Dr Greg Bahnsen - Proverbs: Proverbs 10:1-2 (Righteousness Delivers From Death) (Part 25)

This morning we're going to resume our series expositing the Book of Hebrews. And I'd like, if you will, to have you turn to chapter 10, where we'll read verses one and two. The book of Proverbs. That's right, not Hebrews. We're studying Hebrews during our home Bible study. Hear now God's word at Proverbs, the 10th chapter, beginning at verse one. The Proverbs of a wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. Treasures of wickedness, profit nothing but righteousness, delivereth from death. And thus far the reading of God's word. That's all you're going to read, Pastor, Just two verses? Well, I've got words for you. We're going to be getting into a section of the Book of Proverbs where that's going to happen a lot because, you see, we have passed from the.

First nine chapters to the tenth chapter of Proverbs.

And those of you who are students.

Of the Old Testament, students of the Book of Proverbs, know that this is.

A significant turning point in the literary.

Style of the Proverbs. Up to this point, there have been fairly long sections, not all together, but for the most part, lengthy sections on.

Particular themes, whether it be slothfulness or the theme of honoring your parents or the unrighteous woman or what have you. We've had longer literary sections dealing with one topic and then moving to another.

We now come to a section titled.

The Proverbs of Solomon. This indicates forgetting for right now who wrote this and whether Solomon had anything to do with the previous sections, which he probably did.

This indicates that there were a section.

Of small aphorisms, apparently, that were attributed to Solomon that were known to have come into either through him personally or through his court, through his particular men. And this stood as a unit when.

The Book of Proverbs as we now.

Know it was compiled. Then we have these thematic sections in.

One through nine that were brought. And then there was a Book of Solomon sayings. In fact, if you look forward to.

Where is this now, particularly. Well, anyway, later on there's chapter 25 is where it begins. And you're going to find another section of Solomon's Proverbs, these collected by Hezekiah's men, it says. So now we have another grouping, apparently, that was brought in at the beginning of chapter 30.

We have Proverbs of Agur, beginning of chapter 31, Proverbs of Lemuel.

And some people believe, I think it's probably right at chapter 22, verse 17 we have proverbs of various sages, the Proverbs of the Wise, as it's in the English translation.

And so Proverbs.

Remember, if you can hearken back to that introductory sermon done oh, long ago now on the Book of Proverbs, I.

Told you, the literary style of Proverbs is very mixed. And this is a compiled book, all of it being inspired of God, but.

Not every bit of it being from Solomon necessarily. We now come in chapter 10 to a section that was known to be the Solomon, Solomon's Proverbs. But these are short, pungent, and for the most part isolated maxims. In fact, in this next section there are 375 such maxims. And it is a real task to outline it. In fact, you can't outline it. I don't think you can in the way that at least in American schools we've been taught to outline. You couldn't go through this section and find some, you know, theme that moves with a transition to another and then sub points. It's not organized like that.

Proverbs are like little daily vitamin pills.

Remember, you take one of them and.

You put it in your mouth and, and you let it do its work throughout the day.

Or maybe it's like a hard piece of candy that you're supposed to suck.

On for a while and get all the benefit out of it. Kind of let it go down slowly.

Work on this one, then tomorrow work on another one, tomorrow work on another. Now if you stop and think about it, in the next section alone, there are 375 short proverbs like this.

If I were to go one by.

One through them, take one per week, then for the next 375 weeks, then.

We would be on the Book of Proverbs, just this section of the book.

Of proverbs, 375 weeks, that's a little.

Bit over five years.

And then we would be moving to the next section of Proverbs. And I just had to make the pastoral decision that that probably isn't going to be all. You know, it's probably very good for you to do. But in terms of the corporate preaching that takes place in our congregation, I'm not going to do that. Well, what am I going to do? I mean, if you can't organize this into sections and themes by itself, and yet I'm not going to go verse by verse by verse, one per week. What I'm going to propose to do is to sort through the remainder of The Proverbs. We'll go through a section until we've come to either a noteworthy or a new theme that we haven't touched on previously. And then I'll preach on that some weeks that. I mean, we'll go three or four verses and then we'll hit something that I'm going to pick up on some weeks.

It might be one.

In fact, there's a time coming, you tell me. If you notice, when this is, we're.

Just going to move through half a.

Verse and then half a verse, because each half is something in particular to add to what we've studied already. It is my goal. I don't know whether I'll accomplish this immediately or be done on time when we finish the book of Proverbs. But I would like eventually to supply to you an outline that shows you the various sermons we've had, the topics, and. And then all the passages in Proverbs on that particular topic. So you can study the book in that way on your own, if that is your desire. So, a new division, a new literary.

Style to the Proverbs.

We jump right in at verse one, and we've already covered this theme, but let's look at it for a moment. A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness, or actually the sorrow of his mother. Heaviness meaning heaviness of heart. A wise son makes his father happy. A foolish son makes his mother sad. Now, does this mean that fathers are never sad about foolish sons and mothers are never happy about wise ones? No. This is beautiful Hebrew poetry. See, the idea is that children affect the emotional disposition of their parents.

And you have father mentioned in one.

Of the stanzas, and mother and the next. They complement each other. It's not meant exclusively father. Exclusively mother. And so, children, I want you to think about this. You look at your father, you look.

At your mother and say, how do.

I affect them when they look at me? Do they say, I am so happy for the way you're living your life. I'm so happy for you. You're a real joy to me. Or do your parents say, oh, I wish you wouldn't be this way. I wish you wouldn't have these attitudes. I wish you wouldn't act in this way. That should really affect you. Not only the little boys and girls here, but especially you in the teenage years, as you're now moving into this period of life that's a transition from your childhood to adulthood. How do your parents look upon you? What effect do you have upon them. Do you make your parents happy?

Are you a joy to your parents?

Or do they have to constantly groan and moan and complain because your attitudes are so bad or your behavior is so disobedient? You are not a wise son unless you make your parents happy. That takes us back to Proverbs 1:8, by the way, the very first of the proverbs that we studied. My son, hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother. Again, father and mother are complementing each other. Don't forsake your parents teaching.

Let the way they have brought you.

Up to know the Lord and to be nurtured in the faith stick with you. Make them happy. Now do you remember what the reward.

Is that's promised in the ten Commandments.

In the Decalogue for obedience to one's father and mother? In Exodus 20:12 we read the children.

Are to honor their father and their.

Mother that your days may be long.

That you might have long life.

Paul says in Ephesians, the sixth chapter, this is the first commandment with promise.

As you read through the Decalogue, there are promises there, but this is the.

First one that mentions a promise.

You want long life.

Make your parents happy.

You want long life.

Honor your parents.

You want to live long.

Be obedient to their instruction and their law.

And I think this thought provides us.

With a convenient transition to the thought that is found in verse two where.

We read that righteousness delivers from death.

Righteousness delivers from death. Now, the death that is being referred to in verse two, I believe is an all encompass encompassing concept.

It does refer to long life on earth.

To be sure, then, if you live righteously, obey your parents. You read down the next section, don't.

Be slothful in your labor. Then you're going to have a long life.

That's just a general maxim that applies that a person who learns to be submissive to authority and to work hard is going to have a longer, fuller life. However, the book of Proverbs, I think, looks beyond the horizon of just our temporal existence. The Book of Proverbs looks beyond just life in this world world as considering also the threat of death, or if you will, at physical death, the threat of spiritual death that is imposed, the punishment for that spiritual death that is imposed so that our death becomes a curse to us. If you want to be delivered from death, ultimately, not just from a premature death, but from death, as you face God and come under his judgment, remember that righteousness delivers from that death. But let's look at verse two now, in particular, the treasures of wickedness profit. Nothing but righteousness delivers from death. Many of the proverbs are set out in antithesis. The contrast is very sharp.

Such and such but such and such.

There is this but just the opposite as well. And in this case I want you to notice what the antithetical terms are. You have the treasures of wickedness that bring nothing but righteousness over against treasures of wickedness delivers from death. The first thing that the author tells us here, that Solomon wants us to get across, is that nothing is truly gained by the rewards of wickedness. Nothing is really gained. Don't you agree? I mean, that in itself is worth putting in your mouth spiritually and just ruminating on it all day long and all week long and all month long and all your life long. Nothing will be gained by wickedness. If children could just get that in their heads from the very beginning that they would not be lured into the excitement of drugs or disobedience to the police or to their teachers. If adults could just learn that, that they will not really be happy by getting the money for their new car or their home improvement through agencies and avenues that are dishonoring to God. Dishonest wealth does not satisfy over the long run. The book of Proverbs is going to say that repeatedly. In many ways, the rewards of wealth wickedness gain you nothing.

They're only short term. And you are spiritually short sighted if you're willing to compromise to gain the.

Things you want through wicked means. In fact, dishonest wealth often proves to be a person's undoing. I think you know that if you study the news, if you consider the law cases that go before the courts of our land, and above all we must remember peace, personal satisfaction and a clear conscience cannot be purchased with money. Meaning in life cannot be gained by money. True love cannot be bought with money. There are many rich people who will.

Admit, and even if they don't outwardly say it, there are many rich people that give evidence of the fact that that happiness cannot be found in the abundance of things. You know, if you have riches but don't have righteousness, you've lost it all.

We're going to have a message on that later in our series, but for right now I'd like you to turn to Psalm 73, where David agonized over the way the unrighteous get ahead in this world. Or so it seems. Because my guess is, without realizing it, we too have struggled with that specific issue we have looked at, and we said, why are the bad guys getting ahead? Why are those who cheat and don't show principle? Why are they being rewarded? And then we wonder, what's wrong with me?

Do good guys always have to fall behind and lose?

David, too wondered about that. Look what he said. Surely God is good to Israel, even to such a as are pure in heart.

But he says, but as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped, for I was.

Envious at the arrogant. When I saw the prosperity of the wicked, David said, wait a minute.

God is good to the pure in heart. Why are the wicked prospering? This isn't right, this isn't fair, this isn't good. He says, there are no pangs in.

Their death, their strength is firm.

They're not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men.

You've had that feeling too, right?

Your car breaks down, you haven't got the money to repair it, they said. But the wicked, they don't seem to worry about it. They just take their car in and get it fixed anytime they want. They buy a new house anytime they want. There's no pain in their life. They've got it made. Verse 6.

Therefore pride is as a chain about.

Their neck, violence covers them as a.

Garment their eyes stand out with faith.

They have more than heart could wish.

These are lousy people.

They scoff, and in wickedness, out of.

Oppression, they speak loftily. They have set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither in waters of a full cup are drained by them. And they say, how doth God know?

And is there knowledge in the Most High?

Behold, these are the wicked, and being always at ease, they increase in riches. David says, what am I going to do with this?

They've got it made. They're at ease. They have everything heart could desire. Their eyes are fat, but they're so.

Prosperous, and they're just always increasing in wickedness.

The more wickedness they do, the better they are.

It seems they're getting along well in this world. Verse 13. David then begins to be depressed. Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency.

For all the day long have I.

Been plagued and chastened every morning. If I had said, I will speak thus, behold, I had dealt treacherously with the generation of thy children.

When I thought how I might know.

This, it was too painful for me. And then here's the turning point of the whole psalm. Until until I wish went into the sanctuary of God.

Until I got my mindset and my outlook governed by what the presence of God represents. Until I saw things in a godly.

Point of way, point of view, he says, until I went into the sanctuary of God and considered their latter end. Surely thou settest them in slippery places.

Thou castest them down to destruction. How are they become a desolation in a moment they are utterly consumed with.

Terrors as a dream when one awaketh so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. For my soul was grieved and I was pricked in my heart. So brutish was I, and ignorant I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless, I am continually with thee. Thou hast holden my right hand. Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee?

And there is none upon earth that.

I desire besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish. Thou hast destroyed all them that play the harlot departing from thee. But it is good for me to draw near unto God. I have made the Lord Jehovah my refuge, that I may tell of all thy works.

David says, I was so distressed when I saw the unrighteous gaining things, the wicked prospering and getting ahead. He says there's no pain in their death.

Until I considered their latter end. You know, we may look just at the outward appearance.

We may think, well, they had a nice life, they died peacefully, everybody praised.

Them, things just went great for them. But what is their latter end?

What is it that's just over the horizon of what we can see as their physical death? Their latter end is that God has put them in slippery places that they might slide directly into perdition.

They are full of torments now, David said.

But David said, as for me, even though my life is plagued with things on earth, I have the Lord God.

As my stay, my comfort, my refuge, and when I die, I shall enter into his glory. My friends, you've got to have David's perspective here.

If you are going to be a wise person that's gained anything from the Proverbs. You must not look upon the outward appearance and evaluate whether righteousness is in fact prospering people, whether righteousness pays off.

And whether wickedness is better. It might appear that way outwardly, but you see, the Christian has a broader vision. Christian has to see a framework within which everything in this world is to be evaluated. And according to that broader vision, look at the latter end of those who are wicked. Proverbs is right, isn't it? Go back to Proverbs 10. 2. Treasures of wickedness, profit nothing. We need this message to be firmly.

Established in our hearts. We need that message clearly before our.

Minds so that we're not tempted and we're not allured by moral shortcuts and compromises. We need to learn to be people of principle. I sometimes thought that if I were to put together a program that was to be presented to young people, teenagers, maybe college, excuse me, high school seniors getting ready to go to college, and.

I were to give them one message about their lives and how they should.

Be conducted faithfully before God, if they are Christians, I might call this a program that is encouraging commitment, quality and principle in their lives.

Because it seems to me, young people.

And of course the adult generation in which I live clearly is just as guilty. The young people are so lacking today, first of all, in the whole idea of commitment, of living up to their commitments, to swearing even to their own hurt and changing not is Psalm 15, 4.

We've just lost the whole idea of.

Loyalty, steadfastness, doing what we say, we do what we're supposed to do. And of course, being dedicated to a cause, commitment and quality. I mean, we settle for work that is so shoddy.

We settle for lives that are so.

Lacking in luster before God. But you see, what would have to be added to that, The. The third point I would bring out is principle. We are an unprincipled generation, aren't we? We say, if I can take a shortcut and get ahead and no one will find out about it, I'll do it.

That's a very good question to ask.

Yourself from time to time. If you want to see the true character of your heart, ask, would I do this sinful thing if no one would ever know about it? Am I a person of principle? Am I willing to compromise?

Or am I willing to compromise for.

Lesser goods when God calls me to a higher glory? Remember what Proverbs says, the treasures of wickedness will profit you nothing. Let that settle in. Think on that. Reflect on it. But look at the antithesis. This is really the theme of the sermon this morning. The antithesis to the treasures of wickedness profiting nothing is that righteousness delivers from death.

By contrast, if wickedness doesn't give any.

Profit, righteousness profits everything to a man.

Even to the point of delivering him from death.

This message is reinforced in Proverbs 11:4 riches profit not in the day of wrath, and but righteousness delivers from death. Well, that's a good proverb too, isn't it? Where will your riches get you in the day of God's wrath? Righteousness in that day will deliver you from death. Proverbs 11:30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. And he that is wise winneth souls. The godly win people and capture souls by their influence and ideas.

And what do they have, the righteous?

They have a tree of life. But Note especially Proverbs 11:19. He that is steadfast in righteousness shall attain unto life. He that pursueth evil doeth it to his own death. And then Proverbs 12:28. In the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death. The book of Proverbs, even though this is scattered over a couple of chapters, then makes it abundantly clear that righteousness, it's axiomatic, it's a principle that righteousness is what delivers a person from death. And we need to stop and think about that theologically this morning if we're going to understand it properly. You see, it's axiomatic in biblical theology that a connection exists between righteousness and life.

Adam was made positively good by God.

His life was tied up with righteousness.

And God said, when you rebel against.

Me and do wickedly, when you violate my commandments, then in the day that.

You eat, you shall surely die.

And so life went with righteousness, death went with wickedness.

Now that from the very beginning of the Bible, that theme, that connection is never broken. If you want to live, you must be righteous. If you are not righteous, you will die.

And so we read of Enoch, who walked with God and was not.

Enoch didn't experience death because he was righteous. He walked with God. We think of Elisha likewise, who was a prophet of righteousness, who was taken.

In a fiery chariot to heaven without experiencing death.

We think.

We think of the Fathers who lived.

Before the Great Flood, how they had long lives because their lives were still.

Close to that pristine purity of Adam before man fell into sin. There is a connection, historically asserted, between righteousness and life.

But it's not just a historical correlation. It's definitely stated by God.

Romans 6:23. The wages of sin is death. And so if we get firmly trained in our minds this axiom, then we'll be able to understand how we can be saved. According to Proverbs, righteousness delivereth from death. Righteousness is necessary to salvation from death. I want you to Turn to the book of Isaiah, the prophecy of Isaiah, the 45th chapter. You're going to notice this correlation between righteousness and salvation made by the prophet over and over again in these chapters. Isaiah 45:8.

Distil ye heavens from above.

And let the skies pour down righteousness, that the earth open, and it may bring forth salvation and let it cause righteousness to spring up together I Jehovah, have created it. Isn't that a beautiful poetic thought? Let the heavens rain down righteousness, and what will grow up in the earth? Salvation. In that same chapter, verses 24 and 25 only in Jehovah it is said of me, is righteousness and strength even to him shall men come, and all.

They that were incensed against him shall.

Be put to shame. In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory. Justification is tied up with the righteousness of God. Isaiah 46:13 I bring near my righteousness.

It shall not be far off.

And my salvation is shall not tarry. And I will place salvation in Zion for Israel, my glory. You see, our righteousness and salvation are.

Parallel to one another in that passage as well. Then one more.

Isaiah 51:5,6 My righteousness is near my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the peoples. The isles shall wait for me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath. For the heavens shall vanish away like.

Smoke, and the earth shall wax old.

Like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner.

But my salvation shall be forever, and.

My righteousness shall not be abolished.

And so Isaiah drives home salvation is grounded in righteousness.

Proverbs 10:2 we read there.

Righteousness delivers from death Righteousness saves.

Righteousness saves us from death. At this point, if you're a student familiar with the doctrine of justification by faith, you might be feeling a little uneasy. You might be saying, wait a minute, preacher.

Are you suggesting that we are saved by our good works, then? Because Proverbs says righteousness is necessary if we're going to be delivered from death. If we want to be saved from that final death, the curse that comes at death, then righteousness is required of us.

Yes, that's what I want to say. Righteousness is in fact required of you.

Only righteousness will deliver. In fact, you do a great injustice. You blaspheme the very name of God if you think that he will save those who are not righteous. God cannot violate his own character. God cannot be inconsistent with his own justice. He cannot say A man is just who is not just. Well, then how are any of us.

Going to be saved? Romans 2:13.

Paul makes it clear. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

That's not much comfort.

There's not much hope there for those of us who have sinned and transgressed the holy law of God. Those who teach a works righteousness way of salvation. Those who teach we are justified by our own merit and by our own efforts and our own good works. Those who teach that will not gain much comfort in the hearts of their hearers. Because those of us who hear that message have to admit we don't do the law of God. We aren't righteous people. We haven't lived up to his holy standards.

But you see, that's why Paul. That's why Paul, when he teaches justification.

In the book of Romans, makes it so clear that doing the law is necessary for justification. However, the crucial, the comforting message is that of Romans 1:17. For in the Gospel Paul says, is revealed a righteousness of God from faith to faith, as it is written in Habakkuk 2 4. As it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. What is this righteousness that is revealed in the gospel?

Well, of course it's nothing less than the righteousness of Jesus Christ himself.

The only one who could say, which one of you accuses me of sin. The only one who was spotless as the Lamb of God. The only one who had fully kept the law of God. The only one in all of human history that was truly righteous. And the only salvation, therefore that's possible to men is to be found in the righteousness of that one. Only if that righteousness becomes our own will, we pass the judgment of God. And it's not because God will lower his standards. Don't you see? God always maintains that high standard of holiness and perfection. And God will only accept us in the perfect, holy, righteous perfection of Jesus Christ. And so we see a righteousness that.

Is revealed from faith to faith. The just, the righteous live by faith. That's not a New Testament teaching over against an Old Testament teaching.

Where does Paul go to prove his point to the Old Testament? To Habakkuk? He goes to Genesis, he goes to Deuteronomy. You read the book of Romans. Paul is repeatedly citing the law and the prophets to prove the point that.

The righteous live by faith.

Trusting in God's provision and not in their own performance. Trusting in an alien righteousness that becomes theirs by faith.

As Paul put it in 2 Corinthians.

5:21, God made him to be sin for us, the one who knew no.

Sin, that we might be made the.

Righteousness of God in him. In faith we are joined to Jesus.

Christ, and his righteousness becomes ours.

Christ has been made unto us. Paul says, wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

First Corinthians 1, verse 30. And so in light of that, hopefully you can understand a verse that I guess mystifies some fresh students of theology.

In Romans 4:25, we read that Christ was delivered up for our transgressions and was raised for our justification. You would think that Christ was raised for his own justification. When Christ rose from the dead, it was the vindication of his righteousness that death could not hold him.

But you see, Paul's whole point is.

That from faith to faith, we are joined to Christ as we trust in him. Him, so that when he was raised from the dead and vindicated in righteousness, we are justified because we are seen in him. Oh, Proverbs is exactly right. Righteousness delivers from death. It delivered Jesus from death, and because we are in him, it will deliver.

Us from death as well.

And so Proverbs 10:2 does not mean works salvation. The doctrine of justification has not been contradicted when we learn that righteousness delivers from death. In fact, that axiom is foundational to.

Our view of justification.

But just as equally now, just as much, you must see that this does not mean easy believism. The doctrine of sanctification must not be edited out of the picture. Not only are we justified by faith in Jesus Christ, inheriting his righteousness in the eyes of God, and therefore being delivered from death, not only are we justified by such faith, the Bible says.

We are justified by works as well.

Referring to a life of sanctification that cannot be separated from our justification. In James the second chapter, verses 13.

And 14, if you'll turn there with.

Me, you will notice that James suggests that a person can be delivered from death by righteousness.

James 2:13. For judgment is without mercy. To him that hath showed no mercy.

Mercy glories against judgment. He's speaking of the judgment of God. And what is the judgment of of God on sin? What is the wages of sin? Death. And so the judgmental death that will.

Come upon us is referred to.

And then in verse 14, James says, what is a prophet, my brothers? If a man say he hath faith.

But have not works, can that faith.

Save him from the judgment of God? Can that faith deliver him from death.

You all know what his answer is going to be?

Of course not. It's abhorrent to think that a faith that is without works could deliver someone from death.

We need to see here because it.

Is so often overlooked. In fact, it's one of the most.

Tormented points in theology.

We need to see here very clearly.

The harmony between Paul and James.

Paul is not teaching justification by faith that excludes works. And then James says, no, it's by works that includes faith. And so you have a direct contradiction. You need to understand that Paul's concept of faith is just the other side of James concept of works. I think you see that harmony very well if you Note in James 2, verses 17 and 2026, that the only kind of faith that justifies is living faith.

Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself. Verse 26.

For as the body apart from the Spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. Now, can that kind of faith justify a person? No. No one will ever be justified. No one will ever be righteous in the eyes of God. No one will ever be delivered from death by that kind of dead faith.

But it's only working faith that saves a person then. And in Galatians 5,6, Paul uses a very similar kind of expression, Galatians 5,6. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.

What kind of faith does Paul think will justify us and save us from death?

Working faith. Does this mean that the merit of our salvation is found in works? Absolutely not.

Remember, faith lays hold of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That's our only hope. But the kind of faith that lays hold on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, freely offered in the gospel, is a faith that wants to work and to please God. It is a true trusting in God so that our lives are affected, our lives are changed, our direction is different now, our behavior and our conduct are reformed. Because we don't live unto ourselves and according to our own lights and dependence upon ourselves. We rather live in faith to toward God.

And that changes a person.

We mustn't get the idea, you see that you have faith plus works and.

Now you're going to be saved.

That's far too mechanical. In fact, I think that suggests a kind of synergism, a kind of Judaizing.

That is condemned in the Bible.

We must rather see that the faith commended in the Bible is working faith. And the works commended in the Bible are faith faithful. Works. Instead of having two different kinds of things added together, one is the adverbial qualifier of the other.

You might think about it this way.

You have running and you have running fast. Anybody think it's possible to be fast without the running?

Of course not.

Are those two different things? You have the running and then you have the fastness? No, the fastness is the way with which you run. Likewise, the works qualify the faith that you have. Or you could put it the other way. The faith qualifies the works that you have.

It's living, working faith that justifies.

And if it's living and working faith.

That justifies, then it is impossible to.

Be righteous even by faith in Jesus Christ, apart from the life that strives to do the will of God.

This is what James wants to get.

Across when he tells us in verse 22, Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. Speaking of Abraham, he says, you see then that faith aided or helped his.

Works, worked with him.

And on the other hand, faith was.

And this is a beautiful word, it.

Reached its aim, it came into its own. Or if you will, faith was actualized by his works. Faith wasn't added to his works. The works were just the expression of that faith.

And this is what makes us right in the sight of God. You have to think of the example of Noah here before we close this morning in Genesis 7, verse 1. This verse sometimes bothers people because it seems like Noah was saved by works righteousness. And Jehovah said unto Noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark.

For thee have I seen righteous before.

Me in this generation. And so Noah found grace in the.

Eyes of the Lord, right?

But it says here, Noah was seen.

As righteous in the eyes of God.

And so he was saved. Yet if you look at Hebrews 10, and we're going to look at Noah in chapter 11 right after it, Hebrews 10.

Notice that the author of this book.

Teaches in verses 36 and 38, ye have need of patience or endurance that.

Having done the will of God, you.

May receive the promise. Listen.

Having done the will of God, you receive the promise.

Verse 38.

But my righteous one shall live by faith. And so Hebrews 11 now gives us the hall of fame of the faithful in the Old Testament. And you notice this expression, by faith he did this, by faith he did that over and over again. Faith qualifies the works of these people.

We have already seen. But look at Noah's case, verse 7.

By faith, Noah being warned of God.

Concerning things not seen as yet, moved.

With godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness, which is according to faith. It's talking about all these good things Noah did, but it's the righteousness that operates according to faith in God. Don't you see? Then of course, Noah was seen as righteous in the eyes of God, but not in his own merit, not in his own strength and accomplishment, but because he trusted in God. And this is the uniform doctrine of Paul and James, the author of Hebrews and of our Lord himself. In Matthew, the seventh chapter in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, not everyone who says unto me, lord, Lord.

Shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

But only he who does the will of my Father.

You see, we can't hope to be.

Delivered from death if we don't do the will of God.

In First John 2:17, John says, the one who wishes to abide forever must do the will of God. Well, let's put this all together here, then.

You see what Proverbs has forced us.

To think about this axiomatic statement that.

Righteousness delivers from death.

That's a crucial theological point.

Righteousness delivers from death. Righteousness brings life, and only righteousness can do that. And what that teaches us.

Is that we should be grateful for the gracious and costly nature of our justification, because it comes only through Christ's righteousness.

If righteousness delivers from death, our only.

Hope in life and in death is in the righteousness of the Savior, Jesus Christ. We must have faith. We must trust in him, or we'll go the way of the wicked. And yet, if we have faith in him, if his righteousness is ours, then.

Our justification should remind us of the.

Status we have in God's eyes.

We are now seen as righteous in Christ and seen as righteous. We are compelled to live lives of righteousness. We are compelled to lead sanctified lives.

Just because we are justified by faith and have the righteousness of Christ. The Book of Proverbs is a wonderful book. We just can't go through it too quickly. Let these things sink in throughout this week. Make it a point both in the morning and in the evening to remind yourself maybe to memorize this treasures of wickedness will profit you nothing. But righteousness delivers from death. Let's pray. Father, how we thank you for this theological truth that is so fundamental, so axiomatic for our Christian faith, a truth that points us to the righteousness of your Son, Jesus Christ, as our only hope for acceptance in your sight. For we know you are a just God, that you will not justify the wicked and violate your justice, that you rather have mercy shown to them because your wrath has been poured out on your son and his righteousness has become theirs. And on that basis you can declare them to be righteous. Lord, do grant this righteousness to us. Do see us in your son, Jesus Christ. Give us living faith, faith in him that we might be delivered from death. And as we have such faith in his righteousness, do motivate us, do compel us to be a sanctified people. A people who don't think that faith can save us apart from works, but rather a people that demonstrate a faith that works by love. A living faith, a working faith that we might recognize again the axiom that.

Only those who do the will of.

God will abide forever. Father, teach us these lessons to not.

Only provide for our comfort and joy.

In the future, but all the more to bring glory and praise to your name. For we do praise you with gratitude today in Jesus name. Amen.