I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs, chapter
19, verse 25. Proverbs 19.25. Proverbs 19.25
declares this, a scorner, and the simple will
beware, and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will
understand knowledge." As my kids were growing up, you
that have children, I would always hope that the kids would watch
and see what happened when one disobeyed and I had to deal with
them. I'd always tell them. I said,
now listen, for an accident, I'll cut you some slack. For
disobedience, there's no slack. and hopefully the younger ones
would watch and see what happened to Gabe and then Sarah and then
Hannah and down to Becca and would learn from it would learn
if mom and dad said that this is what was going to happen this
is what's going to happen now this passage of scripture deals
with learning from that which is obviously God's judgment. Learning from it. Now before
I get into this passage of Scripture, I want to read a very familiar,
I'll just read it. It's Romans 8.28. I'm going to
read this. This passage came to me. It says
this, and we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
Now, this is what the Scripture declares concerning the knowledge
of a believer. And we know, we know, we're convinced
by God's Spirit And it is absolutely settled in our heart that all
things, all blessings, all joys, all
afflictions, trials, persecutions, calamities, sin, sin, the Spirit
of God moved upon Paul, the apostle, to write all things, everything,
and things that at times are continuing, seems like. All things
work together. All things cooperate. All things
are fellow workers. with everything else. All things are knit together for good, for the eternal good. Everything, everything. I don't know, I can't see often
the good in something. But I know this, that everything
is providentially brought to cross paths with God's people. May not be comfortable, may not
be easy, may not be joyful, but I know this, all things have
been purposed All things have been caused to be brought about. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will. Everything. I don't care what
it is. I don't care. All things work together for
good to them that love God. When we say love God, this is
what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the Father,
who is revealed in the Scripture to be the electing God, the Son,
who is the redeeming God of His people. And God the Holy Spirit who regenerates
all that the Father has given Him. All things work together
for good to them that love God. to them who are thee called,
thee appointed, and effectually called according
to His purpose. All things are the instruments
of God Almighty that work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose. Now, I want us
to look at this passage of Scripture for just a minute, knowing that
passage of Scripture I just looked at, Romans 8.28, is so. Here's
what the Scripture says. smite a scorner and the simple
will beware. That is, they will be cunning. They're going to know something.
They're going to pick up on something. You smite a scorner. Now, if
you reprove one that hath understanding, He's going to understand knowledge.
Now this is not iffy. This is the way it is. This is
what's going to happen. Now I want us to just look for
just a minute at this two types of correction. Two types of punishment. Two types of chastening. One of them is set forth as smiting. The other is set forth as reproof. Now, smite. What does that mean? What does the word mean? I want
to understand what this word is not going to return void.
It's going to accomplish the purpose for which it's sent.
I want to know what it means. Smite a scorner. Smite, strike,
hit, beat, slay, kill, wound. You smite a scorner. What do you mean? You smite one
that speaks arrogantly in his heart, that boasts, maybe not
outwardly, but in his heart, and shows himself to mock. You smite a scorner. And the
simple will beware. The simple. Who are you talking about? Simple. The only way I can set forth
the meaning of the simple is to read some scripture that sets
forth who the simple are. Here's what Psalm 116.6 says,
The Lord preserveth the simple. I was brought low David said,
and he helped me. The Lord preserveth the simple.
Listen to Psalm 19, 7. The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple. Now here's who the simple are.
They're the objects of God's mercy. There are those that the
Lord has been pleased to call out of darkness, those that have
been made to see the struggles by the grace of God within. Because
of their old nature, they know something about themselves. They know that there's a war
going on, a battle going on, and they see it, they admit it,
and they bow to it. You smite an arrogant one. one that boasts in his heart,
and the objects of God's mercy, the simple, those that are made
to take counsel and act prudently, not in themselves, but they,
by the grace of God, they've been given a new heart, they
know. You smite an arrogant one in
the simple ones, they're going to beware. They're going to take
counsel, they're going to, you know. Now, you reprove, that
is rebuke, correct, convict, chasten, one that hath understanding. A simple one. And he will understand
knowledge. He's going to see the profit
in the reproof. And he's going to appreciate
it. Now here's, here, I know this. that the punishment of
a scorner is going to be for the good of those that God has
been pleased to show mercy. All things work together for
good. Now does this passage of Scripture
fall in that category of all things? You smite a scorner and
the simple are going to beware. You know, I'll go back to that
illustration. If I had to deal with one of
my kids and all the other three had heard me say, now, if you
do that, let me tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to
spank you. And when it happened, the other
three hopefully would say, if I do that, that's what's going
to happen to me. All things But when it comes
to smiting a scorner, what is it in this life that makes the
simple beware? What is it? I know everybody
goes through problems. Everybody has adversity. Everybody has health problems. Everybody has got some trials
and afflictions and adversities. I can't look at an unbeliever
and say, well I tell you what, the reason they're sick is because
they're an unbeliever. Believers get sick too. I can't say that somebody over
here that's suffering financial problems. Well I tell you what,
if they got right with God, They wouldn't have financial problems.
Believers have financial problems too. What smiting of a scorner does
a believer behold? And absolutely learns from it,
profits from it. What judgment does a believer
behold? in the life of a scorner against
God that absolutely strikes fear and causes him to realize. But for the grace of God, that
would be me. Hold your place right here. Turn
with me to Romans 1. I want to read verses 16 to 25.
Romans 1. Romans 1. Verse 16. There's two revelations from
heaven that I'm going to read about right here in these verses
of Scripture. Romans 1 verse 16. Paul says, For I'm not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to
the Greek. Now verse 17 and 18 is going
to set forth two revelations, and then a few verses after that
is going to give some explanation of them. Here's the first revelation
from heaven. concerning that gospel that Paul
said, I'm not ashamed of. For therein, in the gospel, the
gospel of Christ, therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall
live by faith. In the gospel, there's a revelation
from heaven given. What is it? The righteousness
of God from faith to faith. From the faith of Christ to our
believing in Christ, the righteousness of God is revealed. Not my righteousness
that I have earned by my works. Oh, no, no, no. In the gospel
is the righteousness of God revealed. Righteousness of Christ imputed
to God's elect. There's the first revelation.
But here's a second revelation when the gospel is preached.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness,
because that which may be known of God is manifested in them,
or to them, For God has showed it unto them. For the invisible
things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because that
when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were
thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their
foolish heart was darkened. professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools. They changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man,
into birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore,
God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own
hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who
changed the truth of God into a lie. and worship and serve
the creature more than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen.
Now, there's two things revealed when the Gospel is preached. Almighty God is going to have
mercy and compassion on whomsoever He will. The righteousness of
God is going to be revealed from heaven in the proclamation of
the Gospel. Whenever the Gospel is preached,
The savor of these three things is always going to be heard.
You'll always hear this when the gospel is preached. Man is
ruined in the fall. You'll hear that. You'll never
hear when the gospel of God is preached. You'll never hear that
man is a creature that is able to exercise himself, his will,
his power. Not when the gospel is preached.
You'll always hear the fiber of man ruined in the fall. You'll
always hear redemption by the blood of Christ. For who? All that the Father has given
the Son. That's what the Lord Jesus said. I lay down my life
for the sheep. You're never going to hear when
the gospel is preached, you'll never hear that the Lord Jesus
Christ died for all men. You'll never hear that. Never.
Not when the gospel is preached. Why? Because that's a lie. The Lord said, I lay down my
life for the sheep. Some Pharisees said, won't you
be playing with us? He said, I told you. But he said,
you believe not, because you're not my sheep. My sheep hear my
voice. I know them. They follow me.
You'll never hear universal redemption. Never. And the third thing that
you'll always hear when the gospel is preached is the irresistible
calling out of God's elect, redeemed by the blood regenerated by the
Spirit. You'll always hear the fiber
of that. It'll permeate that message. Man's ruined. Christ
redeemed. Spirit of God calls. Affects
you. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. That ends it. That ends all debate,
you know. That's what you're going to hear.
You're going to hear the truth. But the second thing you're going
to hear, that revelation right here, is that he that believeth
not the Son is going to be damned. A man, a woman dies not believing
this gospel right here. I'll prove this, what I'm about
to say. God's going to put them in hell. If we are an angel from heaven,
Paul says, preach any other gospel than that which we've preached
on you, let him be accursed. Let God damn him. I'm telling
you, does it matter what I hear? You betcha. You betcha. You might
say, well, I think you can... It doesn't matter what we think.
It matters what God says. This is going to be it. So what
is it concerning this gospel? This revelation, these two revelations
from heaven, what is it? There's only two from heaven.
God's merciful and compassionate to whomsoever He will, and Almighty
God is going to judge and damn all that believe not the truth. Right here. Here's the Apostle
Paul declaring, God Almighty is going to deal in judgment
with those who hold the truth in unrighteousness. What do you
mean? That's what verse 18 was saying,
Romans 1.18, who hold the truth. Those who have heard, now listen,
that hold the truth. They've heard it, but they have
no heart to retain it. They have no heart to grasp it,
to hold it. They're in danger of Almighty
God giving them up and leaving them to the pollution of their
old nature. who hold the truth in unrighteousness. God Almighty has declared, Isaiah
45, 21, there is no God else beside me. A just God and a Savior. There's none else beside me. Smite a scorner And the simple
beware. Now I'm going to bring this down
to the brass tacks as I sum this up. What is the smiting that the
simple behold? And they profit from it. What
is it? Let me tell you what it is. Here's
what it is. And you that believe, tell me
if this is not so. when anyone leaves this world having made no confession of
faith in Christ, who have sat under a false gospel, and left this world having made
no claim to believe the God of this Bible, of electing, redeeming,
and regenerating grace, sovereign grace. You let someone leave
this world having sat believing something other than this truth,
what's the first thing you think? They left with no hope. No hope. According to this word, no hope.
No hope. What has happened to that one?
God Almighty has left them to do what they wanted to do. And
it is absolutely the judgment of God. You smite a scorner and
the simple beware. This is what they're going to
say, but for the grace of God, that'd be me. But for God's grace,
I would absolutely do the same thing. The blow of God's justice
strikes one, a scorner, but actually it reaches two. The scorner in
punishment and the simple in correction. And they're reminded. Lord, thank you. Thank you that you would not
leave me to myself. And that other part, that latter
part as we finish, and reprove one that hath understanding,
and he's going to understand knowledge. He's going to understand
something of the mercy of God. God Almighty has put away my
guilt in the person of His precious Son. Something that God Almighty
has shown mercy and compassion to me. Why is it that I would
believe God? Why is it that I would absolutely
say, I know that if he left me to me, I'd perish. Why did I
say that? Because he gave me a new heart
to understand that I am a feeble, insufficient, dead-in-myself
rebel, having borne my grief and carried my sorrows by grace. The Lord's given me a heart to
cast myself upon Him and say, Lord, save me. Save me. He that hath understanding,
he's going to understand knowledge, understand something that God's
taught him. And that simple one that God's
given some knowledge and has realized that I wouldn't leave
this world, in my own rebellion and resistance to Him, they're
going to also say, I see in me, that is in my flesh, there dwells
no good thing. For to will is present with me,
but how to perform that which is good I find not. Lord, thank You for chasing me. Thank You for saving me. It's been good that I've been
afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. Smite a scorner,
and the simple, the objects of God's mercy, they'll beware. They're gonna say, and they'll
be honest with people. They'll say, listen Al, I'm gonna
tell you something. They'll hear somebody say, well
I know it just, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. I heard someone
say this week, they said, I know we don't all agree on, you know,
everything, but as long as we're sincere. I've told many people, you know,
Hitler was sincere. I'm telling you, it does matter.
I pray that Almighty God bless the word to the calling out of
his people. that we might, by God's grace,
see ourselves. This is the way we are. This
is the way we're born right here. We're all born scorners right
there. But for God's grace, I'd die that way. But you let a man
or a woman leave this world apart from believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ, casting themselves upon Him, saying, Lord, save
me because I can't save myself. God forbid that I leave this
world thinking that I have reconciled myself back to God, that I have
satisfied God's justice, that I have satisfied His demand for
righteousness. No, I haven't. but that he'd
give me a heart to say, Lord, you saved me by grace. You kept
me by grace. You kept me by power. You smite
a scorner and a simple gonna beware. Reprove that same simple
man, and he's gonna know something of God's mercy and knowledge
to show mercy to whomsoever he would. May the Lord bless these
words to our hearts. Amen.