Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from Hebrews 3. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- The human mind is a wonderful thing. Most of us have spent a good deal of our time in this world studying, thinking, analyzing, problem solving, and opining.
- We grow fairly accustomed to using our mind as the arbiter of everything – the judge of truth, of good, of beauty, of what is reasonable and right. We can get to the point that we almost consider our mind to be “infallible” and perfect.
- The reality, however, is much different than the degree of confidence we have in ourselves. As we read in the Old Testament Lesson [Amos 5:6,7, 10-15], there is transgression and sin, great sin and evil times. These require “reproving,” and “speaking the truth.” But alas, when one does this he is often rejected, threatened, and silenced.
- Because of the infection of sin we are predisposed to defending our sinful behavior, to allowing our hearts to be evil and unbelieving, with the result that we are in danger of being “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin,” as we read in our text.
- This hardening is the same as impenitence, which leads to unbelief, and can result in “an unbelieving heart.” This is “falling away from the living God,” a very grievous evil which leads to condemnation and God’s just punishment.
- This is the warning and encouragement of our text, and we see the dangers in the Old Testament reading from Amos, and also in Jesus’ interaction with the man seeking to inherit eternal life.
- So let us understand that:
I. The Deceitfulness Of Sin Causes Unbelief And Rejection Of God
Text: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart.”
A. The Beginning Of This Is Impenitence, Rejection Of Reproof And Correction
OT Lesson: “You turn justice to wormwood and cast down righteousness to the earth . . . They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.”
B. This Impenitence Leads To Unbelief And Falling Away From God
Text: “Leading you to fall away from the living God. . . . We share in Christ if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, ‘Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’”
OT Lesson: “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you.”
C. Such Unbelief Negates Our Entrance Into God’s Rest
Text: “Who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.”
Statement: It seems hard to believe that the people who saw the ten miraculous plagues on Egypt, who experienced salvation from Pharaoh’s army through the Red Sea, and who ate manna from heaven and quail from God in the evening, could have ended up so rebellious, impenitent, and unbelieving. This is a huge big warning to us – that we not be similarly “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Application: Whether we are afflicted by the socio-economic sins mentioned by Amos, or some other immorality, or some form of idolatry, or love of our money and wealth – like the man who approached Jesus, or the self-righteousness of thinking that we can “do” whatever is needed to earn our way into heaven, God calls us back to repentance and to His gracious forgiveness and mercy. Jesus’ instruction to the man in the Gospel Lesson [Mark 10:17-22] was intended to help him see his selfish idolatry and his foolish self-righteousness – so that he could repent and become open to receiving God’s gracious mercy, forgiveness, and gift of salvation in Jesus. We have the same instruction from Jesus today – to repent and believe the Gospel.
Transition: And so James encourages us to:
II. Take Care Always
Text: “Take care brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”
A. To Repent Of All Evil And Believe The Gospel
Mark 1:15 “Jesus preached, ‘The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.”
B. To Not Become Deceived By Evil, Lured Back Into Evil
Text: “Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
OT Lesson: “Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts will be with you, as you have said. Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”
C. Evil And Sin Will Increase Exponentially If We Succumb To It
OT Lesson: “You trample on the poor and you exact taxes of grain from him. . . . how many are your transgressions and how great are your sins . . . you afflict the righteous, you take a bribe, and turn aside the needy in the gate.”
Statement: Amos’ hearers did not repent, and like the people in the wilderness with Moses, they “were unable to enter” God’s rest, His kingdom and salvation. So also the man who approached Jesus, rather than repenting, was sorrowful that he had to keep his “great possessions” but forfeit “eternal life.” He should have repented of his greed and idolatry, and turned to Jesus for forgiveness and cleansing. Then perhaps he would have parted with his wealth and followed Jesus!
Application: This is what we are urged to contemplate as well. The “DECEITFULNESS OF SIN” bids us ignore such calls to repent, and defends our sin, our impenitence, and our unbelief. It leads us to choose the comforts and pleasures of this world even if that means rejecting eternal life with God in heaven. It renders us unable to enter God’s rest because of unbelief.
This is not God’s will for any of us – and so He sends us reproof and the truth, hoping that we will come to repentance, knowledge of the truth, and salvation! Let us indeed “TAKE CARE” not to fall away from the living God!
Conclusion: God has given us a tremendous gift in our mind and intellect! It is capable of hearing, understanding, and affirming God’s call to repent of our sin, and to believe in His gracious forgiveness and love.
It is also capable of rebellion against God, defending and justifying sinful and evil behavior. So we must take care against “THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN.” God enables this through His precious Word, the Holy Scripture. May we always be attentive to the Word of Jesus – and also be exhorting one another! And may we always heed that exhortation! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.