“Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.” Proverbs 10:2
What do you think is the most important word in this verse? I believe the key word is PROFIT. In fact, understanding profit is really the key to all of life. What does this verse teach us about profit?
What is profit?
To profit is to benefit, to have advantage. Literally, this word means “to ascend.”
A loose synonym would be the word “win.”
How is profit (winning) defined in this verse?
Life (deliverance from death)
Profitable life now
Eternal life
What will never result in life (profit, winning)?
Treasures of wickedness
A good end never justifies bad means
A good end never results from bad means
A bad end (goal) never produces profit
Judas, seeking to find profit from financial gain, did not profit
The young man in Proverbs 7, seeking profit from sexual fulfillment, did not profit
Where is the only place that profit is found?
Righteousness
Found in Christ alone
Through Christ’s righteousness we receive a desire for righteous living
Righteous living is always profitable even when it is not apparent
The temptation that seems to solve all problems will not profit.
Earthly treasures will not bring true profit
What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?