Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Over the last 20 years, Andrew and I have taken many trips to the lake in order to retrieve water for our house and our animals. In the summertime we will fill up a large barrel, but when the weather starts getting cold, we will bring along some 4 gallon buckets and an ax so we can cut through the cold layer of ice. Early in the winter it’s only a few inches thick and we can quickly break through, but as the season progresses it becomes steadily thicker each day. There have been a few times that we needed to cut through 24 inches of ice, even breaking a few ax handles in the process!
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Just like a sheet of lake ice, the heart can become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Unless it’s quickly repented of and forsaken, it will continue to grow thicker, making it much more difficult to eventually break through.
“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13
Just like an ice fisherman, we must chip away any ice that has formed overnight to make sure that the hole is clear of any obstructions. Obviously, you cannot reach your fish if the ice is in the way, and we cannot reach God if unrepented sin is in the way. Sin is what obstructs our relationship with Him, and it must be completely removed in order to see Him clearly. It all begins by breaking the ice of our hearts, and becoming completely broken before Him.
Psalms 51 ¹⁶ For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
It is only through brokenness that one can truly repent of sin. Repentance is to feel convicted in your heart because of certain wrongs that you have committed, and as a result, it causes you to live your life in a different manner. It’s more than just having good intentions, it is a complete change of one’s heart that leads to a sincere commitment to the will of God. Genuine repentance will only happen as a result of Godly sorrow. This is a state of grief, self reproach and guilt for the sins that you have committed towards God or others.
2 Corinthians 7 ⁸ For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. ⁹ Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. ¹⁰ For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
One must understand that in order to enter into eternal life, repentance must happen in their life, otherwise they will perish. Heaven is a place that is prepared for those who have repented of their sins, not for the impenitent. Those who harden their hearts and refuse to submit to the will of God will be cast away into everlasting punishment.
Romans 2 ⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ⁸ But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
⁹ Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; ¹⁰ But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: ¹¹ For there is no respect of persons with God.
Sadly some of these people will profess to be Christian, but they never really loved the Lord enough to depart from iniquity.
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19
Those who refuse to yield themselves to the will of God will not find a place of forgiveness with Him. This is because their heart is not right, and in that frame of mind, He won’t even listen to their prayer. When they ask forgiveness from Him, He will simply turn away. God does not forgive everybody, which is the reason why there is a place of eternal punishment. He actively resists those who are too proud to turn away from their sin. On the other hand, He grants complete forgiveness and remission to those who recognize the error of their way and humbly submit to the teachings of the New Testament.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Without submission to the will of God, genuine repentance cannot take place. Without an effort to change one’s sinful behavior, a person only continues to abide in a state of sin. Remember that God hates sin and will punish it both now and in eternity, which is why we must quickly turn away from it and forsake it.
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19
God actively resists the impenitent. This is because they are too proud to submit themselves to the teachings of scripture. They might be filled with laughter, but without repentance they will laugh themselves right into the lake of fire. God doesn’t reward that type of hypocrisy, but will punish it both now and forever.
James 4 ⁶ But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
⁸ Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. ⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Unless a person’s heart becomes broken before God, He will grind them to powder.
“And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.” Matthew 21:44
A broken heart is a humble heart that is ready to serve and obey the Lord.
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalms 34:18
Sometimes when we don’t get back to the lake for a few days, the hole that we had cleared begins to freeze over. Sin can do the same thing which is why it needs to be repented of quickly. In order to keep in a close relationship with the Lord, we need to keep ourselves free from sin, a daily process of clearing the ice, and….
…. Keeping the Hole Open
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious goups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
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