Proverbs 21.7 says the robbery
of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgment.
When you turn on old westerns like Bonanza, The Big Valley,
The Virginian, or sitcoms like The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry
RFD, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and others, you actually get
the same level of biblical truth as you do in so-called faith
and family movies these days. In some cases, the message is
even better. And the one consistent theme
in all these old shows, whether dramas or comedies, is that crime
never pays. The robbery of the wicked shall
destroy them. I wasn't saved until I was 19
years old. Up to that time, I was a pretty
wicked, unrepentant sinner as a teenager. I won't go into great
detail, but I broke several of the Ten Commandments and even
did some illegal things like destruction of property, underage
drinking, illegal drug use, sexual sin, blasphemy, false witness
and lies, not to mention lust, covetousness, and a number of
other things. But there was only one time that I committed theft.
Every time the opportunity presented itself to be involved in some
sort of theft, I just chose not to do it. Sometimes I couldn't
even have told you why. To be sure, my parents and the
Fundamental Baptist Church, the Sunday School teachers, preachers,
Awana instructors, they all instilled the simple command of Exodus
2015, thou shalt not steal. But I found most of the other
Ten Commandments easy to ignore. For some reason, that one stuck.
I remember one time I walked into a department store with
some friends and I stole one of those cassette tape radio
Walkmans. And after it was over with, I
remember telling myself I'd never do that again. Maybe it was because
my family, starting with my parents, were solid, honest people who
never stole anything. The Miller family and even extended
family didn't have a thief among them as far as I knew. And theft
was just something that our family would just be ashamed of you
for doing. And I just couldn't make myself
do it. But I also remember watching all of those Gene Autry, Roy
Rogers, John Wayne, James Arnaz, Michael Landon, Dennis Weaver,
Ken Curtis, Audie Murphy, you name it. Movies and TV shows. And it showed me a thousand times
over that truth about theft. The robbery of the wicked shall
destroy them. And you know, at the time that
I got saved, I realized that man's efforts to be saved from
hell without going by the way of the shed blood of Jesus in
death on the cross and his victory over sin and death by resurrection
from the dead, that really is also attempted robbery. As an
unsaved kid, I remember that painting of Jesus. I see that. where he's standing at the door
knocking and the caption of John 10 9 I am the door by me if Any
man enter in he shall be saved and shall shall go in and out
and find pasture my grandma had one of those big family Bibles
in that picture always stood out to me, but I saw that picture
several times other places and But you know, John chapter 10
begins by saying this in verse one. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold,
but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. Isn't it interesting to consider
the first half of our proverb saying, the robbery of the wicked
shall destroy them. And to realize that at the great
white throne judgment, Every Christ rejecting sinner who thought
that they would or could End up saved and in heaven by any
other way than through the gospel of Jesus Christ They're actually
going to stand there judged by God as being guilty of attempted
robbery When it comes to their own soul I just think that's
an amazing thing to think about. Sad for those who choose to try
to enter heaven by robbery, rejecting Jesus Christ. But it is something
to think about, especially if you're listening to this right
now and you're still unsaved and trying to get to heaven some
other way.