I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs, chapter 29.
Proverbs 29. I'd like to look at verse 16. Verse
16. I've entitled this message, The
Righteous Shall See. And our verse is going to tell
us what they're going to see. The scripture says in Proverbs
29 verse 16, when the wicked are multiplied, transgression
increases, but the righteous shall see their fall. Now to understand our passage,
I just want to bring out the meanings of a few of these words
in this verse so that we can understand who is being spoken
of in this passage of scripture. It says, when the wicked, now
the first mention of the word wicked, that description of a
people is found Turn with me to Genesis 18.23. Genesis 18.23. It's the first time this word
is used. Genesis 18.23. Abraham has drawn
nigh to the Lord. The Lord's getting ready to send
two angels into Sodom. And Abraham asked the Lord this
question, Genesis 18.23. Abraham drew near and said, wilt
thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Now that word wicked, what it
means is it means guilty of a crime or sin, guilty of a sin, guilty. So when we speak of the wicked,
this is what we're talking about. I know what we would think. We
would think these people that are just out in the streets and
they're just causing just destruction. I mean just filthy people. Wicked
are those who are guilty before God Listen to this, now carefully,
chargeable with that guilt. They're chargeable. So that's
what the wicked are. They are those who are sinners,
but chargeable with it. But then there's another word
in our passage, Proverbs 29, 16, when the wicked are multiplied,
aggression increases, but the righteous, I want to look at
that word. Hold it. First mention of that word. Now it's translated just J-U-S-T,
but I want you to turn back to Genesis six, Genesis six, Genesis
chapter six and verse nine, Genesis first nine. Genesis 6, 9, these
are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect
in his generations, and Noah walked with God. If you just
turn the page or go to Genesis 7, verse 1, the Lord says in
Genesis 7, 1, the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou in all thy house,
into the art, for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Now that's, there's some of the
first accounts given of that word righteous. The word righteous
means this, it means justified and vindicated by God. Righteous are those who are born
into this world, like everyone else, dead in trespasses and
sins, but who have been everlastingly justified before God in Christ
by the God who never changes. The righteous are those who have
been looked upon in Christ before the foundation of the world,
those who in the eyes of God were beheld as being found in
the Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world. Those viewed by God whose sin
was chargeable and charged unto the Lamb before the foundation
of the world. God saw this. Those who shall
be in time openly manifested to be as God declares them to
be righteous, righteous. So that one that is wicked is
one who is a sinner who is chargeable with that sin. The righteous
is those who were born in this world as sinners who are not
chargeable. Why? Because God Almighty, before
the foundation of the world, was pleased to choose them in
Christ according to the good pleasure of His will and looked
upon them in Christ as being his sheep righteous before him. Now, man's rebellion in the garden
manifested the very truth that we just read right here. Here's
what our passage said. Now that we're understanding
a couple of these words right here. Wicked, when the wicked
are multiplied, transgression increaseth, but the righteous
shall see their fall. When man fell in the garden,
when Adam fell, everybody fell. So when Adam fell in the garden,
the manifestation of this truth right here took place. Transgression, moral revolt against
God increased. From the fall, Adam fell in the
garden, disobeyed God. Murder was created in his family,
was found to be in his family. One of his boys killed the other
one. And after the fall, we saw that after that murder, transgression
was found to increase right up to the time of the fall. Genesis,
turn back to Genesis, Genesis 6, 5 to 6, Genesis 6. 5 to 6, here's what scripture says,
Genesis 6, 5 to 6, God saw that the wickedness of man was great
in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually, and it repented the Lord that
he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Society then, as society now,
is not getting better. The wicked, when they're multiplied,
the more there are of us, transgression increases. It just goes on and
on and on. So here's what the scripture
says. And I thought about from the
time of the fall until the flood. I looked it up. 1,656 years according to the,
just trace it down. I'm going from memory. 1,656,
but right, if I'm off a year, it's right there. But do you
know what happened? When you just look at that period
of time right there, this scripture right here proved to be so. The
wicked are multiplied, transgression increases, but the righteous
shall see their fall. There was one man that God had
chosen to show mercy, and that man's name was Noah, one man.
His family benefited, but the scripture bears out. The Lord
told him, said, you've found grace in my eyes. In my eyes,
I look upon you in my son. And since That time there has
been nothing but an increase of just rebellion and transgression
and revolt against God. But here's what the scripture
says. The righteous are going to see the fall of the wicked. I'm going to just make this as
simple as I can. The wicked. I'll tell you who
they are. It's every man, every woman that
leaves this world without Christ. They're criminals against God.
We're all born like that. But by the grace of God, in time,
God's gonna manifest something. He's gonna show some that are
born just like everybody else. I've told you before, there ain't
nobody that's being born in Adam, ain't nobody in here worth shooting.
I don't know if y'all ever had that saying down here that we
did. It ain't worth killing. But I'm telling you, we're all
from the same lot of depravity. born. But now here's an amazing
truth. The righteous, they are those
that know from God's Word that they were born as all men. Psalm 14 3 says God looked to
see if there were any that sought Him and there were none. None
righteous. No, not one. So we don't have
anything to brag about in ourselves, I can tell you that. But since
the fact being that there was none righteous in themselves,
how is it that the scriptures speak of these righteous? That's going to see the fall
of the wicked. We're gonna see it, we're gonna
view it. How can it be that it can speak
like that? Because there are some in this
world that are righteous before God. They're not chargeable with
their guilt. Oh, in themselves, there's none
righteous. But here's the fact of the matter.
They never have done anything to make themselves righteous. There's nothing that they ever
did or could do to make themselves righteous. So how did they become
so? Well, turn to Isaiah 54. I want to show you a few scriptures. Isaiah 54, we're going to settle
this by the scriptures. Isaiah 54, 17 says this. No weapon that is formed against
thee shall prosper. Every tongue that shall rise
against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage
of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me,
saith the Lord. Nothing that's ever brought up
in accusation. Now there's a great accuser of
the brethren, it's Satan. And I'll tell you this, every
accusation that he brings against us, you write this down, they're
true, they're true. I promise you there's some accusations
that could be brought against me and you that are absolutely
so. But all these accusations toward
the righteous, those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ is born,
the debt of those accusations, they ain't gonna stand. That's
what he's saying. No weapon that's formed against
thee is gonna prosper. Every tongue that shall rise
against thee in judgment, I shall condemn it. Condemn. Not gonna
stand. Look at, turn back to Isaiah
45, 24. Isaiah 45. 24, 25. Isaiah 45, 24. Surely shall one say, in the
Lord have our righteousness and strength. Even to him shall men
come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall
glory. Turn with me to Romans 3. Romans
chapter 3. I know what man by nature says
how men are justified because they accept the Lord Jesus Christ
and they walk down the aisles and they be baptized and they're
gonna get on and on and on. Let's see what God has to say.
Romans 3 verse 20. Romans 3 20. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by
the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. For there
is no difference. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has
set forth to be a propitiation. Propitiation. Let me just tell
you what that word means again. It means the atonement or the
appeasement or the pacification or the answer for every demand
against us. That's what propitiation means.
The appeasement, the means of the covering, the means of the
putting away, of the pacifying, whom God, that is the Lord Jesus
Christ, has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God. to declare, I say at
this time, His righteousness, that He might be just, and the
justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. So here's the bottom
line. How did the righteous become
so? God Almighty chose. Why would He choose me? Because
it pleased Him. That's what Scripture says. He
pleased Him. There was nothing in any of us that merited his
choosing. I'll go back to the ain't worth
killing thing. I'm telling you, God was pleased
to choose a people out of the mass of humanity. This is what
he said, just like he said to Moses, show me your glory. I'll have mercy on whom I'll
have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. Try to answer that question that
is asked. If someone asks you why, here's
the only answer that you can give, because it pleased God.
When I say salvation is by the grace of God, it is by the grace
of God. Is it right that God leaves a
man or a woman to themselves to do what they want to do? Is
it right? Absolutely it's right. God does as he will in the army
of heaven. The righteous did not earn their
righteousness, but rather they were divinely made to be righteous
by the good pleasure of God. Here's one we read all the time,
2 Corinthians 5.21. 2 Corinthians 5.21. For he that is the Father hath
made him, the Lord Jesus Christ, sin for us. Do no sin. That we might be made
caused to be. Caused to be. The righteousness
of God in him. I'm here to declare that there's
some good news in this world. God's gonna show mercy to sinners.
That's what he's gonna do. And what he's gonna do, he's
gonna call them out of darkness. He's gonna call them. And he's
gonna call them through what I'm doing right here. Preaching
the gospel, the good news of God's grace. This is how he's
gonna call his sheep. And I'm telling you, whenever
a sinner is divinely taught this truth right here, that salvation
is by the grace of God, through the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ,
according to the goodwill and purpose of the Father. When they're
taught that, and God Almighty is pleased to bless it to their
heart, and give them faith to believe it, And they look away,
they call everything else that they'd ever done before in their
past, that's dung, that's dung, that's what that is. That's refuge. That's nothing, that's nothing. Then, they look to themselves
and say, but for the grace of God, I'd have still been in my
transgression and rebellion against God, trusting my own good works. Knowing this, that we're living
in a world that hates God, hates His word, hates His people, like
we all did, we all did. Don't tell me that we all were
not born. We all heard this, we all hated
this message. But when we hear with new ears,
see with a new heart, I'm telling you that all that are made righteous
are made to know, let me say it like that, that they are righteous
in Christ Jesus, they are going to see the wicked fall. They're going to see them fall.
Turn to Psalm 37, verse 34. Psalm 37, 34. Look what the scripture
says. I mean, we're going to view it. We're going to see it. 37, 34. on the Lord and keep His way.
And when I say keep His way, this is what I mean. Believe
Him. This is His way. Believe Him.
Trust Him. Keep His way. He shall exalt
thee to inherit the land when the wicked are cut off. Thou
shalt see it. You're going to see it. We're
going to see it. We're going to see the fall of
the wicked and we're going to realize something. We're gonna
realize that we're seeing it by the grace of God. We, the righteous, shall see. Isaiah 1.9 says this concerning
God's people. Isaiah 1.9, except the Lord of hosts had
left unto us a very small remnant. We should have been as Sodom,
and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. We're gonna see
it. I'm gonna wrap this up. We're
gonna see it, and when you see it, we will then realize, had
Almighty God not been pleased to show mercy to me, this rebel, I'd have been in that group.
That's what I mean when I say when we see it, when we see the
wicked fall, and scripture says we're going to, we'll realize
then, but for the grace of God, I'd have been in that fall had
God not snatched me out as a brand. Somebody said, well, you just
arrogant, just thinking that you're one of the, I'm telling
you, I'm being truthful to these words right here. That's what
I'm being. I'm gonna be truthful to this word right here. Now
what do you think it means except the Lord had left a very small
remnant? What do you think that means?
It means except the Lord had left us a very small remnant
compared to the world. How many people did God show
mercy? How many people found grace in the eyes of the Lord
in the days of the flood? As I've said before, somebody
said, well, do you believe his wife? I said, well, no. Here's
what I believe. I believe that Noah found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. And the rest of his family, the
spirit was silent on where they were, and so I'm not gonna try
to comment on it. I'm not gonna go beyond revelation
of God's scriptures. But I know there was one man,
I know God told Noah, you, I have found righteous in my sight.
How many people were in the world? I don't know. How many of them
died except those in the boat? All of them. You think Noah saw
the fall of the wicked? Yes, he did. But for the grace
of God, we'd all fall. Secondly, the righteous shall
see the fall of the wicked, and they're gonna know that not only
were they delivered by the power and grace of God, but they were
regenerated according to the timing of God. I want you to
turn to Genesis 19. Genesis 19. Genesis chapter 19, verses 12 to 16. Now we're in
Sodom. God has sent two angels into
Sodom. God's getting ready to rain down
brimstone fire on Sodom. And there's one man in that group,
and his name's Lot. And Lot, according to the scriptures,
was a just man. God had been pleased to show
mercy to Lot. There's gonna be a few people,
two of his daughters, that's gonna benefit from him being
a just man before God. But here's what the scripture
says. Genesis 19, verse 12. And the men, these two angels,
said unto Lot, Hast thou hear any besides? Son-in-law, thy
sons, thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring
them out of this place. For we will destroy this place,
because the cry of them is waxing great before the face of the
Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out
and spake unto his sons-in-law, which married his daughters,
and said, Up, get you out of this place, for the Lord will
destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked
unto his sons-in-law. And when the morning arose, then
the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife and thy
two daughters, which are here, lest thou be consumed in the
iniquity of this city. And while he lingered, The men
laid hold on his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon
the hand of his two daughters, and the Lord being merciful unto
him, and they brought him forth and set him without the city. Those angels told him, said,
we're getting ready to destroy this place. God's gonna destroy
this place. If you got anybody in your family that you care
anything about, you may want to tell them. God's getting ready
to burn this place up. We talked to his sons-in-law,
they just listened to him. They said, you're nuts. They mocked him. Next morning, they told him,
they said, look, it's time to get out. And while he lingered,
now listen, I'm not trying to scare anybody. I'm not trying
to scare anybody, but I'm telling you, everybody listen to me,
and everybody that listens to this message on the internet,
listen to me, I'm telling you something. God's gonna burn this
place up. God is gonna burn this world
up. And I'm telling you right now,
cast yourself upon the mercy of God right now. You listen
to me. I'm telling you. God help us if these words seem
to be as one that's mocking you. I'm not mocking you. God's gonna
burn this place up. And I'm telling you, everyone
that has not bowed to the Lordship of Christ, God's gonna put you in this mess
and burn you up. I'm just, I ain't trying to be
anything other than honest. They grabbed hold of them because
God was pleased to show mercy. They grabbed his hand, his wife's
hand, two daughters' hands, and he said, we're out of here. And
he took them up, and he was lingering. He was lingering, no, no, no,
no, no, no. What would happen if God Almighty
did not overrule our procrastination? What would happen if God doesn't
overrule? Leave it to us, we're gonna procrastinate
ourselves right into hell. And if we are found procrastinating
in the day of God's judgment, it's because God was pleased
to leave us alone. What would happen if God didn't
overrule? They grabbed their hands and
they said, you're out of here. You're out of here. But what
would happen if he didn't? Turn to Acts 24. Acts 24. There
was a Roman governor. Acts 24, verse 24. Acts 24, 24. There was a Roman
governor. His name was Felix. And he summoned the apostle Paul
and wanted to hear what Paul had to say. Acts 24, 24, Paul
came in. Acts 24, 24, after certain days
when Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, which was a Jewess,
he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
And he reasoned of righteousness and temperance and judgment to
come. Felix trembled and answered,
go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient season,
I will call for thee. He heard Paul speak about righteousness. How righteousness is established
before God. Of temperance. Chastity in life
is what it means. Judgment to come. How that God
Almighty has appointed His Son, the Lord Jesus, to judge all
men and before whom we're all gonna stand. And he heard Paul
preach about this. And the scripture says that Felix
trembled and sent him away. And he said, I'll call for you
when it's a little bit better time for me. But there's no scriptural record
that Felix ever called. Then lastly, the day of judgment,
the righteous, turn with me to Matthew 25, the righteous shall
see, the righteous shall see and hear the glorious announcement
of mercy. And they're going to behold the
evidence of those that would not come. They're
going to see it, Matthew 25. Verse 31, when the son of man
shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him. Then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him should
be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from
another as a shepherd divided the sheep from the goats. He
shall set the sheep on his right hand, the goats on his left.
Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, come
you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world for I was hungered You gave me
meat, I was thirsty, you gave me drink, I was a stranger, you
took me in naked, you clothed me, I was sick, you visited me,
I was in prison, you came unto me. Then shall the righteous
answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we an hunger, and fed thee,
or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger,
and took thee in naked, and clothed thee? When saw we thee sick,
or in prison, came to thee? And the king shall answer and
say unto them, Verily I say unto you, And as much as you've done
it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you've done it unto
me, then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart
from me, you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels. Our scripture says, when the wicked are multiplied,
transgression increases. but the righteous shall see their
fall. Beloved, today is the day of
salvation. All you've got's today. You don't
have tomorrow, that's not promised. Yesterday's gone. Realize that today, if you hear
his voice, if you hear the call of the master, God's given you
faith to believe and trust Christ. Call upon Him. Ask Him. If you call, He's already
shown you mercy. You write that down. You wouldn't
call unless He had already given you a new heart. But if He'd
given you a heart to call, call. Come to Him. You say, well, I
came to Christ, Him that cometh to me. I'm telling you, there's
not a day, a moment, that goes by that a believer is not continually
coming and coming and coming. May God bless this word to our
hearts for Christ's sake, amen. All right, let's take a break.