Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
I have spent many years working out in the woods in order to support my family. I have done many different things, such as picking pine cones, gathering crafting material, and bundling firewood. But one time when I was felling a large tree, I didn’t see the huge hornet’s nest that was attached to one of its limbs. Neither of us noticed it until it was far too late, and when it came crashing to the ground it stirred them all up to anger. Although I was able to get away from most of them, Andrew got stung repetitively, and from what I can remember, he got stung close to his eye which affected his vision for the next few weeks.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
You never want to mess with a hornet’s nest, and I guarantee that you never want to mess with God. The torment of a hornet bite may only last a few hours, but the vengeance of God can last an eternity. You cannot mock God and get away with it. Those who choose to sin willfully after obtaining the knowledge of the truth, will only stir up the stings of His vengeance, reaping the Divine repercussions of His wrath.
Hebrews 10 ²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. ²⁸ He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: ²⁹ Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Willful sin is done purposely and intentionally against the will of God. When I dropped that tree, I didn’t realize that there was a hornet’s nest in it. On the other hand, willful sin is like pulling out a baseball bat, and hitting their nest as hard as you can. You know what is going to happen, but you really don’t care about the consequences for your actions. In an Earthly home, you might do something that your dad doesn’t approve of. At the time that you did it, you might not have realized his feelings on the matter, and then apologize for your shortcomings. Wilful sin is understanding the things that he disapproves of, and then in complete rebellion, thumbing the nose and rebelling against Him purposely. Willful sin is a state of rebellion against God, something that He hates.
1 Samuel 15 ²² And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. ²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. ²⁴ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. ²⁵ Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD. ²⁶ And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. ²⁷ And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. ²⁸ And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
1 Samuel 13 ¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. ¹⁴ But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
Judas sinned willfully by betraying the Lord Jesus and joining up with those who hated the Lord. Esau couldn’t find a place of forgiveness with God because of what he had done.
Hebrews 12 ¹⁶ Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. ¹⁷ For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Some people will burn their consciences so deeply that they just don’t care anymore. They’ll walk off on the truth that had been established in them, and return to the world from which they came out.
1 Timothy 4 ¹ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; ² Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
2 Peter 2 ¹⁷ These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. ¹⁸ For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. ¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. ²⁰ For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. ²¹ For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. ²² But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Willful sin is egregious in the sight of God, and it only reveals that you don’t really love Him at all. True love for the Lord is about obedience to his will. He is very kind and merciful, but those who choose to rebel against His will are going to find themselves in a different place with God. You never want to stir up God’s anger, because His righteous rebukes are gonna sting, just like messing around with……
……The Hornet’s Nest
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 groups. 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 all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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