Oct. 4, 2020: The Good vs. The Bad - A Timeless Comparison
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The next ten chapters of Proverbs starting from Chapter 10 will be about the contrast between two opposing lifestyles. One that follows the Lord and the other that follows the devil. Today will be part two of this comparison. As we continue in studying the different lifestyle, examine how much of each lifestyle do you see in your own life. Make an inventory of lifestyles that you need to get rid off and know which Godly lifestyle you are missing. We need to start living the lifestyle that is of God because the new life that we have been given, yet not deserving if it, is a life that has been bought by the blood of Christ. As a result we have been grafted into the family God. Just like any adoption that takes place here on earth, there is a cost attached to it. There is a tremendous amount of paperwork involve in the process.
OUR ADOPTION PAPERS
OUR ADOPTION PAPERS
Verses addressing our adoption to the family of God - count this as our adoption papers.
5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
The pain and joy of adoption:
THE PAIN: The feeling of being given up, rejected and not wanted that’s why the child is put up for adoption.
THE JOY: The life that has been rejected by one is the life that is chosen by another.
That’s what happened to us when were adopted and made heirs of Jesus Christ.
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
God did not choose you for nothing. Let your life reflects that God’s expense in saving you will not go to waist. Remember He bled for you ones, don’t embarrass him with an unrepentant life.
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
Today we will be comparing the following behavior or lifestyle:
Today we will be comparing the following behavior or lifestyle:
THE GOOD vs. THE BAD
THE GOOD vs. THE BAD
GOOD BEHAVIOR: The Righteous, Wise, Diligent and Upright
GOOD BEHAVIOR: The Righteous, Wise, Diligent and Upright
BAD BEHAVIOR: The Wicked, Foolish, Lazy and Deceitful.
BAD BEHAVIOR: The Wicked, Foolish, Lazy and Deceitful.
According to our text today, there are two opposing behaviors one can exhibit in their lifetime. How much of each do we see visible in our life today.
Where do we see these behaviors?
1. In Matters of Dealing with Others (vv.1-2)
1. In Matters of Dealing with Others (vv.1-2)
How to deal with others in the areas of honesty and humility.
This is an ongoing struggle in the business environment.
The Comparison: The RIGHTEOUS are honest and pleases God. On the other hand, the WICKED cheat and are hated by God and also people.
The Comparison: The RIGHTEOUS are honest and pleases God. On the other hand, the WICKED cheat and are hated by God and also people.
Since we are all humans then we don’t need a scholar to teach us how to be dishonest. The flesh know’s it very well.
Cheating is a way of the Devil. It is deceptive, a start contrast to what God is all about - HONESTY.
Because God is just, he is against dishonesty. Read the harsh description of deceit - An Abomination to the Lord.
Abomination - something that cause hate and disgust.
1 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.
Sin is sin in the eyes of God but we can’t help but observe that there are some sins that God points out as detestable. Along this line we come to mind the earlier days if Jesus’ ministry.
Dishonesty is related to Greed. Greed is an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.
Where do we find cheating taking place in life?
Where do we find cheating taking place in life?
School
Work / Business
Relationships - try to google the word cheat and majority of the top results has something to do with cheating within relationships
Sports / Competition
Family Matters
THE COMPARISON: The humility of the righteous leads to wisdom. On the other hand, the pride of the wicked leads to disgrace.
THE COMPARISON: The humility of the righteous leads to wisdom. On the other hand, the pride of the wicked leads to disgrace.
Pride is the king of all sins. It was the first sin and it was commited by no other than the author of sin himself - Satan the one that started it all. That same sin also caused the fall of man.
2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.
Pride cause man to rebel against God.
Pride is arrogant, and it is an expression of power and might and yet it leads to fall.
What the fastest way to ground? PRIDE!!!!
Most people don’t want to be around arrogant people.
Selfish people think only of themselves and will not do favor on others.
ON THE CONTRARY
V.2 associates wisdom to those who are humble.
It is wise to be humble because it is what God want us to be.
If pride come first before the fall, humility towards God’s authority and superiority comes first before one becomes truly wise.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
The bible teaches us that the truly wise are those who revere God and follow His commandment.
Surrendering to God’s authority is a demonstration of humility. Surrendering is giving up your life to God, giving Him total reign over you.
Here’s the Lesson: HUMILITY AND WISDOM WALK HAND IN HAND.
Here’s the Lesson: HUMILITY AND WISDOM WALK HAND IN HAND.
The one who is humble is counted as wise in the eyes of God.
2. Their Fate (vv.3-8)
2. Their Fate (vv.3-8)
What is to come for those who do good vs. those who do bad?
What is to come for those who do good vs. those who do bad?
3 Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.
Our choices and actions determine our destiny.
Those who live godly lives will be rewarded.
God finds favor among those who do the right things.
To encourage such behavior God has established a system of rewards and consequences.
Death is the consequence of sin while righteousness is succeeded by rewards IN HEAVEN waiting for those who obey. Since we are in a spiritual warfare, the devil attacks those who follow the Lord. Good things don’t always happen to those who do good. There are times when you uphold the truth that you suffer the wrath of evil because he hates righteousness but at the same time there is a reward waiting for you in heaven where you suffer because of righteousness.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
A good example is faith in God. Believing in God invites wrath from the devil but at the same time you received eternal life in heaven. But which wrath would you rather escape from - That of the DEVIL or the one that’s from the LORD? Persecution as a result of your faith in God is temporal and only earthbound. In eternity the devil will bot be able to touch you. Remember, God’s wrath because of unbelief is eternal.
What is the good pointed out in vv. 3-8?
What is the good pointed out in vv. 3-8?
INTEGRITY
INTEGRITY
People with integrity leads a life that is in harmony with God.
People with integrity abide by the truth and as a result are blameless in the eyes of the world and specially in the eyes of the God who is the divine judge.
People with integrity are faithful and steadfast in following God while the transgressors lead a life that is against God’s ways.
The faithful never get tired of following God. Nothing comes agains inspiration form the Holy Spirit.
The upright is guided by God’s truth, not just any other truth. They are NOT GUIDED BY:
The upright is guided by God’s truth, not just any other truth. They are NOT GUIDED BY:
Emotions and feeling
Emotions and feeling
What is most pleasurable
What is most pleasurable
What is most profitable
What is most profitable
What is most popular
What is most popular
What is most pleasing to other people
What is most pleasing to other people
What is the quickest
What is the quickest
People with integrity do the right thing in the eyes of God even if it is difficult.
They do the right thing even if it creates enemies. The enemies they create are also God’s enemies.
People with integrity do the right thing even if it will cost them a promotion, their job or even their money.
What is the fate of the wise compared to the foolish?
What is the fate of the wise compared to the foolish?
4 Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death.
The righteous and wise trust in God and are delivered from death. The foolish find security and trust in their wealth that cannot and will not help them when they face God’s judgment. You cannot buy your way to heaven. The only acceptable currency in heaven is Christ blood that was shed on the cross.
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
What is another fate of the righteous compared to the wicked?
5 The righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
Those who follow God will experience a smoother path in life. The wicked will fall as a a result from their sinful acts.
Those who follow God will experience a smoother path in life. The wicked will fall as a a result from their sinful acts.
The way of the wicked is treacherous and dangerous because along the way it is littered by sinful deed resulting in:
The way of the wicked is treacherous and dangerous because along the way it is littered by sinful deed resulting in:
Guilt
Guilt
Uneasiness
Uneasiness
Fear instead of peace
Fear instead of peace
Accidents and injury
Accidents and injury
Disease
Disease
Imprisonment
Imprisonment
Loneliness
Loneliness
Discontentment
Discontentment
The wicked stumble over their own sinful choices and when they fall, they fall hard!
Another outcome of righteousness in contrast to that which is evil is:
6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the treacherous will be caught by their own greed.
The wicked, because of their habits created by their uncontrollable lust are being held captive by:
drugs
alcohol
sex
love for money
lust of power
pride of life
gossip, cursing and evil speak
However, the upright—those who walk according to God’s Word and do not deviate from it—are delivered, rescued or snatched away, from the consequence of sin’s addictions.
Those who trust in the devil will fall with the devil. Eventually evil will fall because its hold on man has been broken when Christ defeated death on the cross. Death is the outcome of sin but when Christ rose from the dead, overcoming it, He demonstrated that He is more powerful than death and all you have to do is trust in Christ, believe that it is only through Him that you can have eternal life.
7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of strong men perishes.
The wicked trust in their own strength which leads to death and all their hopes will die with them.
Sorrow awaits those who are without hope.
12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
The wicked’s ambition and goals blind them from the truth about the Gospel.
8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, And it comes to the wicked instead.
Trouble will leave the righteous and will go to the wicked.
Talk about God’s wrath being transferrable.
What summation can we draw from vv. 3-8?
What summation can we draw from vv. 3-8?
What awaits the wicked?
What awaits the wicked?
They will be destroyed by their dishonest dealings.
They will not stand in the face God’s judgment.
They often travel hard, bumpy roads through life, falling over their own wickedness.
They are trapped by their sinful desires and addictions.
All their hopes and dreams will die with them. They have no hope beyond this life.
It may seem that they are winning despite their wicked ways, unfair practices and shortcuts but surely death and destruction will be waiting for them in eternity.
What awaits the righteous?
What awaits the righteous?
Blessing of delight await those who follow God.
Their integrity guides them securely through life.
They are delivered from God’s judgment.
They travel a road that is safe in life, a road that is well-marked and lit and steers them away from the pitfalls of sin.
They escape enslavement to sinful desires and are at liberty to fully enjoy life.
They await a glorious future when all their hopes will be fulfilled.
They are delivered from the troubles that the wicked bring upon themselves.
Based on the reward of the righteous and the fate of the wicked, why would anyone choose wickedness over righteousness?
The answer is blindness from the deceptive schemes of the devil. But is the devil’s deceptive ways more powerful than God’s revealing truth?
God is fair and He is just, He will give everyone and equal opportunity to see the truth and they have to decide whether to believe in Him or continue to reject Him?
All those who will end up in hell eventually chose to be there. No one will get there by accident.
Those who end up in hell are those who had to wiggle their way out of the saving hand of God through Christ.
Next month we will continue studying the rest of the difference of righteousness vs. wickedness found in vv. 9-31.
Next month we will continue studying the rest of the difference of righteousness vs. wickedness found in vv. 9-31.
We will compare the good with the bad in the following areas:
3. Their Behavior and Speech (vv.9-14)
3. Their Behavior and Speech (vv.9-14)
4. Their financial affairs (vv.15-19)
4. Their financial affairs (vv.15-19)
5. Their Heart’s and Desires (vv.20-23)
5. Their Heart’s and Desires (vv.20-23)
6. Their Spirit of Giving (vv.24-28)
6. Their Spirit of Giving (vv.24-28)
7. Their Earthly Accountability (vv.29-31)
7. Their Earthly Accountability (vv.29-31)
Let’s pray:
Father you have taught us, you have also in a way reminded us what is good behavior and what is bad behavior together with its rewards and consequence. Now the ball is on our side and it is a matter of choice of either following you or disobeying your ways. You have taught what awaits those who follow or disobey. We have learned today that it would be foolish to not follow you. Help us not embarrass you with our stubbornness. Amen!