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- This morning I want to break into the study of Romans and take you to Proverbs, the 16th chapter.
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- Ever since man turned his back on God and has been running the other way, man has produced nothing.
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- Now this occurred when Adam sinned. Before sin, he communicated with the
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- Lord by thinking, because they each had the same mind. But after the sin, the
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- Lord communicated with Adam by speech, by words.
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- If you stop and think, Greg, for just a moment, that when
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- Adam committed the sin, when he had decided in his mind, he literally turned his back on God, and the entire creation, all of the planets, all of the, well, everything, not just on earth, but everything, began to deteriorate.
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- It started downhill instead of up. The more
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- I think about that, the more my mind is just boggled.
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- In the first verse of chapter 16 of Proverbs, we find the preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue is from the
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- Lord. Now, Greg, tell me how much of our speech is of us.
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- I want you all to hold on to that thought. Now, it may sound like Greg, or Clarence, or Joy, Diane, it may sound like each one.
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- Can we plan and exercise that plan,
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- Greg? Alright, can we plan, can we formulate a plan, and then execute that plan?
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- Joy, there seems to be something slipping here. Are all of our plans of God, Joy?
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- You'll have to speak up. Clarence, are all of our actions of God?
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- Alright, let me say this. He derives the presumption of man, the presumption of man who dares to attribute anything to himself, as to prepare his heart, or anything like that, because of this reason.
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- Seeing that man is not able to speak a word unless God gives it to him.
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- We speak because God. We act because of God.
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- We think because of God. Now, don't ask me to explain it.
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- He hasn't given me that yet. The efficient ordering is from God.
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- The scripture says man proposes, God disposes. Joy, why is it that man cannot make his own decisions?
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- Well, that's all true. I'm looking for why, Greg. Well, that's the thing that bothers man.
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- Why is it man cannot make his own decisions when we make decisions every day?
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- Well, it's because of this, that man flatters himself, even when he's trying desperately to not flatter himself by his very speech, he flatters himself.
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- He calls things virtuous, which God terms vice.
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- Self -flattery is the universal sin of fallen man.
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- Self -flattery. The best preservative against his power is to remember that the
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- Lord God sees us as we are. He looks on the spiritual, he said so, and that he will decide our eternal destiny, not according to our opinion of ourselves, but according to his own infallible judgment.
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- Are you getting any of this,
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- Greg? Is our eternal destiny tied up in everything we think or do?
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- Debbie? John? Is our eternal destiny tied up?
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- Alright. What?
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- I'm sorry. Oh. Well, as far as we're concerned, we don't.
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- As far as God's concerned, we do. Our eternal destiny is tied up in everything we think and do.
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- There is not a decision that we make that is not to some degree fatal.
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- Everything that I think, everything I do is bringing me closer and closer to the final end.
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- Sure. He's already established. He knows. He knew before I was born that I'd be sitting here this morning.
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- He knew that you would be sitting there. He knew it all. He knows it all because he has done it all.
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- And that's beyond my explanation or understanding. We're told in verse 3, commit thy works unto the
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- Lord and thy thoughts shall be established. Commit thy works unto the
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- Lord. Now, Greg, can we not commit our works unto the
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- Lord? Yes.
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- I can make a decision and I think
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- I made it. He made it that way. But he works everything together for good to them that love the
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- Lord. Commit thy works unto the Lord.
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- Now, this is a conscious effort. This is something that we must strive to do.
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- It means joy that I can commit my works unto the Lord or I can commit them unto the devil.
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- But either way, God has established it. And I cannot explain that.
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- But if I commit my works unto the Lord, my thoughts shall be established.
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- What does establish mean? Joy. That's right.
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- Commit means refer all of thy actions and concerns to God as the end of them and depend upon God's providence for success.
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- To establish means your designs shall be brought to a happy end.
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- God gives permanent success to all who in the diligence of the appointed means humbly commit their labors to him.
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- When we do that, we're growing. When we do that, we are gaining in faith, gaining in stature.
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- If we consciously commit our works to him.
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- For the Lord hath made all things for himself.
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- Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. The Lord hath made all things for himself.
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- Let's stop right there. Now, Greg, tell me why did he make all things for himself?
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- Yes, he's a jealous God. He demands all of our attention.
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- What? Yes, that is why he has made all things for himself is for his honor and his glory.
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- Now, John, it says even the wicked for the day of evil.
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- What does that mean? All right, let's think for a moment.
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- What if I did not encounter any evil thing today? What would today amount to?
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- You guess? You sound like you're not real sure. That's right.
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- That's so right. Yes, the evil is needed. That's right.
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- Yes, I enjoy coming and speaking to you all.
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- We all enjoy each other. It is a time of joy, I hope, and I hope it carries us through until the next time we meet.
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- The Lord hath made all things for himself. That just blows my mind.
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- I know it doesn't take much to blow it anymore. But every blade of grass, every insect, every tree, every rock, every river, you can think of nothing because he has made all things for himself.
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- He made it for himself to show glory of himself.
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- He made it for us to receive glory from us for him making it. What did you want to say?
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- Did you ever, anybody, ever try to understand why
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- God, why did he make all of this? We know he made everything.
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- He made it for his own glory. He made us for his glory. But why?
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- John, did
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- God need companionship? Say it again.
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- Well, we don't know.
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- Clarence, that's a question
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- I'm sure we'll never understand. Clarence has a good explanation.
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- Others have good explanations. But he made it all in this fourth verse of the 16th chapter.
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- The Lord hath made all things for himself, even the wicked.
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- The wicked, too, when punishment comes, it shows his glory. It was his plan, and I really don't know the basic reason.
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- But he has made it for himself. He has so framed and executed every part of his creation that it manifests his wisdom, power, goodness, and truth that the
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- Lord God is the first cause. Now we're dealing with man, cause and effect.
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- God is the first cause. It had no effect to create it.
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- He is the former of all things and all people.
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- The foundation of being. He gave every creature the being it has and appointed it its place.
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- Every creature. And there's billions and billions of them.
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- Even the wicked are his creatures. Though they are rebels, they're his creatures.
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- He gave those powers with which they fight against him, he gave it to them, which aggravates their wickedness, that they will not let him that made them rule over them.
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- They're determined to not let him rule over me. And therefore, though he made them, he will not save them.
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- But the Lord God is the last end, the beginning and the end.
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- All is of him and from him, and therefore all is to him and for him.
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- He made all according to his will and for his praise.
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- He designed to serve his own purpose by all of his creatures.
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- And he will not fail of his design. All are his servants.
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- The wicked he is not glorified by, but will be glorified upon.
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- He made those who he foresaw would be wicked. Yet he made them,
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- Genesis 6 .6, because he knew how to get himself honor upon them.
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- He made the wicked to be employed by him as the instruments of his wrath in the day of evil.
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- When he brings judgment on the world, he makes use even of wicked men as of other things.
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- Sodom is his servant. Hitler was his servant.
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- It's hard to see and to understand that God made everything. Any other thoughts you had on God making everything?
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- That's the ultimate aim. Verse 5. Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the
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- Lord. Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
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- Hand join in hand. The pride of dying rich,
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- I'll say, raises the loudest laugh in hell for a man to die rich.
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- The proud hate pride in others. The day of wrath shall come on the wicked.
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- Whatever means he may take to avoid it, the pride of sinners sets
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- God against them. He that being high in estate is proud in heart, whose spirit is elevated with his condition, so that he becomes insolent in his conduct towards God and man, let him know that though he admires himself and others caress him, yet he is an abomination to the
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- Lord. The great God despises him. The holy
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- God detests him. The power of sinners cannot secure them against the
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- Lord. Though they strengthen themselves with shaking hands with their confederate, though they strengthen one another with their confederacies, joining forces against God, they shall not escape his righteous judgment.
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- Woe unto him that strives with his maker.
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- No, you're right,
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- Fred. Six, by mercy untruth, iniquity is purged.
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- And by the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil. Does God forgive our sin because of our good works?
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- He forgives our sins. Why? Diane? I've forgotten.
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- Does God forgive our sin because of our good works? Then why does he forgive our sins?
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- Alright. Is God debtor to us in any degree?
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- No. No. Can't be. Though no good works can ever merit forgiveness of sin,
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- God will bestow it only upon those who diligently praise him, practice him, for they are the certain fruits of repentance and faith.
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- No good works can ever amount to or cause
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- God to be in debt to forgive your sin. If that were true, then everybody could work and get salvation if they work hard enough.
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- Go ahead. Why? That's right.
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- Even though you do the same thing that this man did, you can commit sin and this man be blessed.
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- What? Yes. It has to be spiritual.
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- Just remember, everything with the Lord God is spiritual. When a man's ways please the
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- Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Now that's an awesome thought.
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- God can turn foes into friends when he pleases. When he pleases.
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- Debbie, somebody that has hated you all of their life can become a close friend if it pleases
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- God. He that has all hearts in his hand has access to men's spirit and power over them.
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- He does not hold just the elect in such a position.
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- He holds everybody in that position. That's hard for me to understand.
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- How the Muslim can be performing God's work, working insensibly but irresistible.
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- They can make a man's enemies to be at peace with him, can change their minds or force them into a vain submission.
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- He can slay all enemies and bring those together that were at a great distance.
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- He can bring them to be with their fellow man. He will do it for us when we please him.
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- Debbie, how do I know when I please the Lord? If we make it our care to be reconciled to God and to keep ourselves in his love, he will incline those that have been envious towards us and vexations to us to entertain a good opinion of us and to become our friends.
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- God made
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- Esau to be at peace with Jacob, Abimelech with Isaac, David's enemies to court his favor and desire, kindness, loving, or enough to reconcile them to the respect of all, even of those that have been most prejudiced against them.
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- So my worst enemy can become my best friend, but I can't make it happen.
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- Eight, better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.
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- It is supposed that an honest good man may have but a little of the wealth of the world.
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- We know that because all righteous men are not rich. That a man have a little and yet may be honest, though poverty is a temptation to dishonesty.
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- And that a man may grow rich for a while by fraud and oppression, may have great revenues, and those got and kept without right may have no good title to them nor make any good use of them.
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- It is maintained that a small estate honestly come by, which a man is content with, enjoys, comfortable, serves
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- God with cheerfulness, and put to a right use is much better than a more valued estate ill gotten.
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- Boy, we've seen that in the last several years. Ill gotten, ill kept, and ill spent.
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- It carries with it more inward satisfaction, a better reputation with all that are wise and good.
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- It will last longer, and we return to a better account in the great day when men will be judged, not according to what they had, but what they did.
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- No man can tell whether he's rich or poor by turning to his ledger sheet.
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- It's in the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.
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- He that will not permit his wealth to do any good to others while he's living prevents it from doing good to himself when he's dead.
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- The world is full of that today. Just know this, that money is not required to buy one necessity for the soul.
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- 9. A man's heart diviseth his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
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- It's almost the same as the first verse. He shows the folly of man who thinks that his ways are in his own hand, and yet is not able to move one foot unless God gives him force.
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- Unless God has given me the ability to move my hand,
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- I cannot move my hand. Our plans accomplish not what we intended, but what
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- God sees to be the very best, and for His cause. 10.
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- A divine sentence is in the lips of the king. His mouth transgresseth not in judgment.
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- Now the more one judges, the less one loves. You may juggle human laws.
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- You may fool with human courts. But there is a judgment to come, and from it there is no appeal, no escaping.
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- Truly at the day of judgment we shall not be examined on what we have read, but what we have done.
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- Not how well we have spoken, but how religiously we have lived.
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- I want to stop right there. That's right.
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- He will have to answer, but most of all, I will have to answer for myself. Greg dismisses please.
