The Danger of Sin
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Heb 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
The Scripture has much to say about the dangerous nature of sin. Christians can, and do, sin. But if they willfully choose to live in sin, the Scripture is clear - they will be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Sin is deceitful because it never tells the truth of its ultimate effect on our heart. The Holy Spirit says that sin will harden you meaning your heart will no longer respond to God, to His Spirit, or to His Word.
Sin is deceitful because it makes one insensitive to their conscience. If we continue to overrule our conscience then eventually it will become silent. It will no longer speak. And because we no longer feel the guilt of our behavior we can think that all is well. But the opposite is true; a silent conscience is not a sign of holy living but a hardened heart.
Sin is deceitful because it makes one insensitive to the warning of friends. Others can see that our choices are taking us to a dangerous place. But the deceptive nature of sin silences every warning voice. A person who loves their sin will not listen to God, His Word, the Holy Spirit, preachers/teachers, and will not listen to their friends or family. The hardened heart is a heart that no longer hears.
Sin is deceitful because it makes one insensitive to the personal cost of their sin. It is amazing how one can suffer terribly from their own sinfulness and yet feel no compelling reason to change. The harmful evidence of their choices is before them, but they refuse to see. Oh, they see with their eyes, but not with their heart. Sin deadens the heart to the need of change.
Sin is deceitful because it tells you that you are blessed and have no need of repentance. We all have made wrong decisions and God can, and does, bless people who have made wrong decisions. Solomon is a good example of such a man. Solomon was the son of David, King of Israel and upon David's death Solomon was chosen by God to be King of Israel. He was blessed with wisdom, riches, and favor. He brought peace to Israel and even built a House for the Lord. But early in his reign Solomon made decisions that would eventually turn his heart from God. Solomon made a treaty with Egypt and then married the daughter of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. Solomon should have never made a treaty with Egypt, and he should have never married the daughter of Pharaoh, and he should have repented of these decisions. Solomon knew God's admonition against making treaties with foreign nations and he knew God said to not marry foreign women. But for his own reasons, Solomon ignored what he knew to be true and chose Pharaoh's daughter over God's Word. This decision planted the seeds of his future apostasy. Once we willfully open our heart to compromise then heart decay begins, and will not stop until we turn from our sin.
Sin is patient. It makes long range plans and is willing to wait on our destruction. If one is willing to continue in their sin then their sin quietly works. If one loves their sin then it will not disturb them but will silently work until the soul is destroyed. Only a foolish person thinks sin will not harm them. One can love their sin or they can love God, but not both. If sin is tolerated, protected, and loved, then sin will deaden our love for God.
Here is Solomon, King of Israel, at the beginning of his reign, one of the greatest kings to have ever lived, making decisions that will eventually turn his heart from God. Solomon not only married Pharaoh’s daughter but continued to marry foreign women, hundreds of them. When he grew old, his foreign wives then turned his heart from the worship of the God of Israel to the worship of demons.
Solomon, at the end of his life, was informed by God that his behavior had displeased the Lord. But Solomon apparently felt no guilt over his sin. This is the hardening effect of sin. We can be warned of God yet feel nothing. Solomon's hard heart blinded him, He saw no reason to change. He lost a sensitive heart and could no longer see that darkness had changed him. At the end of Solomon's life sin had finished it's work - Solomon's heart had turned from following the Lord.
Look at the sad commentary of one who compromises with sin.
1Ki 11:1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—
1Ki 11:2 from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love.
1Ki 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.
1Ki 11:4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.
1Ki 11:5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
1Ki 11:6 Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David.
1Ki 11:7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.
1Ki 11:8 And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
1Ki 11:9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
1Ki 11:10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded.
Solomon who had built a house for the Lord, at the end of his life, built houses for demons, the gods of his foreign wives. And he feels nothing. Sin, like a snake, swallows its prey. Sin, like a fatal disease, works silently until there is no recovery. This is how sin affected Solomon. Even though blessed of the Lord sin won Solomon's heart. Because of the deceitful nature of sin Solomon had no heart to obey the Lord. We should learn from Solomon - if sin has the power to turn his heart then sin has the power to turn my heart; if sin will harden Solomon then it will harden me.
So, what is the answer? The Scripture tells us to not fail of the grace of God, Heb 12:15. The answer to compromise is found in repentance. Grace is found in honesty before God. If we acknowledge and turn from our sin, if we are transparent and confess our heart condition, then we find forgiveness and restoration. God is merciful, He will forgive, He will cleanse our heart from all unrighteousness and He will put our foot in a sure place.
God bless you,
Jim
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