Well, it is good to see all of
you. Once again, how thankful we are that the Lord has graciously
allowed us to be here once again. I want you to take your Bibles
and turn with me to Proverbs chapter 31. Proverbs 31. I'd like to look this morning
at one verse. We go verse by verse in these
scriptures. And I want to look this morning
at verse 10, Proverbs chapter 31 and verse 10. And I pray that God be pleased
to bless this passage of scripture to our hearts that we might By
the grace of God, behold the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 31.10, who can find a virtuous woman
for her price is far above rubies. The writer in the book of Proverbs,
was moved to ask a question that man by nature can't fully answer,
he can't fathom, he can't accomplish. Who can find a virtuous woman? Now, I want you to understand
something. This virtuous woman, I'm going to repeat this again
in this message, but I want you to grasp hold of something. This
woman, this virtuous woman, is a picture and type of the bride
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Men, women, born of God. loved of God, chosen of God before
the foundation of the world. They are the bride. We are the bride. God's people
are the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this bride that we're
talking about, so when we read this about this virtuous woman,
don't be fooled into thinking, well, this just pertains to women.
It pertains to the bride of Christ. God's people are the bride. Now, this virtuous woman. Who can find a virtuous woman? I looked up that to find out.
I want to make sure I understand what that means. A virtuous woman. Here's what it means. Strong
in character. Chase. loving, faithful, submissive,
diligent in duty, without wavering in submission to the Lord, unwavering
in word, in thought and deed. Who can find a virtuous woman? Now, I want you to look around
in your mind's eye at every one that you know. Because as I said
a while ago, it's saying a virtuous woman. But we're talking about
the glorious bride of Christ. Look around and consider every
one that you know. Born in this world, born in Adam,
is there one that you can look upon, born in Adam, and truthfully
say, let's just start with ourselves. Before you look around, look
within. Look within. Is there one that
can be found in this world that is in themselves virtuous. I'm talking about perfect, perfect. Well, can I give you the answer? No. You're not going to find
one. There's none that doeth good. No, not one. Romans 3.23 summed it up. For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There's none that doeth good,
not one. And this is the reason, this
is the reason because of our fallen Adam that there is not
a virtuous woman to be found. Not truly virtuous in the sight
of almighty God. The scripture says that we read,
who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. We're all creatures of the dust.
We cannot plumb the depth. You can't calculate the depth
or the value of a virtuous woman. You can't do it. The wording of scripture relates,
though, that there is to be found. a virtuous woman, there's one,
there's one. And that virtuous woman is not
in herself, but in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. She
is in him with that spot, with that blemish, no fault. no variables, no changing, in
the Lord Jesus Christ. Who can find a virtuous woman? Who can find a virtuous woman
but she who is the glorious bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
one chosen in Him, by the Father before the foundation of the
world that she should be, now listen to this, holy. Who can find a virtuous woman?
Nobody born in Adam, I can tell you that. Oh, I mean, I would
readily admit there's some people that we, Paul met, and they're
kind and considerate, humanly speaking. I'm not going to say
that they're not. They are, humanly speaking. But
the bottom line is, from the crown of their head to the sole
of their foot, in themselves, they're putrefying sores. Outside of the Lord Jesus Christ,
there is nothing but rebellion, animosity toward God. Who can
find a virtuous woman? One can. One can. The Lord Jesus Christ can. Because
this one that is said to be virtuous has been robed in his righteousness.
She has been bought off the slave market of sin and rebellion by
his precious blood. Now, we're way over our heads
right here, and we know these things to be so totally because
they're written in God's word. What saith the scriptures? This
is what God says. Can you see her? Can I see her
as we look around? No, ma'am. No, sir. Cannot do
it. But this virtuous woman, the
one that in the sight of Almighty God, bought and paid for by His own
precious blood, she is without blame before God in love, in
Him. It was for her. this virtuous
woman that the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, made of
a woman, made under the law to redeem her that was born under
the curse of the law, his precious bride, the bride of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And whatever was found to be
her infraction against God. I don't even know the depth of
it. I just, I'm thinking to myself since I've stood up here, started
preaching this message. If God were to deal with me according
to my iniquity, my lack of ability to accomplish that which I ought,
I should, faithfulness, God put me in hell and he puts you there
too. I had a friend stop me yesterday. And he came up to me and he said, he said, I saw something on a
church sign that he said, I just don't get it. I just don't get
it. I said, well, what did you see?
He said, the sign said, If God was fair, if God was fair, he said then everybody would
be in hell. He said, I don't get it. I said, well, I know what he's
trying to say. If God dealt with every man according
to what they deserved and what they truly deserved, I said,
God would put everybody in hell. But our God who is fair, he's
fair. I'm a just God. That's what I
mean, I'm just, I'm fair. But he's merciful. Not at the
expense of his justice. God's gonna deal with every man,
every woman in absolute fairness. It's gonna be fair. I said, but for all that God's
loved before the foundation of the world, Christ bore their
guilt, and he paid for it. It was fair. It's fair. This
virtuous woman, virtuous woman, this bride of Christ, she is the one that the Lord
Jesus Christ has paid her debt. Now you talk
about, again, over our heads. I want you to hold your place
right there and turn to 2 Corinthians 5.21. You say, well, you turn
there a lot. I know I do. I need to hear it a lot. 2 Corinthians
5.21. 2 Corinthians 5.21. For he, that
is the Father, has made him to be, again, you've
heard me say this, he made him sin for us. What do you mean he made him
sin? I mean to say that what we are by nature, you might say,
well, I don't know. I don't even know the depth of
sin. I don't know. I can tell you
what the scripture says, it's the transgression of the law.
I don't know the depth of that. I don't know. But whatever the
depth of sin is, whatever it is, God made for all chosen in
Christ, He made them sin. And you've heard me say this
before. It's okay. It bears repeating. Hanging on
that cross. You've heard me say I hold my
breath. I mean, I can't even quote this scripture without
thinking about Scott. Sitting right over there. He was sitting
over in the chair. And man, he put that finger up.
I said, Brother Scott, he said, I know what you're thinking.
Don't you ever try to tiptoe around the tulips. Don't you
ever try to just glaze over what our Lord did for us at Calvary. He, the Father, made him sin. Hanging on the cross, That day
at Calvary, hanging on that cross for all that God had everlastingly
loved, the holy, harmless Son of God. I'll never tire of saying this
again. Hanging on that cross as our
substitute, the substitute of God's people. Hanging on that
cross was sin. Hanging on that cross was sin. He made him sin. And God Almighty, who is just
and fair, dealt with him. He made him sin. My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? Because he was made sin. The soul that sinneth, he knew
no sin. But he was made sin for his people,
and God killed him. I've said before, what do you
think he's going to do to others without a substitute? What do
you think God's going to do? Well, I think God's a loving
God. I don't think God, well, I can tell you what God said
he's going to do. You let a man or woman take their
last breath, you listen to me. You let a man or a woman take
their last breath and they don't know Christ, never cast themselves
upon the mercy of God. And I'm going to tell you something
right now. You will wake up in hell. You will be in hell. And you'll be there forever.
He hath made him sin for us. He who knew no sin. That we might
be made the righteousness of God in him. Who can find a virtuous woman? Who can find a woman without
blame, honorable? Who can find one? Christ can,
because he made her to be that. He made her that. He hath made
him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God. Now, let me say that one again,
because I want to make sure I hear it. You're telling me that in regenerating grace, God
Almighty makes with the imputation of the righteousness of Christ
to us. We're one with him. You're telling
me that God makes his people in Christ to be the very righteousness
of God in Christ. Is that what you're telling me?
That's exactly what I'm telling you. Can you grasp hold of that? I can't either. But I'm telling
you. Who can find a virtuous woman? God can. Our righteousness when we were
born in this world. Filthy rags. He clothed her, his bride. He bore her guilt. He gave her
his righteousness. Hold your place there. Turn with
me to Song of Solomon 4.9. Song of Solomon, just going back
to the front of the Bible, just a few pages. Song of Solomon
4. Song of Solomon chapter 4. Look at verse 9. Now here's the Lord
talking to his bride. Thou hast ravished my heart,
my sister, my spouse. Thou hast ravished my heart with
one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. How fair is thy
love, my sister, my spouse. How much better is thy love than
wine in the smell of thine ointment. Then all spices, thy lips, O
my spouse, drop this honeycomb. Honey and milk are under thy
tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
You know why the garments of the bride smell so good? You
know the answer. Because they're the garments
of Christ. We're robed in his righteousness.
were robed in him. Oh, she is his crown. I want you to hold your place
right there and turn with me. Proverbs 12, 4. Proverbs 12,
4. Proverbs chapter 12 and verse
4. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband, but
she that maketh ashamed has rottenness in his bones. A virtuous woman, she's the crown. Do you want to know what the
scripture says? toward God's people, those loved
and chosen in Him, redeemed by Him, robed in His righteousness. The scripture says that a virtuous
woman, and this is the bride, this is the bride, robed in Him,
she is a crown to her husband. She's a crown. She's a figure
of honor to her husband. I'm looking right now at the
crown of Christ. I'm convinced of that. The crown
of Christ. You say, well, I think that that's
high order to say about us. I said, yeah, I think it's a
high order, too. I can say it because God said
it. A virtuous woman is the crown of her husband. Who's the husband?
The Lord Jesus Christ. Who is his crown? His bride. That virtuous woman because he
made her so. She glorifies him. She magnifies
him and what he's done for her. Oh, she was born in this world,
lost in sin. She didn't even know she was
lost. She can't find herself. Why? Because she's dead. Can you imagine
a dead person finding themselves? You say, well, that's ridiculous.
That's right. And it's just as ridiculous to
think that someone dead in trespasses and sin can come to themselves,
apart from the glorious regenerating grace of Christ, and find themselves
to be dead. We don't know we're dead. Before
God gives us life, we didn't even know we were dead. Oh, I
thought I was alive. No, you weren't. You were dead. And who? I'm gonna wrap this
up, but I can't pass this up right here. Turn back to Proverbs
31. Don't ever let, don't ever let
even a word, just realize when we read the word of God, it's
deeper than we'll grasp, believe me. Look at Proverbs 31, verse
10. First word in that verse, who,
who. And I looked at that and I'm
trying to look these words up. I want to stand here. I'm not
sufficient for these things. I'm prone in my mind to wander. I'm just, I'm just, I'm so weak. I'm so frail. I'm going to try
to look them up. I looked up that word, who. I
invite you to take, get you a good concordance and blue letter Bible. I've said before, pull it up,
pull up the app. It's on, it's on, you can get
it. You can get it. Listen, if I can find it, anybody
can find it. Get it on there and look up that
word, who, right there, that word in that scripture. And it'll start giving you examples.
of the word who. How many times do you think the
word who is found in the Bible? Bunches. But I want to know what
that word means right there. Who? Who can find a virtuous
woman? And it'll go through and it'll
sort of tell you all the words that's found who in there. And
it comes down to this one. It's the same word in Nahum 1,
6. It's the same definition. I'll just tell you what it is
right now. And here's what it says. Who? It means no one but
God. Who? No one but God. So whatever is going to come
after this word, right here in verse 10, In Proverbs 31, whatever
comes after this? Who? No one but God. That's what
that means. Who? Who can find a virtuous
woman? I know the answer. No one but
God. Who can find a virtuous woman? Nobody but God. But then it says, who can find? A virtuous woman. One of ability. One of efficiency. One of moral
worth. Who can find? Hold your place. I'm coming to
the end. Luke 15. Hold your place there,
but go to Luke 15. Who can find? Who can find? Luke 15. Verse 3 to 7. He spake this parable unto them,
saying, what man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one
of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and
go after that which is lost until he find it? When he hath found
it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. When he cometh home,
he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them,
Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you likewise, Joy
shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over
ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. Who can find a virtuous woman, God can. She's in this world. She's born in this world, this
virtuous woman that he's everlastingly loved. And before she ever knew
him, he knew her. Before she ever loved him, he
loved her. I've loved you with an everlasting love, therefore
I've drawn you. Loving kindness. And is there
a possibility that one for whom the Lord died, is there a possibility
that one of them might slip through the cracks in this world's waywardness? Is there a possibility that one
of them is going to be lost? One. Not a chance. Not a chance. John 6, 37, all, oh, that's a
good word, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Let me tell you how many the
Lord's going to have that the Father gave him, that he died
for. I'll tell you how many is going
to be there. All of them. All of them. And how are you going to know?
How are you going to know if she's one of the bride? How are
you going to know? Okay, I just quoted it. Let me quote it again
so you get it. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. She won't come to the baptismal
pool. She's not going to come to the front. She's not going
to come to this piece of carpet that she calls an altar. She's going to come to Christ.
How's she going to come? In her heart. She's going to
believe him. She's going to believe him. She's
not going to come down to the front. I've told you before.
The only difference between me and you is, ah, that's 10, 10
feet, 11 feet, ah, 30 feet back to Kevin. She ain't coming to
the front. She's coming to Christ in her
heart. She comes to him in her heart. All that the Father giveth
me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no
wise cast out. can find a virtuous woman. For her price, her value is the
word, is far above rubies. What was she worth? She was worth
everything to him. She was worth everything. She
was worth his life. She was worth at all. Came into this world, hated,
rejected of men, but he came here to get his bride. Oh, who
can find a virtuous woman? I love to say this, God can.
And he does. And he shall. And when he's gathered
all of his bride, he's coming back to get her. Isn't that good
news? pray God bless this to our hearts
for Christ's sake.