Attitudes play an important
role in our daily spiritual lives.
What is my attitude toward God?
The writer of Hebrews admonishes us, "Take
care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you
an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the
living God" (Hebrews 3:12).
The author is addressing Hebrew
Christians or “completed Hebrews,” and is
encouraging them to keep their attitudes or heart
tender toward the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the “evil heart” that
cannot believe and falls away from God.
Everything in the Christian
life depends on the heart. It is
with the heart that man believes unto salvation
(Rom. 10:9-10). “The heart of every problem is a
problem of the heart.” A “hard
heart” results from an erring heart and a
disbelieving heart. The “heart” is the center and
seat of all spiritual life. It is
the soul or mind, the fountain seat of our thoughts,
passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes,
endeavors; the seat of our intelligence, will and
character” (Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon). The heart is
the place in man at which God bears witness to
Himself (Mark 7:21; 2 Thess. 3:5; Phil. 4:7; Col.
3:15; James 4:8; 1 Peter 3:15; 1 Thess. 3:13; 1 Jn.
3:20; Lk. 16:15; 1 Chron. 28:9; Rom. 8:27).
The admonition is very strong.
“Take heed constantly; be seeing to it constantly;
keep a watchful eye ever open.”
The writer is concerned that
his readers not show the same disobedience and
distrust of God that their forefathers showed after
they left Egypt (Ex. 17:1-7; Num. 20:1-13).
He is concerned that these Hebrew Christians
do not lose their blessings. Let us take heed to the
warning. Faith draws us near to
Christ and is fed and nourished by His presence.
"Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if
you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as
when they provoked Me, As in the day of trial in the
wilderness’" (Hebrews 3:7-8).
God has made known His will in
His written Word the Bible. He
speaks to us as the Holy Spirit opens our heart, and
we trust Him. The hardening of
our hearts in unbelief prevents us from hearing His
voice. God’s word addresses the heart.
A tender heart is pliable and
responsive to the Word of God and the pleading of
the Holy Spirit. A hard heart is
unresponsive and rebellious.
Our hearts become hardened by
sinful neglect when God’s Spirit calls us to
faithful obedience. We become hardened toward
spiritual growth when we disobey clear teaching of
God’s Word.
How tragic when we refuse to
listen when God speaks, and we pursue other
endeavors. It is easy to fortify
ourselves against the Word with prejudices and
dislikes and resist it through a love for lusts and
corrupt affections.
Difficult trials reveal the
true state of our hearts. John
Owen asked, “Are our minds stayed upon the Lord, or
are we complacently resting in His temporal mercies?
When the storm breaks, it is not so much that
we fail under it, as that our habitual lack of
leaning upon God, of daily walking in dependency
upon Him, is made evident.
Circumstances do not change us, but they do expose
us.”
It is always tempting to become
occupied with our circumstances and walk by sight.
The crisis only manifests the true condition
of our hearts. Do we murmur and
complain? Are we making ourselves
available to the Living God who sees and hears,
feels, and loves? He speaks and
reveals Himself. He is the living
God, our Lord and Master.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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