Hard hearts and a Free Gift
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.'
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living 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. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed?So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
(Hebrews 3 :7-19)
As I read the passage this morning, the severity of this passage actually struck me.
The writer was referring to the Israelites who have been delivered by God out of Egypt, have seen him at work, providing for them etc. But yet, they turned away and failed to commit themselves to him. All except Caleb and Joshua died in the wilderness were not able to enter the rest that God has promised. In this context it was Canaan the promised land. How can someone who has seen the Lord, seen him at work, and seen his providence actually turn away from him?
I told myself, I would never do that! But before I could continue in my “holier than thou” attitude , God reminded me that I am just as human as the Israelites were and if I do not guard my heart and mind with his word and take for granted what he has done for me , continue living the life the way I WANT it to be . One day my heart may harden as well. I might just turn away from him. That’s quite a scary thought.
For us that have not yet received Christ, has the Lord been calling you into a relationship with him? Do not harden your hearts toward him.
There are always things in our life that we have to work on, that is out of revelation of who Christ is and thus you want to change in terms of actions or mindsets but let’s be careful not to allow ourselves to subtly motivated by WORKING TOWARDS SALVATION and thus be looking everywhere for stuff to work on.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
(Ephesians 2:8)
IT’S A FREE GIFT! You don’t have to do anything to attain it. Receive it in gratefulness and thankfulness! Seek intimacy with God, desire to know him. Not that it will be easy or smooth but even persevering and walking through all that hard stuff would be a WANT because you’ve seen who Christ is and what he has done.
Committed on the Journey with you!
Sarah
