Proverbs 11:6
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The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
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Be sure your sin will find you out! Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap! These two divine axioms for life are confirmed by this proverb. Wisdom is living a life of righteousness. Folly is naughtily transgressing God's laws. The former leads to deliverance; the latter brings pain and trouble.
One of the great principles of wisdom is the certain and sure consequences for both righteousness and wickedness. Solomon repeated this rule many times to get the attention of his son and citizens. In this chapter alone, compare this proverb to others very similar in their wording and lesson (11:3,4,5,7,8,10,12,19,20,21,23,27,28,31).
The repetition is not wasted. Check your heart, dear reader. Is there a tendency to think Solomon's proverbs like this one are boring? Would you rather read and consider one about love, marriage, relationships, or wealth? Be careful. The density and distribution of these proverbs are also by divine wisdom. The repetitions of the rule above are necessary.
Love, marriage, relationships, and wealth will take care of themselves, if you live a wise life of righteousness. Your heart is cold for righteousness due to sin yet in your flesh. And the devil himself suggests anything he can to distract you from learning and growing in righteousness. Furthermore, the world only suggests and sells naughtiness; it never promotes righteousness. Three foes conspire to destroy you. There is no redundancy here.
An upright person does what is right, as defined by God, all the time, and with zeal. This is righteousness. They are delivered or saved from the pain and trouble of sin, both in this world and in the next. A transgressor is a naughty person who breaks God's laws, and he wallows and eventually drowns in the misery of his choice, in this world and/or the next.
Consider this world. The upright man learns and applies the righteous laws of God to his life. God and men favor him, and he is prosperous and successful in life, delivered from the delusions and dysfunction of others (3:1-4; Josh 1:7-9; Ps 1:1-6; Luke 2:52). But the transgressor, deceived by his naughtiness, falls into all sorts of trouble, for God, men, and natural laws are set together to crush him with its consequences (1:31; 8:36; 13:15).
Consider the next world. The upright man, with fruits of righteousness, gains entrance to heaven by God's free grace (I Thess 1:2-4; II Pet 1:5-11). But the transgressor, wishing he had never been born, faces the dread sovereign judge of the universe with folly, pride, and many sins to give an account for (Eccl 12:13-14; Rev 20:11-15).
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