Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Proverbs, chapter 15. Proverbs 15. I'd like to look at Proverbs
15, verses 28 to the end of the chapter, verse 33. Knowing that the Proverbs are
given to God's people, that they might know the mysteries of the
kingdom of God, that is, when I say the kingdom of God, I'm
talking about the mediatorial rule and reign of the Lord Jesus
Christ over His people. A kingdom. A kingdom has a king
and it has subjects. And His kingdom is His people,
His rule, His reign, His glory over all that the Father has
given Him in electing grace before the foundation of the world.
He's got a people, a kingdom. Now, the last six verses that
I'd like to deal with in the book of Proverbs chapter 15 deals
with the glorious effects of faith that's given to a regenerated
sinner. What happens? When God saves
a sinner, what happens? What's the evidence? What's the
effect? I know that they didn't come
up with faith. It was given to them. And when
God gives faith, how do you know it? What happens? Now, before the Lord, gave life
to his people, lost sheep. Lost sheep. They've always been
sheep. If they're sheep, they've always
been sheep. A goat never becomes a sheep. A goat is a goat. They never
change. A sheep is a sheep. Chosen in
electing grace. They've always been the Lord's.
They've always been His people. They've always been His elect.
They don't know it. But when He calls them out of
darkness, He gives them light. Illumination. Spiritual illumination. He gives them a heart to know
who they are in Christ. Gives them faith to believe. Before they were converted, they
act just like every other unbeliever. They've got an attitude of wrath
before God. They have no heart for Him, no
love for Him. But when Almighty God gives them
a new heart, that new man created in righteousness, Something happens. Something's different. Light
is there. The light of the glory of God
in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ is manifested to that
believer. Now, let's look at what God has
to say concerning the effect of faith. Here's the first thing.
The believer. One regenerated in power, in
grace, the believer will hear what the Lord has to say. Look
at verse 28. The heart of the righteous studieth
to answer, but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. The heart of the righteous muses. or meditates to answer. To answer what? Well, let's look
at 1 Peter 3.15. 1 Peter 3.15. Here's what's going to happen.
A believer in the Lord Jesus Christ studies, studyeth, studyeth,
continues studyeth to answer. 1 Peter. But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man
that asketh you a reason of the hope that is within you with
meekness, with submission, before God Almighty and fear, respect. Be ready to give an answer. And
the Scripture says in verse 28, the heart of the righteous studieth,
muses, meditates. What does God have to say? And that's going to be my answer.
Well, a believer meditates, or studies, or muses upon an answer
to say Concerning his hope, his situation, first of all, he gives
an answer according to the Word of God about man. He studies, he muses, he searches
God's Word. What does God have to say about
man? Here's what God has to say. All
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This is what
the righteous is going to say that he studies to answer. No
man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father.
This is what a believer is going to say. I don't have any ability
to do anything for God. I don't have a free will. I lost my will in Adam, in Adam's
fall, in Adam's rebellion. I died in Adam. Now this is what
God has to say. Now man says that every man is
born with a free will. God doesn't say that. God told
Adam, in the day that you eat of the fruit that I've forbidden,
you're going to die. You're going to die. Now let
me ask you something. How much freedom does a dead man have?
Spiritually dead, the righteous studieth to answer, to give an
answer of the hope that's within him. You're going to say, this
is the way I was born. I was born a rebel against God.
Almighty God called me out of darkness. I wasn't looking for
Him. God, by His mercy and grace, gave me a heart for Him. He called me just like he did
Saul of Tarsus. Going on the road to Damascus
in rebellion against God, trying to get after God's people. He
hated them. And God Almighty stopped him.
This is what the righteous says. Gives an answer about man. Here's
the second thing. He studies, studyeth, muses,
meditates to answer about God's sovereignty. Daniel 4.35. I'll read this or
you can turn there. This is what Nebuchadnezzar...
I don't know whether or not Nebuchadnezzar was a believer. He may have been.
I don't know. But I can tell you this, what
the Spirit of God moved upon that man to say, was right. The high priest Caiaphas, remember
when he says it's expedient that one man die, that the whole nation
perish not, and the scripture says he said that not of himself. But the Holy Ghost moved upon
him to make that statement. It was expedient that one man
die. Not in the way that wicked man
said this. I don't know whether or not Nebuchadnezzar. I don't
know. If he was, that's the Lord's work. But I know what he said
was right. Daniel 4.35, he said, And all
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or
say unto him, What doest thou? What do you mean, stay his hand? Isaiah 14.27. Isaiah 14.27 says
this, For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul
it? And his hand is stretched out,
and who shall turn it back?" Who's going to stop God from
doing what God wants to do? He'd do it, that's what Nebuchadnezzar...
He'd do it as he will in the army of heaven, among the inhabitants
of the earth, and nobody stops him. Man, I heard years ago when
I was growing up, false religion. People say, boy, I tell you what,
he's just an old white knuckle sinner just holding on to the
back of that pew, you know, just rebelling against God. Or somebody
say, I tell you, the Lord called me to preach. Boy, I tell you,
I resisted and I ran from Him. I wasn't going to do that. The Lord Jesus says, My sheep,
hear My voice. I know them and they follow me. Matthew, follow me. Scripture says he left every
bit of it right there. Table, money, records and all.
And he followed the Lord. When Almighty God calls, His
sheep hear His voice and they are willing in the day of His
power. And they move. And he keeps them. And he straightens them up. And
he chastens them. Thirdly, the righteous studyeth to answer
from the heart about salvation. This is what the righteous say.
Salvation is of the Lord. That's what Jonah said. Jonah
2.9. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is not of man, all
of grace. The believer, the righteous,
studieth to give an answer. The Father, the Scripture says,
chose a people before the foundation of the world and gave them to
the Lord Jesus Christ, the surety, and trusted Him to redeem the
sheep that the Father gave Him. A believer studieth, and see,
that scripture that Mark just read, I mean just filled with
the glory of God's sovereignty, God's will, God's purpose. The
Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, the scripture says, and
the righteous studieth. that Christ laid down His life
for the sheep. There was no blood wasted at
Calvary. He did not shed His blood for those that He was not
going to save. I lay down My life for the sheep. All that the Father giveth Me
shall come to Me. And He that cometh to Me, I will
in no wise cast Him out. A believer studyeth that. Muses. Somebody said, what do
you think about God's sovereignty? They said, there's no debate
about that. God's sovereign. Man, it's not.
God has a will. Men don't. God's got to give
a man a new will to come to Him. The Scripture sets forth that
the Spirit of God is going to call them out. That's what they
do. The heart of the righteous studieth to answer, but the mouth
of the wicked poureth out evil things." I'm going to say one
thing about that. I'm going to tell you what poureth
out means. That's what it means. I looked
it up. It means to belch. It stinks. That's what the mouth of the
wicked, the mouth of the wicked belches out evil. And it stinks. It's repulsive. Men, women go
around trying to give glory to man and lifting him up. Men are
standing in pulpits preaching. It's free will. And I'm telling
you, It stinks. It stinks in the nostrils of
God Almighty and His people can't stand it. Here's the second thing
I know. The believer has the ear of the
Lord. Verse 29. The Lord is far from
the wicked, but He heareth the prayer of the righteous. The Lord is far from the wicked,
not in presence. I know that. He's omnipresent.
But the Lord is far from the wicked in favor, in mercy, in
compassion. Far from the wicked in grace,
in mercy. I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. So then, the Spirit of God said
under the hand of Paul, it's not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy. The Lord is
far from the wicked. He leaves them to themselves. Leaves them alone. And it's not
God's fault that a man is a rebel. Man fell in the garden. It's
man's fault. He's far from hearing the wicked. Isaiah 1, verse 10 to 15. Isaiah 1, 10 to 15. The Scripture
says, Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom. Give ear
unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah." Now God is speaking
to these rebels. You listen, Solomon and Gomorrah,
to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith
the Lord? I am full of the burnt offerings
of rams and the fat of fed beasts. I delight not in the blood of
bullocks or lambs or he-goats. When you come to appear before
Me..." Now you listen to this. This is God speaking. "...When
you come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your
hand to tread My courts?" Who gave you permission? to approach
me. Who do you think you are? Bring
no more vain oblations. Incense is an abomination unto
me. The new moons and Sabbaths, the
calling of assemblies, I cannot away with. It is iniquity, even
the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed
feasts, my soul hateth. They are a trouble unto me. I
am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your
hands, I will hide my eyes from you. Yea, when you make many
prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood." My friend, if God Almighty leaves a man
or woman to themselves, I'm telling you, they have no hope. Leave a man or woman to themselves
and they are arrogant, They think that they can just approach God
and they think that they're going to be heard because of their
much speaking. They think that I can just do
whatever I want to do. No, you can't. No, you can't. Lord, have mercy. The Scripture
says, but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. The Lord, Psalm 145, verse 18,
is nigh unto all them that call upon Him. to all that call upon
Him in truth. Wonder of wonders. The Lord hears
His people. And here's the amazing thing.
Being born in Adam, they're no different than anybody else.
What's the difference? The grace of God. My friend,
don't you raise your hand in your heart against God and say,
who do you think you are? I'll tell you who He is. He's
God Almighty. That, as Nebuchadnezzar says,
does as He will in the army of heaven. Lord, give me a heart to bow.
I raise my heart and my arrogant spirit against him and say, I
will never bow to a God like this. Yes, you will. Yes, you
will. Every knee is going to bow. Every
tongue is going to confess. My friend, pray that God Almighty
give you, give me a heart. Lord, as you say you are, give
me a heart to bow. Malachi 3.16, Then they that
feared the Lord spake often one to another. And the Lord hearkened
and heard it. And a book of remembrance was
written before him to them that feared the Lord and that thought
upon his name. Believer, be mindful that by
the grace of God, when you pray, the Lord hears you. For Christ's
sake. For His namesake. For His honor. For His glory. For his praise. Thirdly, a believer rejoices
in Christ. Look at verse 30. The light of
the eyes rejoiceth the heart, and a good report maketh the
bones fat. Christ is the light. He's the light, the spiritual
light, the illumination. of His people. That's what Psalm
27 says. The Lord is my light. That I understand anything, that
I know anything, that I perceive anything of God's honor, God's
glory. What do you call that light?
To whom do we attribute the praise for that light? Christ! The Scripture
says, is my light. He by His Holy Spirit has given
His people eyes to see. That's what you just read. You
blind that have eyes. I know what I am in myself. I'm
blind. He give me eyes. You deaf that
have ears. The seeing eye, the hearing ear. The Lord hath given both of them.
A believer hears these truths right here, and this is what
they say, Lord, as you say, it is. It is. Man's arrogant spirit that rebels
against God's Word is not going to change anything. Who does man think he is? He's the potter, we're the clay.
We're the rebels. He's the merciful God, Savior. Longsuffering. I told you before,
I think to myself, but for the grace of God, God put me in hell
just for my arrogance at being able to try to pray. And I don't
even know what to say. It's longsuffering. By the seeing of Him, the light,
of the eyes rejoiceth the heart." Being able to see Him this morning,
being able to hear His Word and say, Lord, but for Your mercy
and grace, where would I be? Lord, that You would not leave
me to myself, how thankful I am. He looks upon His own, those
that He has eternally loved, robed in himself, his bride,
his body, and then tells her, those that know in themselves,
oh, wretched man that I am, and then he says to her, you've ravished
me with one of your eyes. You've stolen my heart. Lord, how can these things be
but for the grace of God? And a good report maketh the
bones fat. Good report about what? The glorious
gospel of God's grace. Who hath believed our report?
To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? It's a miracle of God's grace
that anybody believes this. That anybody believes it. When
I stand in these Scriptures and I look at these Scriptures, I
pray, Lord, help me. Lord, teach me. Lord, give me
understanding here. Lord, You keep me. It's Your
Word. Your Word is not going to return void. It's going to
accomplish the purpose for which You've sent it. That report of
the sovereignty of God Glorious face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
God's people believe it. They believe the report of satisfaction
in Christ. That report maketh the bones. The people of God. Maketh the
bones. God's sheep. His bones. His body. Makes them fat. Satisfied. Lord, this is a good
word. This is your Word. This is truth. We're born of His bone. All the
glorious gospel of God's free grace, mercy. Fourthly, the believer
rejoices in God's correction. Verse 31-32, The ear that heareth
the reproof of life abideth among the wise, He that refuseth instruction,
he that refuseth correction, despiseth his own soul. But he that heareth reproof,
he that obeys it, getteth understanding, that is, he possesses a heart. He that heareth. Correction, reproof has a heart
for it. When the Lord is pleased to rescue
his own from the error of his way, He reproves them. He corrects
them with gracious and merciful chastisement. I was talking to Jeff yesterday,
Jeff Powers. We were talking about signs of
belief. How do you know? How do you know
if God's dealing with a man or woman? Well, I can tell you this,
not with a false humility where someone, but I'm talking about
in heart, in their heart, What he does is he brings them down. I'm saying something. The last verse, verse 33, it
says, The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and
before honor is humility. I told him, I said, Jeff, this
is what happens. God brings a man down in his
own sight, in this man's own sight. He brings him down, knocks
him off his high horse. That's what he does. He puts
him in the dirt. And he knows, he knows. I can't
do anything. I know I can't. It's just not
outward words. He knows it. He feels it. I can't
please God myself. God's people are brought down.
The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. Almighty God. It gives a man
a heart, in verse 32, to hear it, to hear reproof, to hear
chastisement. I told you this before, I had
an uncle, he died. I had an uncle that lived in
Louisiana. And one time, I know he heard
the gospel because I know he had heard it a few times. But
this is what he said to me. I'm not going back. I'll never
go back and listen to that man again. He told me I was a sinner.
A sinner. He said, I'm not a sinner. And
that's who Christ Jesus came into this world, Mitch, to save.
He that heareth a reproof has understanding. God has given
him a heart, but the rebel that refuses God's correction. He
hates himself. He desires death. He won't admit openly, but that's
what God says. But he that heareth obeys reproof. God's given him a new heart.
And then lastly, the believer is going to be taught of God. Isaiah 54, verse 13 says, And
all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall
be the place of thy children. This last verse, verse 33, the
fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honor is
humility. This verse explains how the people
of God are taught. The fear, the respect of the
Lord is the instruction of wisdom. There's an awe. There's an awe
of God. Your spirit is taught by wise
counsel. And the Lord gives a heart that
respects Him, that honors Him. And we're chastened lovingly. I'll tell you this, the chastisement
of the Lord is right here. Right here. This heart. A believer, he knows what he
is. An unbeliever knows that he does
some things wrong. He doesn't admit, you know, I'm
not that bad. He justifies everything he does. But you know, for a believer,
This is what grieves him. I've done this before God. I've done this before the Lord
of glory. I've been disrespectful. And
I'm telling you, as old Rob Barnard used to say, a believer is somewhere
between total despair and total glorious ecstasy. He's somewhere
in the middle. He just kind of vacillates. Almighty God brings His people
down before honor, its humility, affliction of the heart. Before
we enter into that glorious understanding of His presence, before we enter
into heaven itself, we must all, through much tribulation, Enter
into the kingdom of God. God brings a man down. If you
read the Scriptures, this is where it starts. It mentions
Saul of Tarsus. Where did it start with Saul?
Right there. Right there. God knocked him down. God brings
His people down. Man must be brought down. Why? Because he's proud. He's
arrogant. He's haughty. He thinks he's
something. God's people are in this world. Not of it. They're
sojourners. And while they are in this world,
God is going to mercifully teach them, keep them, instruct them. He is going to give them a respect
for Himself. And that respect, that fear,
is how they are going to be instructed. They are going to come and they
are going to hear the glorious gospel of God's grace and man by the
grace of God will stand up and say, set forth some of the effects
of salvation. God's people say, I want to hear
this. I want to hear this again. You say, well, I think I've heard
that before. That's alright. You want to hear
it again. It's safe. Oh, the mercy of our
God to make us new. By grace, the believer will hear
by a willing heart what God has to say. Secondly, He hears God
speak. He hears the voice of Christ
and the Lord hears him. Thirdly, he rejoices in Christ
and he has no confidence whatsoever in the flesh. Fourthly, he rejoices
in the Lord's loving correction. Fifthly, he knows he's going
to be taught of God. How does he know that? God said
he would. Lord, bless these words to our
heart for Christ's sake.