Beware of a
Hardened Heart
“So, as the
Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where
your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is
why I was angry with that generation, and I said, “Their hearts are always
going astray, and they have not known my ways.” So I declared on oath in my
anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”' " (Hebrews 3:7-11) The author of
the book of Hebrews used the history of failure of the Israelites as a warning
to us, pointing out the words of the Holy Spirit, and earnestly urging us not
to emulate their attitude towards God and their rebellious actions. Although
the Israelites experienced the salvation, protection, providence and
togetherness of God on numerous occasions, they did not keep a grateful or
contented heart. Each day they encountered miracles, yet they did not know God
or the purpose of His works. They tested the Lord many times, trying to use Him
to satisfy their greed and lusts. They refused to listen or submit to God, and
maintained a hardened and unbelieving heart towards Him. They often abused the
love and grace of God, and frequently aroused His anger. In the end, because of
their unbelief, those adults aged 40 or older were not permitted to enter
Why were
these Israelites who were saved and brought out of
We must be
very careful and safeguard our hearts, forsake all of the above mindsets, and
do not let them be hardened and despise God lest we lose His blessing. If you
have the admonition of the Holy Spirit and the discipline of God the moment you
fall into sin, this writer offers thanks for you, because they come from the
love of God for His children in order to purify and restore you. If you feel
unencumbered and at peace when you fall into sin, this writer worries for you,
because your spirit is bewildered and you are numb to the warnings of the Holy
Spirit. You despise the forbearance and patience of God. When the punishment of
the Lord comes, you will not be able to withstand it. If you continuously sin and
do not know repentance, and have no awareness of the admonition of the Holy
Spirit, this writer can say categorically that you are not a child of God (1
John 3:6-9, Hebrews 12:7-8).
This writer
has counseled some members who were weak and in failure, and also exhorted
others whose attitudes towards life or service had encountered difficulties. I
deeply appreciate the meaning of what the Bible says, “We all, like sheep, have
gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” In fact, turning to his own
way can happen to those who have been believers for many years. When faced with
the admonition of the pastor, many members take an attitude of avoidance and concealment,
and offer up excuses to dodge a meeting. Upon discussion about the crux of their
problems, the attitude of the members would easily turn into self-assurance,
self-delusion, self-apology, self-righteousness, self-glorification or
self-pity. Those who are willing to be humble and self-reproaching when faced
with the compassionate counsel of the pastor are very few. Many who have been
believers for a long time or have some level of service find it sometimes even
harder to accept the exhortation of the pastor, and become isolated in their
ways.
Dear
brothers and sisters. If the Holy Spirit admonishes you and your pastor exhorts
you, you must immediately adopt an attitude of humility, self-reflection, obedience,
repentance, and retraction to address the situation. Stubborn intransigence will
only lead you farther away from God. “But
encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you
may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13)
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