provided the solution making Christ the atoning sacrifice. He placed on Jesus on Calvary's cross our sins. It was for our sins that Jesus died on Calvary's cross. That is how God was able to be both just and justify those who have faith in Jesus Christ. All of us have sinned.

Because of our sinful natures, Paul describes in Romans 7, all of us continue to sin, but we don't need to carry that sin because God's word says if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I invite you, if you are physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior. The Scriptures say at times like this we should examine our self.

Lord we have examined our self as Your Scripture instructs us to do, and Lord if we are being honest with our self, we are guilty of sinning against You...each and every one of us, each and every day. Lord we don't desire to carry this sin. We ask You Lord to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us. And the elements that we hold remind us of the price that has been paid for our cleansing, for our forgiveness, for our redemption, for our healing. Lord we partake of these elements now in remembrance of You. Let's partake of the bread and also the cup.

Thank you Lord for forgiving, for cleansing, in Jesus' name, and all God's people said...amen. Let's stand and greet those who come to worship with us today.