How the Saved Shall not Prosper

Driving home: to become what I called in the exposition this morning, an eternal exposition of the meaning of the text, he that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper.

The unconverted who cover their sins will become an 'eternal exposition' of the text, meaning their everlasting state will demonstrate the truth that they 'shall not prosper'.

They shall not prosper. They will know nothing of a pacified conscience through the blood of Christ, nothing of the peculiar joys of the people of God. And then in the future they shall die without the comforts of Christ, go to judgment without the protection of Christ, and pass into the everlasting state without the presence of Christ. to become what I called in the exposition this morning, an eternal exposition of the meaning of the text, he that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper.

2:24 - 2:59 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Though the ground of this access is outside of us in Jesus Christ, the condition of that access is a good conscience within us.

The word 'forfeiture' is defined as giving up something due to a crime, fault, or neglect, serving as the framework for understanding how believers 'do not prosper' when covering sin.

I fished for some time for a word that would most powerfully and clearly set forth the teaching of the word of God, and the word that I was fixed upon is the word forfeiture. Now, when you forfeit something, you give up or relinquish something because of a crime, a fault, or neglect. And so when the child of God covers his sin, his non-prospering is seen primarily as a sin, in terms of that which he forfeits. First of all, he does not prosper when he covers his sins

6:43 - 7:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Though the ground of this access is outside of us in Jesus Christ, the condition of that access is a good conscience within us.

This analogy contrasts a 'brassy heaven' (unanswered prayer, no access to God) with an 'open heaven' (conscious access and communion), highlighting the value of prayer access.

The apostle says in Galatians chapter four, we have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, that is, Father. And one of the surest marks that you're a true Christian is that when I say there is no privilege of greater worth to a Christian than the privilege of access to God in prayer, your heart leaps out and says a spontaneous, Amen, it is so. What is wealth, what is health, if there is a brassy heaven. But if there is an open heaven, so that

8:16 - 8:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Consider if anything is worth the forfeiture of access to God in prayer, especially if you have tasted that access.

Some listeners are described as 'living monuments' to the text, meaning their current lack of spiritual prosperity is a visible testament to their covered sin and rationalizations.

Are some of you living monuments of the text? You are covering sin. Oh yes, there has been some clever rationalization. There has been some very fancy footwork.

14:18 - 14:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second forfeiture is that of joy and peace in the Holy Ghost, which are central fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, Romans 14:17). King David's experience in Psalm 32:3-4 is…

King David's experience after his sin is presented as the classic example of a believer forfeiting joy and peace, as described in Psalm 32.

example is given to us in the history of King David. The David whose psalms are full of the joy and peace which are the hallmark of those in the kingdom of righteousness. What happens to those commodities that are found again and again and again in psalm after psalm. When David sins, we find in the language of Psalm 32 that there is the forfeiture of this joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. Notice the language of Psalm 32, one of David's great

17:28 - 18:04 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Mark it well. No true joy and peace will ever be found but in the way of righteousness and the true penitence that leads to righteousness.

David's description of 'groaning all the day long' is used to illustrate the profound misery and inward disruption that replaces joy and peace when sin is covered.

and inward disruption of the soul that he describes. He describes his condition in the language, groaning all the day long. All you need to do is to hear a person groan once in a day, and that's enough to help you never to forget it. The groan of pain or of disappointment or the news of tragedy. He said he groaned

19:07 - 19:29 Read in full sermon

The point: If you have forfeited joy and peace because of sin, understand that restoration only comes by returning to the place where the Spirit was grieved and seeking His graces again.

A writer's description of a false spiritual experience as 'having gin in your mouth' is used to illustrate the superficiality of modern movements that claim joy without dealing with sin.

Now there is a false peace and a false joy that bypasses an honest dealing with sin. This is one of my major complaints against modern movements that claim to have a corner on the work of the Holy Spirit and get people all happy and joyous. They do not deal with sin. And as one of their writers said, it will be like having gin in your mouth.

20:28 - 21:02 Read in full sermon

The point: If you have forfeited joy and peace because of sin, understand that restoration only comes by returning to the place where the Spirit was grieved and seeking His graces again.

Descriptions of 'tingles down the spine' and 'liquid love flowing over them' are used to characterize superficial, emotional experiences that lack true spiritual depth because they bypass dealing with sin.

And they talk about the tingles down the spine and when someone laid hands upon them, the feeling of liquid love flowing over them. My friend, where is the dealing with sin? No, no. If you forfeited joy and peace because of sin, there is no way to its restoration.

21:02 - 21:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not try to conjure up happiness with Bible verses if you are covering sin, as it will not bring true joy and peace.

Jeremiah's complaint against false prophets who cried 'peace, peace' when there was no true peace is used to warn against a false sense of security divorced from righteousness.

Now, false peace can be conjured up by the flesh, as well as promoted by false prophets. You just read the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah's great complaint was every time he tried to tell the people, you've got peace, but it's not peace that is kissing righteousness. The false prophets came along and in the language of Jeremiah said, peace, peace.

22:58 - 23:18 Read in full sermon