How the Unsaved Shall not Prosper

Introduction: The Universal and Unchanging Truth of Proverbs 28:13

0:10 Welcome to God's Word to Our Nation with Pastor Albert N. Martin. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God and that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. We are presently airing a series of messages from Proverbs 28 and verse 13.

0:30 He that covers his sin shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy. At the conclusion, we will give you some information about the church that sponsors this broadcast in your area. Join us now as we listen to Pastor Martin on God's Word to Our Nation.

0:56 Proverbs 28 and verse 13.

1:01 He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall obtain mercy. In the opening up of the text thus far, we have observed the universal scope of the text. It refers to he and whosoever in the broadest sense in which those words are used in the Word of God as broad as the whosoevers of John 5.24 and John 3.16.

1:39 We have noted the unchanging force of the text, and we have noted the unchanging nature of the text. These are the shall-nots and the shalls of the living God who cannot lie. And then we have noted the specific concern of the text. Everything focuses upon the issue of sin in the form of transgression.

2:01 Sin, when it comes to light in the area of rebellion against the norms of God as conscious acts of rebellion. And then further in the opening, in the opening up of the text, we have sought to ascertain what it means to cover sin sinfully. We've looked into the scriptures at many examples of the various coverings which the human heart weaves in an effort to cover its sin. We looked at the covering of shifted responsibility.

2:35 We looked at the covering of lies and of religious activity, of rationalization, of framing misconceptions of God, finding fault with the instruments of exposure, refusing the means of exposure. And for those of you who are not with us, these were not the fanciful descriptions. Each of them was simply an effort to describe coverings for sin which are given to us in the word of God itself. Wherever, whoever, under whatever circumstances sin is covered, God says, there, you will find non-prosperity.

3:18 We have it from the lips of him who cannot lie. Whoever covers his transgressions shall not prosper. And if anyone can cover his transgressions and prosper, then God has lied. Jesus Christ was in ignorance when he said concerning the word of God, thy word is truth, for here, there would be a three-word statement of non-truth.

3:49 If it is at all possible to cover sin under any circumstances in any place and still to prosper, God has lied.

Defining 'Prosper' in the Context of Proverbs 28:13

4:01 The scriptures tell us God who cannot lie. Therefore, this truth, the results of covered sin, is as changeless as the character of the living God, who gave it. He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper. Now, what is the meaning of the word prosper?

4:26 Simply the meaning of the word itself. Well, it's the general word used in the Old Testament for prosperity, and it means pretty much the same as its usage in the English language. To prosper means to flourish, to succeed, to thrive in a vigorous, vigorous way, to make good. If we say of a certain man, his business was flourishing, we mean that it was succeeding in a rather marked and vigorous way.

4:56 If we say, well, my garden is really flourishing this summer, we mean all the plants that we planted are growing and growing well and bearing fruit. So the meaning of the word flourish is very obvious even to the children amongst us who perhaps could not give a technical definition, but if they went out and saw a scrubby garden, with half the plants drooped over, half dead and instead of big luscious vegetables, little scrawny ones, we say to the child, is the garden flourishing? The kid would say, uh-uh, no way. Well, the child would indicate that he understood the meaning of the word flourish, even though he couldn't give a technical definition.

5:33 But now the matter for our concern this morning, and this is crucial to everything. What is the significance of the use of that word in this text? When the text says, he that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper, that is, he shall not flourish, he shall not succeed, he shall not thrive in a vigorous way, he shall not make good, to what is the text referring? Well, let me state the answer first of all negatively.

6:03 It does not refer necessarily to anything physical, economic, or any other temporal observable prospect, and I can't underscore that enough. When the writer says, he that covers his transgressions shall not prosper, it does not refer necessarily to anything physical, economic, or any other form of temporal observable prosperity. The wicked, those who cover their transgressions often do prosper. Well then, what does the word prosper mean in this text?

The Spiritual Significance of 'Prosperity' and 'Mercy'

6:48 Well, the clue is found within the text itself. The structure of Hebrew poetry is such that sometimes the second part of a passage is parallel. Sometimes it's just saying the same thing in different words. But then you have an antithetical statement.

7:08 In other words, you have a contrast, and the contrast helps us to understand its opposite. You have a statement given here, then an opposite over here, and both opposites help you to understand its opposite. Now notice what is the opposite in our text of not prospering. Notice, he that covers his transgressions shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh then shall obtain riches, popularity, long life, good health.

7:42 No, no. What is the opposite of not prospering? Obtaining mercy. Now what is mercy?

7:48 A physical or a spiritual commodity? A physical commodity. It's not a spiritual commodity. It's a spiritual commodity.

7:56 Mercy immediately brings us into the orbit of a man's unseen relationship to the unseen God, his unseen law, the unseen commodities of peace with God, a conscience at rest before God, rightness before God, preparation to meet God, the basis of walking with God. So you see, the opposite of not prospering is the opposite of not prospering. Now you see, the antithetical statement in the text itself points us in the direction of the true significance of the word prosperity. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper.

8:36 That is the prosperity that counts in the only realm that really matters. The only realm that ultimately matters is the realm of being right with God, having communion with God, knowing the blessing of God's presence in life and death and the world to come. Therefore, when our text says, He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper, it is asserting that the covering of transgression utterly precludes the conferral or the increase of those distinctively spiritual blessings which are the essence of that life. That's what it means.

9:20 That is life, which is life indeed. And if you read into this text economics, if you read into it physical well-being, you are reading something into the text that simply is not there. Now as we shall see in our subsequent studies, the covering of sin that results in the non-prosperity of the soul will often have physical attendance, just as the mercy that comes to the soul will always have physical attendance. So bring external, physical, economic attendance, but they are incidental and disposed according to the sovereignty of God.

The Present Non-Prosperity: An Accusing Conscience

10:02 You shall not prosper now, you shall not prosper in the future. Two basic time slots. You shall not prosper now. You shall not prosper in the world to come.

10:19 As we considered last Lord's Day, each one of us, we shall not prosper. The true God of us by virtue of being created in the image of God has two inescapable realities stamped upon his inner consciousness. My deeds are known to God and God shall bring my deeds into judgment. You can no more escape that conviction than you can escape your humanity.

10:45 Like it or not, that's as much a part of your humanity as the nose on your face. Now when we transgress and conscience is act… active with respect to that transgression, and then we cover that sin. You know what we do the moment we do that? We bring into our companionship the worst companion in all the world, an accusing conscience. The worst companion in all the world is an accusing conscience. It is the companion that will be the hell of hells in hell. For Jesus said, Where there worm dieth not, and the fire is never quenched, it will be the accusing worm of a condemning conscience. The damned in hell will know, and know for eternity, I'm here because I chose my sin, for which I'm a founder of the Lord. I say the worst

11:52 companion in life is an accusing conscience. But the moment you and I sin, and conscience brings accusation. We've got to do one of two things. We've got to try to stifle his mouth. We've got to get him to change his language. We try to do that by putting coverings over the voice of conscience. Or, in the language of Hebrews 10.22, we flee to a fountain open for sin and uncleanness. And here the apostle says in that beautiful language, Let us draw near, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. The blood of Jesus Christ alone can rid the human heart of that foul companion called an evil conscience. Because when we come owning our guilt, and we say conscience is telling the truth, when conscience speaks according to the objective law of God and says, You're guilty, you're culpable, you're liable to judgment, and conscience is speaking according to the eternal law. And we say, Where shall I?

13:01 We find in the death of Christ that God did punish sin, and conscience can strike in with forgiveness that is grounded in the justice of God, venting itself upon the substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. And when the conscience comes, and in faith we embrace the Lord Jesus, in the language of Hebrews, conscience is sprinkled. Conscience is sprinkled. And we no longer have an evil conscience. But until you come to the blood of cleansing, my friend, the scripture says, Covering your sins you shall not prosper. You have not that peace of conscience that alone can be given in the blood of Christ. And because you don't, it creates that aversion to God. The accusing, uncleansed conscience is a radical influence, both with reference to our dealings with God and with our fellow men. Do you remember

14:08 in the Garden of Eden? The moment Adam had an accusing conscience, what happened? Instead of running to God, he ran where? He ran from God. He tried to hide. Why? Conscience was accusing. And because conscience was accusing him, what happened in his relationship to Eve, in the place of harmony and concord, there was disharmony and enmity and resentment. An accusation! Why? He had an accusing conscience. He that covers his sins shall not prosper.

14:41 What happens? There is no pacified conscience through the blood of Christ. That affects us not only God-ward, but man-ward. It affected Adam's relationship to Eve. Cain's relationship to Abel. Listen. You know why some of you young people are so shifty-eyed? You can't even look your mum and dad straight in the eyeballs, back to the retina. You know why you're so shifty-eyed with your elderly friends? Because they're always thinking about God. You know why you're so shifty-eyed with your elderly friends? Because they're always thinking at the door? I'll tell you why. You've got an accusing conscience, and because man is made in the image of God, when you're around any man or woman who reflects that image as a believer, it reminds you of your uncleansed conscience before God when you look upon one of his image-bearers. And that's why you feel uncomfortable. That's why you shift the eye. That's why it's, oh yeah, oh yeah, small talk. There's no looking right back to the retina.

15:31 There's no gripping the hand and feeling, as it were, the communion of soul to soul in even a social handshake. Why? I'll tell you why. You've got that companion who ruins not only vertical relationships, but horizontal. Not only will you not have the peace of conscience through the blood of Christ, you will have none of the peculiar privileges of the children of God. That's the now. These are the areas in which you'll not prosper now. You'll have none of the peculiar privileges.

The Present Non-Prosperity: Loss of Privileges as God's Children

16:01 You'll have none of the privileges of the children of God in covering your sin, in refusing a full and honest confession, and for sating, you cut yourself off from the family of God and all the privileges of that family. Let me just enumerate a few of them. You have no communion with God. And you see, the tragedy is, as a human being, you were made so that in a real sense you're not a full human being until you're in communion with God. Woven into the fabric of the world. Woven into the fabric of the world. Woven into the fabric of the world. Woven into the man's manness was his capacity for and his enjoyment of fellowship with God. That's as much a part of true humanity as knows and is mine. And if you cover your sins, you shall not prosper. You will have none of that fellowship and communion with the living God. You will have no valid access to God in prayer. How can a man or woman live this life who cannot

17:02 come to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need? I do not marvel that people have to belt down three or four cocktails at lunch and another three or four at night, keep themselves half numb to the real world. Why? If there's no access to the throne of grace where we can unburden the deepest concerns of our heart and know that we have a loving Father who hears and answers, it's no wonder. I just marvel at more people. Don't put a gun to the head and end it all. You can't have that privilege. See, if you cover your sin, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear the scripture says. You can have in the third place no settled confidence amidst the mysteries and the trials

17:49 of life. You see, the one who's dealt with his sin and found mercy, he can stand upon the statement of Romans 8.28. All things are working together for my good. What do you have to pull together? The seeming inequities, the mysteries of life, the imbalances, the injustices. You have nothing, my friend. That's what God means when he says you shall not prosper. This is no peculiar notion of a cranky preacher. It's God who says you shall not prosper, man, woman, boy, girl, and all because you cover sin. If God is so willing, you shall not prosper. You have nothing to cleanse and purge, but which he will not purge as long as you will recover it. The tragic as the effects of covered sin are now, for those of you who are out

The Future Non-Prosperity: Dying Without Christ's Comforts

18:54 of Christ, the greater tragedy is to be seen in the future. As long as you cover sin, the scripture says, you shall not prosper. And I want very briefly to say just three things under this heading. May God help you to listen as ones who with me are quickly making their way to that day when we stand before God. You cover your sins, unconverted man, woman, boy, or girl. You shall not prosper in the future. How? You'll die without the comforts of Christ. You'll be summoned to judgment without the protection of Christ. And you'll be sent to the everlasting state without the presence of Christ. That's the price you'll pay for covering your sin. You'll die without the comforts of Christ. One of the great consolations to every believer, the one who's confessed his sin and forsaken it and found refuge in the blood of Christ, is to know that when that inevitable experience comes and I must die, and there will be the wrenching of soul from body and the soul goes out into that world which has never entered before.

20:06 What a consolation to have the words of Jesus. Jesus ringing in one's ears, distilling into the depths of the heart. Do you believe in God? Believe also in me.

20:16 In my Father's house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

20:31 Or the words of John 11. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me. He hath life. I am the resurrection and the life.

20:42 He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. What a wonderful thing to have the compass of Christ in death. Secondly, you'll be summoned to judgment without the protection of Christ.

The Future Non-Prosperity: Judgment Without Christ's Protection

21:03 You see, men are big and bold and brave about their sins in judgment till the day comes. And we read in Revelation 6.20, when that day comes, and conscience can no longer be stifled and its voice no longer ignored, when they see the coming judge, the language of Revelation 6.20 is graphic.

21:21 I quote it, And they shall cry to the rocks and to the mountains, Fall upon us, hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. My friend, when you go out yelling for mountains to fall on you, you're in a bad strait, because the judgment was coming, and they knew that the judge was against them. Whereas the child of God, the one who has forsaken and confessed his sins, he knows that there's going to be a day in court the likes of which no earthly court ever saw. The judge who knows all will actually plead the case of his clients.

22:04 He that confesses me before men, him, will I confess. What a wonderful thing to have the judge say. The eternal God, my Father. That man, all the evidence is accurate.

22:24 All of the things were committed, but my Father, he fled for refuge to me and to my righteousness. Father, I plead my death on his behalf. I plead the sum total of that righteousness which is mine, by virtue of my obedience, even unto death. And the Father will be well pleased with the plea of the Son.

22:49 And the Father will not be able to find one iota of just claims of unfulfilled judgment. I tell you what a wonderful thing to face judgment in the knowledge that we shall have the protection of Christ. But my friend, you go to judgment without that protection, and you'll plead your own cause,

The Future Non-Prosperity: Eternity Without Christ's Presence

23:12 and the evidence will be such as to make, you'll die without the comforts of Christ, you'll be summoned to judgment without the protection of Christ, and finally, you'll be sent into the everlasting state without the presence of Christ.

23:30 When your covered sin is openly displayed and placarded before the entire moral universe, where Jesus said there is nothing covered, but that it shall be made manifest, Luke chapter 12. Nothing covered, but it shall be made manifest! Nothing covered, but it shall be made manifest! And when your sin that you've covered is placarded before the whole moral universe, then, my friend, the words, I pray God none of you will hear, then shall the King say to them on his left hand, and I quote from the scriptures now, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire.

24:10 Oh, I plead with you this morning in the name of Christ, believe what God has said. He that covers, his sin shall not prosper. But whoso confesses and forsakes shall have mercy. May you find mercy in the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sin.

Conclusion and Broadcast Information

24:40 That brings us to the conclusion of this week's broadcast. Our speaker has been Pastor Albert N. Martin, and you've been listening to God's Word to Our Nation. If it would help you to hear today's message again, or if you'd like to share it, with a friend, it is available on cassette tape.

24:56 To order your cassette, simply call 1-800-722-3584. That number, once again, is 1-800-722-3584. These cassettes are distributed by the Trinity Book Service. God's Word to Our Nation is sponsored in your area by the Grace Covenant Baptist Church of Flemington, New Jersey, and the Covenant Baptist Church of Lumberton, New Jersey.

25:19 We have made this commitment because we believe that the only real answers to the many concerns of our society are found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we want to share those answers with you. If you live in the Flemington area and would like more information about the Grace Covenant Baptist Church, you can call them at area code 908-996-7654. That number, once again, is 908-996-7654. If you live in the Lumberton area and would like to contact the Covenant Baptist Church, you can call 1-800-722-3584.

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