But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 4:11
The offspring of sin is deception. If I sin, I am deceived until I repent and have my conscience cleansed of all sin’s effects.
A child of God will not set out to sin with these thoughts in mind.
“I can’t wait to grieve God.”
“I love unrighteousness.”
“I will pay dearly for this but that doesn’t really bother me.”
What tempts me to sin are the lies that entice.
“I will do it just this one time. It won’t be a big deal.”
“Scripture does talk about it but not all that much.”
“Other Christians have done it and I don’t see that it ruined their lives.”
“I live in the age of grace and God will forgive me.”
If sin and deception go hand in hand, does deception have an additional bedfellow? Yes. Hardheartedness. What I once felt guilty for doesn’t affect me anymore. And, every time I repeat that sin, I care a little less.
Today, if I am grieved over my sin, I should thank God. If I feel the heavy hand of conviction, my heart is still feeling the effects of the Spirit of God in me. Being broken is a gift for it compels me to make things right and to once again have a purified conscience. Spiritual rest and the peace of God can be restored.
Hardheartedness is a horrible state. The harder the heart, the more time has passed since the sin, or the more times that sin has been repeated. When I make a sin a pattern and refuse to acknowledge it, that particular iniquity becomes entrenched over time and turns into a stronghold. My boundary lines are under siege and I was too busy enjoying my sin to notice how deep in the mire I was sinking.
God’s love for me is never threatened. No matter how far away I stray, no matter what sin I commit, no matter how many times I’ve committed it, God’s power to save and deliver is greater still. The blood of Christ and my sin are in no contest. Nothing, absolutely nothing, disqualifies me from his call to repentance and His offer to forgive.
Don’t let me numb out. Keep my heart tender and my spiritual senses ~ sharp. Amen
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