The wages of sin is death, but God provides divine clothing for sinners through sacrifice. The sermon begins by referencing God clothing Adam and Eve with coats of skin after their sin, illustrating the need for covering. It then contrasts Cain's self-made offering from the ground with Abel's faith-based sacrifice of a lamb, highlighting God's acceptance of Abel's offering as a foreshadowing of Christ. The core lesson is that redemption and righteousness before God are only possible through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, whose blood cleanses from all sin.
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Beloved friends, we greet you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we invite you to continue with us on our meditation from God's word on that subject, God in the divine clothing business. Once again we emphasize the commencement of that clothing business. It was in the Garden of Eden. when the Lord God made coats of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. As we have read it in Genesis chapter three in verse twenty one. May we emphasize the cause of this was only and completely only sin which is the greatest tragedy in the human family.
Its eternal result is declared in Romans chapter six and verse twenty three the wages the inevitable penalty of sin is death a threefold result physical death spiritual death and eternal death for sinners wages oh yes my friend may I say wages are something that is earned and the payment from God in His demand for sin's penalty is eternal death. But how many people today are concerned about paying their debt of sin to God?
My radio friend, oh that people would face this eternal reality and seek the Lord while He may be found. We have emphasized from the account in Genesis chapter three the commencement of God's clothing business for all guilty sinners. But we must also further go to realize the continuance of God's clothing business. My beloved, this business has still been carried on through the ages of human history. For God still declares, as we have it in our New Testament, without the shedding of blood, There is no remission or forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews nine twenty-two. My beloved, let's consider very briefly. We have considered, first of all, Adam and Eve, but let us consider briefly the two sons of Adam, Cain and Abel, whom you may remember in early Hades history. You recalled that both these sons, in chapter four of Genesis made a sacrifice to God. You read that Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock, probably a lamb. Cain, on the other hand, brought the fruit of the ground, which his hands had toiled and produced.
God, we read, accepted Abel's sacrifice, but he rejected Cain. Now let's raise the question. Why did he accept Abel's sacrifice? But why did he reject Cain? Let us read the words in Hebrews eleven and verse four that tell us. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained mercy or witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gift And by it he being dead. Yes, Speaker, the account in Genesis chapter four reveals to us that Abel brought an offering from the flock.
And Cain brought what he had produced with his own hands from the ground, though God had blessed the produce of it. But Abel brought what he could never make, a lamb. And God accepted Abel. But may I point out our text in Hebrews eleven four telling, By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. There is no question of doubt from our recent study in Genesis chapter three. Adam passed on the news of redemption to his sons. that they could only be covered by an animal sacrifice before the Holy God.
And Abel believed it, and he brought a lamb which God accepted and made him righteous. Cain disbelieved it, and thought his offering out of the ground was good enough, but God rejected it. Now if there is any doubt that sin entered into the world in the mind of any of my listeners, at the commencement of the human family. Let me ask you a solemn question. That sin entered into the human family at the beginning of the human race. Why did the very first person that was ever born, and do you know who the first person was, who was born?
Adam wasn't born. He was made out of the dust of the ground. Eve wasn't born. She was made out of the rib of Adam. But Cain was the firstborn creature, the firstborn man. And we know from the story that we can read in Genesis four, did you ever realize Cain was the first murderer, for he killed his brother Abel. You probably know the story well, but have you ever? Have you ever taken care to see why God accepted Abel's sacrifice? There can be no doubt that after God clothed Adam and Eve in the garden, the principle, the truth of a sinner's redemption by sacrifice and blood had been taught to Cain and Abel both.
And God's manner of clothing for the sinner was that a victim must die. in their stead. Cain produced his fruit by the work of his hands, but that did not provide any clothing to cover him as a sinner. He refused God's way. He trusted his own, and he was rejected, and you well know from this story he was angry. He was mad to the degree that ultimately he slew his brother. But Abel, by faith, accepted God's way the death of an innocent victim to be a substitute.
And God says it was a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. And God declared Abel righteous, clothed before God. His sin was covered, forgiven, and though he has been long dead, yet we read in Hebrews chapter four, Yet He speaks to you and to me today. My beloved, once again the clothing that is that which speaks to God of Christ. God's only provision for redemption. Redemption by blood is the only way for the salvation for a sinner.
It is a divine unchanging principle. can I quote the words that God said later on in the book of Leviticus chapter seventeen and eleven to his earthly people Israel the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for the soul for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul may I briefly pause and reflect with you Cain brought no blood. It was a bloodless sacrifice. Abel by faith believed what God wanted and brought the land that was slain.
Cain may have been very religious and sincere in his offering to God, but it was the fruit of his own labor and of his own toil of hands. Does not God tell us in the New Testament, we are saved by grace through faith that none of yourselves it is the gift of God none of works lest any man should boast we are saved by grace through faith Cain could not be saved by works which he had done but he could have been saved by grace through faith if he had believed what God said I must have a sacrifice of blood Abel was absolutely absolutely unable to create the Lamb.
As we well know, only God could do that. But by faith, Abel brought his sacrifice, the Lamb which God had provided. My beloved friend, when it comes to the divine clothing for our souls, may I ask you, what's covering your soul? Is your soul still uncovered by your sin? You've never had it dealt with properly. You've never gone to God and tell Him, oh, God, I am a sinner. Look at me. I'm covered with sin. I'm a sinner. How can I stand in your holy presence?
My beloved friend, God has provided plainly Christ, as He did for Adam and Eve, typically, and clothed them in the Garden of Eden, as well as with Abel. who brought the divinely required sacrifice and was accepted? Today, by faith, every sinner should come with his or her land to God as the only ground of acceptance. But that land, let me say again, that land is Christ. Again, the words of John the Baptist are repeated. Behold the Lamb of God that beareth away the sin of the world.
The words of first epistle of John chapter two and verse one and two come to mind. When John writes, My little children, I write unto you that you should not and could not sin. But if any man sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only who were saved. But John added, for the whole world, my beloved, may I say, I do it with joy, and I do it emphatically. There's only one person can save the sinners of the world.
It's the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. He gave himself for the whole world. My beloved, is he not the Lamb of God? Do you have him as your Savior? Have you ever done what the good old hymn says? Just as I am, without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bit'st me, come to thee. O Lamb of God, I come. My beloved sinner friend, God has given Christ through his atoning death, to cover your sins.
For the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Are you covered by his blood? Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, sanctify the truth to the glory of our Savior in the salvation of many souls. Amen.