Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Proverbs chapter 13. And may we in our hearts
echo those words spoken through the Holy Scripture in the mouth
of Samuel. Proverbs chapter 13. I'd like to Look as we, again, going through
this book, we're just taking it line by line, verse by verse.
I'd like to look at verses 21 and 22. Proverbs 13, 21, evil,
pursue it, sinners. But to the righteous, good shall
be repaid. A good man, leave it. an inheritance to his children's
children, and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. God's Word declares, and history
bears out this truth, evil pursues evil, that is, bad, injury, unpleasantness,
sadness, it runs after, chases, it follows on. Sinners, that word sinner there
is a criminal offender. One counted as guilty. You go back and start the scriptures,
Cain killed Abel. First recorded murder took place. And the Lord made Cain a fugitive,
went through the rest of his life just evil, followed after him. Ahab wanted a a little old
vintage, one in the little garden. And it belonged to a man named
Nabon. And he had it. Oh, he cried and spread it about
that little piece of ground. He and his wife plotted to kill
Nabon. And the Lord said this concerning
that murder, where dogs have licked the blood
of napalm, shall dogs lick thy blood? That very place. This world belongs to God. The earth is the Lord's, the
fullness thereof. Everything that goes on in this
world is going to be weighed in the balance of God's holiness,
justice, righteousness. Now I know we could take that,
as I've said before, the book of Proverbs is written such that
you can just about anybody pick up the scriptures and they can
read it and Naturally speaking, I mean, just humanly speaking,
morally speaking, it just makes perfect sense. I mean, it's absolute
truth. No doubt about it. Evil pursues
sinners. God's not mocked. I'll serve
a man's soul if that's what he's going to raise. Oh, I just feel
as though everybody's against me. I'm just a victim of circumstance. Now, no, no, it's your fault. That's just called the way it
is. Now, I know we could consider that
scripture right there, we could consider the temporal all that
we can go through scriptures and look and see how temporary
calamities are written or recorded time after time after time because
of men's evil schemes. Because of their wickedness,
their vengeance, and that men just, it happens If all we see, this is my point,
going through the book of Proverbs. If all we see is temporary things
right here, and I can assure you, rest assured, we've missed
the heart of it. Because, remember this, these
scriptures, these are they, the Lord said, that testify of me. Whenever I first sit down, Book
of Proverbs, I've told many of you, this is the hardest book
I've ever preached out. I'm telling you, when I sit down
to prepare another message in Proverbs, believe me, I am quickly
reminded and need to be reminded of my desperate need. Lord, help
me here. This is a hard book for me. But
I do know this, that unless we see the eternal issue here, then
we've missed it. We can see the temporary and
everybody say, well, yeah, I see that. But you're listening for
Christ, I am too. Evil pursuits sinners. Numbers 32, 23 says be sure your
sin will find you out. But what is the ultimate truth
concerning that first part right there? We will pursue a sinner's
sin. Let me show you, let me show
you the end result of that right there. Turn to Revelation 20.
Revelation 20. Revelation chapter 20 starting
in verse 11. Revelation 20, 11, And I saw
a grave white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face,
whose countenance, whose glory. The earth and the heavens fled
away, and there was found no place for them. That is, no place
to hide, no place to run. And I saw the dead, small and
great, standing before God. And the books were opened, and
another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in
the books according to their works. And the sea gave up the
dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them. And they were judged, every man,
according to their works. And death and hell were cast
it there, and whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake is going to arise. And in that
day, ultimately, evil, the judgment of God, pursueth sinners. The spiritually dead shall be
judged out of the books, the books of God's law, the books
of God's omniscience, the book of every man's action, thoughts,
rejection of Christ, So I think about those times
that our Lord would tell like Perneum, these cities where he
did most of his mighty works. He said, it's going to be more
tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the
day of judgment than it is for you. If a thing's done there, If the
things that were heard here had been heard there. And this is
amazing, but this is God speaking. He said they would have repented. And they would have remained
until this day. I've said before, He knows not only what will and
won't happen, He knows what could have happened had He willed it. If the preaching of the gospel
had been done there, I'm telling you, in the day of God's
judgment, every time a man or woman ever heard the gospel and
rejected it, every time they heard the message of God's sovereign
grace and murmured at it, despised it, spoke against it, it's going
to be brought up again. The dust that's knocked off,
shaken off, where men have come to preach the gospel. Men say, I'll not have that God
reign over me. No, I'll hang on to my free will,
my good works. The books are going to be open. January 1st, 2012. I've seen richer. And you rejected it. Depart from
me, you worker of iniquity. I never knew you. Oh, may God
have mercy. Evil. Pursue it. All those out there. Ride on
their heels. Lord, teach us to number our
days. Because evil God's judgment. In that day when man tries to
justify himself to be assured, Almighty God is going to be just. Just in wrath or just in justifying
the sinner in Christ. But God's going to be just. In that day, men will say, as
Isaiah writes in Isaiah 59, 12, 13, our transgressions are multiplied before thee. And
our sins testify against us for our transgressions which
are with us. And as for our iniquities, we
know them. in transgressing and lying against
the Lord and departing away from our God, speaking oppression
and revolt, concerning and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Can you, I, we can't, but just
suffice it to say, to stand before God and say that our transgressions
are multiplied before thee, our sin testifies against always
that day, to not have a mediator, one who has stood, one who has
made sin. These transgressions right here,
that they say they testify against us, if He has not been made sin,
made what we are. God Almighty has not dealt stand before God and say our
transgressions are with us. One thing awaits every man that
shall stand before God at the judgment seat of Christ without
a mediator unto evil, judgment, unto damnation, evil, for sin
of sinners. But to the righteous, good shall
be repaid who are not righteous in themselves,
they never, no believer, ever lays claim to being righteous in themselves. All of our righteousness are
as filthy rags. We know that. I don't want to
stand before God. I don't want to stand before
God on the death time I ever tried to pray or read. It's just my Bible study. There's
been times I've had to go back and re-read it because all of
a sudden I just, my mind just passed over. I didn't even read
that. My reading of his scriptures would be enough for me. Disrespect. But to the righteous, those made
righteous, holy, holy, justified in Christ, standing not in themselves,
standing in Him. Scripture says good, good, good
shall be for pay. Good, God's goodness, God's graciousness,
God's mercy, the reward of His grace, that which He has everlastingly
purposed to bestow upon them, upon the objects of His mercy,
They're going to have, in that day, those that are righteous
in Christ. They're going to have an inheritance. They're going to be recompensed. They're going to be rewarded.
Repaid, that's what it means. They're going to have an inheritance. Who are these that are I'll just tell you what it says.
I'll give you the scripture. You can look it up. Those, I'll
tell you, the blessed of God, those are the ones chosen in
Christ in the eternal election. That's what Ephesians 1, 3, 6
says. Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. Chosen in Him. Those that trust the Lord. Those
that trust the Lord. The exclusion, as I've said,
how God helped me to never quit saying that. trusting the Lord
to the exclusion of everything else. Those who fear Him, those who
respect Him, those who reference Him, honor Him, and respect the
preaching of His Word at the exclusion of everything else, everything else that is done,
everything else that away from the hearing of the gospel. Those who sin are forgiven. Psalm
32, 1 and 2. Those, according to Luke 7, 23,
are not offended by and not offended by the gospel of God's grace.
They're not offended at God being powerful. They're not offended
at Those who endure temptation, James 1.12. Why? Except those that are told to
rejoice, be seethingly glad for great is your reward in heaven. Great. Told forever in His presence. The holy, the glory that was
given to the Lord Jesus as the Mediator. the surety, the redeemer,
the great high priest, by the Father, before the foundation
of the world, to see Him, to be with Him, to witness. What
a reward. Forever to be with the Lord. Never has entered into the heart
man that which God has prepared for those that love Him. To the
righteous, this is what it says, good shall be repaid. Good shall
be rewarded. they're going to have an inheritance.
Inheritance. And that good that shall be repaid, it's going to have to come from
Him who alone is good. There's none good but God, so
it says. To the righteous, good. Eternal good. Eternal property. shall be repaid. Inheritance. Now let's consider now something
like that inheritance. We're listening to two verses
today. Evil pursues a sinner, but to
the righteous good shall be repaid. There be an inheritance for thee.
Here's what scripture says concerning that inheritance. Verse 22, a
good man is leaded an inheritance Now again, I say, well, you know,
that, that, that, you know, humanly speaking, well, humanly speaking,
that truth may never come to fruition. It may or may not. Men may want to do something
for their children, for their family, for their grandchildren.
They want to. But maybe they don't have any
inheritance. Maybe it was all taken by the
government. Maybe, maybe the nursing home
got it. Maybe, uh, maybe this medical
bill just, man, we just don't, we're just down to welfare now. I just, I don't have anything.
I don't have anything left. Maybe, maybe a man got me. Maybe he does have means, but
he doesn't have any kids. He doesn't have any children
to leave it to. But this truth right here speaks
of certainty. This is certain, this is certain.
A good man leaveth and inheriteth to his children's children. I'll
tell you this, there's only one lively that will be absolutely so. There's only one hope concerning
that scripture that will absolutely never fail. A good man leaveth
an inheritance for his children's children. Humanly speaking, you
could say, well, what if this or what if that, so let me show
you something that absolutely is never going to fail. You've
read this before. We'll read it again. 1 Peter.
1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 3-5. This is absolute good man. There's none good with God. There's none good with God. Let
me show you a certain inheritance. 1 Peter 1-3, Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His
abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved
in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Here is the only certainty Here
is the absolute certainty concerning a good man. And like I said now, there's
none good but God. So this scripture right here
can only fit one. It'll only fit one. You say,
well I left my kids an inheritance. Yeah, but you're not good. good man to lead an inheritance
to his children's children, to his family. The elect of God
according to the abundance of God's mercy was foreappointed
unto an unspeakable blessing and inheritance in Christ Jesus. chosen to that inheritance, chosen
to salvation, chosen to be sanctified, set apart in holiness by the
Spirit of God. God Almighty has an inheritance that was prepared
for you that knowing, that shall knowing, that will certainly
be given before the foundation of the world. enter in the love
of my Father into the kingdom prepared for you from the fourth
foundation of the Lord. Inheritance. Good man! Those who absolutely shall be
regenerated and convicted of their sins have Christ revealed
to them their part. They're going to know it in time. And the end of that election,
the purpose of it, salvation of their souls. Saved by the
grace of God, cleansed by His blood, justified in Him. And they're going to know. They're
going to know. By faith of that incorruptible,
undefiled inheritance. that promised me, in Christ,
an inheritance. I'm an heir of God. And a joint
heir of Christ was an inheritance. I mean, stuff that's left in
this world, what is that? An inheritance? That's not going
to endure. That's all going to be burned up. All of this is
going to leave, being His children, by electing grace, heirs, heirs, heirs. A good man, scripture says, leaveth and inherits. laid up for the job. Boy, you talk about struggle
with that last portion of that scripture. Man, I wanted that. Days, I go on days. And I believe the Lord's given
me some light on it. A good man He started off by,
in verse 21, he will pursue his sinners, but to the righteous
good shall be repaid. There's going to be an inheritance.
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, colon. And whatever follows is just
establishing, just enlarging on what has just been said. concerning that inheritance,
the wealth of the sinner laid up for the just. That passage
of scripture sets forth this truth. The inheritance that is
given us in Christ, you know, is according to God's eternal
mercy and goodness. and grace and compassion. He alone who is good has left
his elect an inheritance in Christ, not because he saw anything good
in them and that they deserved an inheritance. But this inheritance was given
for his namesake. Yes, by the grace of God, Almighty God chose out of every nation, kindred,
tribe, and tongue, sinners, called them in and out. For whom the Lord Jesus Christ
came into this world to seek and save. This is a faithful
Savior. Worthy of all acceptation. Jesus Christ came to this world
to save sinners. Paul confessed himself. I'm a
sinner. Chief of sinners. Brother Scott
said so many times, what a badge of honor. That's the one that
Christ came to save. Yeah, but you say, are all men
sinners? Yes, but they're not all made
to know they are. You find a sinner. You find one
that God's taught of what they really are. And whenever God
teaches a man what he is, truly what he is, a needy sinner, that's
the man. the woman that's looking for
a Savior. And I'm not talking about one
that just excuses and says, well, you know, I'm just a sinner. No, with that attitude, you're
going to perish. I'm talking about one that sees his native
sinner, the wealth of the sinner. The Holy Spirit will never allow
a man or a woman On this side of the grave, forget what you
are in Adam. You're never going to forget
what you are in Adam. You don't have anything to glory
in. You don't have anything to boast of. You don't have anything
to be proud of. Pat yourself on the back. Oh,
I've been faithful all these many years. No, you haven't.
No, you haven't. I haven't either. The wealth
of the sinner. who is in himself nothing more
than deserving of God's judgment, in himself deserving of God's
judgment. But thanks be unto God that Almighty
God would not impute sin, charge him with it. I'm not saying that
they don't produce it. I'm not saying that they do.
And every sinner will admit what he is. I know, I know, Paul said,
I know in me there dwells no good thing. That is in my flesh.
I know that. Those may deceive themselves
and to know themselves what they are. The wealth of the sinner,
you mean this sinner right here has hope? You mean to tell me That Almighty
God made flesh to save this sinner. You mean to tell me that I've
got an inheritance that's promised to me for what I am? You mean this sinner's got an
inheritance that I can be found rich in faith and heirs to the
kingdom which is promised to them that love him?" Yeah. You'll not find God's elect saying,
I'm not as other men are. Like that Pharisee, two men went
up to Temple to pray, one of them stood and said, God, I pray
thus with himself, I think that I'm not as other men are. And
here was this other one over here. He smote upon his breast
when he woke up. He said, God, be merciful to
me, a sinner. Could that sinner want such as
that? You mean to tell me that there's
some wealth? I heard Brother Don Fortner preaching
the message the other day, listening to it. He was talking about the
rewards that men speak of in heaven. You know, all the crowns
that they're going to have. He was reading out of Revelation
said there was 24, 24 thrones, 24 thrones, 24 elders around
the throne of God. There's a picture of God's, all
of God's church. And he said all of the inheritance
that every one of them had had a crown of gold on their heads. He said there was 24 elders. He said, you know, I just imagined
He said individually, collectively all of God's people, but just
look at Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and that thief, did God say moments
before he left this world, sitting on that throne? Yes. Almighty God is never going to
allow man to forget what he is, the wealth of the sinner. This
is it. It's laid up for the jealous.
He will never remind us who we are in Christ. Lord, I am what
I am by the grace of God. Lord, the inheritance that I
have, laid up. Lord, you who alone were good. Having left an inheritance to
your people, to your family, to those chosen in you, and the
wealth of the sinner is not in himself, not in himself, he knows
it. It's laid up, laid up, an inheritance,
incorruptible, undefiled, reserved in heaven for you, who are found
to be just in Christ. In Christ alone, we ever declare,
Lord this is what I am in Adam, but thanks be unto God for what
you've made me in Christ, a sinner who is saved by the grace of
God. May the Lord bless these words to our hearts for Christ's
sake.