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.
I was talking to somebody recently about a project that they had undertaken in their shop. They are what you might call a handyman, and can fabricate a lot of different things for their home. But on one occasion, he put a lot of his time into something that never satisfied him completely. Despite his best efforts, no matter how much he tried, it never came out the way that he wanted it to. There was no remedy for the situation, so at that point all he could do was bust it up, and throw it all away.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Sometimes things cannot be fixed, and they need to be taken and destroyed, just like many people who profess the Christian faith who openly rebel against the teachings of Holy Scripture.
“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Proverbs 29:1
The teachings of scripture have been given to us for our correction, but many people who claim to follow Christ are going to harden their hearts, and stubbornly refuse to come into compliance with God’s will. The same stiffnecked people from the Old Testament have reappeared, only this time they profess to be Christian. The Apostle Paul warned about them.
2 Timothy 4 ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
These people are the manifestation of false Christianity, and rather than submitting to the truth of scripture, they will heap to themselves teachers who tell them exactly what they want to hear. They refuse to hear correction or scriptural reproof which is the mark of a fool.
“He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.” Proverbs 10:17
“A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.” Proverbs 15:5
“Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.” Proverbs 12:1
When people become stiff-necked and refuse to accept the truth of scripture, then they will never change.
“But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.” Jeremiah 7:28
“Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.” Psalms 75:5
“But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.” Jeremiah 17:23
I’ve always said that those who choose to intentionally rebel against the will of God are picking a battle with the creator of Heaven and Earth. Those who do so are going to reap God’s vengeance for He shall grind them to powder.
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 intentionally, and is egregious in the sight of God. It is done in full knowledge of His will, and done in a deliberate, willing and voluntary manner. Something intentional is done without caring about the consequences for your actions. For example, you can tell a child over and over again not to do something, but when a child does it anyway and slams the door of their bedroom there are going to be issues. That behavior is the manifestation of hatred towards a parent, just as it is when people treat God in the same manner. Willful sin is done intentionally, and a manifestation of open rebellion towards God.
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry……” 1 Samuel 15:23
The Lord destroyed a false prophet in the Old Testament for preaching rebellion against the will of the God.
Jeremiah 28 ¹⁵ Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.
¹⁶ Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.
¹⁷ So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
When we speak about willful sin, there is a huge difference between what Judas and Peter did. The Apostle Peter denied the Lord three times, but it wasn’t intentional. It happened because he wasn’t strong enough in his faith to do what he said he was going to do for Jesus. He wept bitterly about it, and eventually was restored and found a place of repentance with the Lord. Judas on the other hand
intended to betray Jesus and prepared beforehand for his departure. It was a premeditated betrayal, carrying on conversations and discussions with others secretly behind the Lord’s back. His actions proved that he never loved God at all, and he could not find a place of repentance with the Lord, falling into the ranks of the damned.
Hebrews 6 ⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, ⁵ And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
⁶ If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. ⁷ For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
⁸ But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
When I was in high school, I would walk through the hallways and sometimes I’d accidentally trip somebody in front of me. I would quickly help them to their feet and sincerely apologize because that was not my intention. That’s a lot different than somebody else who purposely and wilfully trips them so that all their friends can point and laugh at them. One was an honest mistake, but the other was done on purpose, motivated by their own malice and hatred.
Some people are going to treat God in the same manner, hardening their hearts and sinning wilfully against Him. They are like a wife who stomps her feet and storms out the door, rather than lovingly submitting to the commands of her husband. But God is not mocked and they will not get very far, because just like a project that cannot be fixed, God will suddenly destroy them, and that…..
…….Without Remedy
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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