No Exit Plan
Hebrews 3:12-15 NKJV
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
If yesterday’s verse was a clear warning, then our passage today doubles down on the warning. Yesterday, the warning was to pay attention, so you don’t drift away. Today, the warning is to beware that you don’t have an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. Not much mincing of words there. But remember this letter was written to Jewish believers under pressure to abandon their faith in Christ and return to Judaism.
I looked up this passage in some other translations, but they all convey the same warning. Avoiding an evil unbelieving heart that turns away, falls away, departs from the living God. But the author gives these Jewish believers an answer for the evil unbelieving heart. To encourage one another daily so that no one is hardened through the deception that sin produces. When the heart becomes hard, walking away from the Lord becomes easier. Someone who has a tender heart toward the Lord isn’tleaving. So encouragement from the family of faith is helpful in staying connected to the Lord Jesus.
Another aid in maintaining the connection is holding the confidence that opened the door to Christ steady, steadfast, firm, and not letting go. The writer is making it clear that these believers started in Christianity by faith in Jesus Christ, and faith is how they continue in their union with Him. But an enemy of faith is a hardened heart. When someone doesn’t care about their relationship with the Lord, they are on shaky ground. This is why we need people of faith around us who can encourage us to stay with the Lord and not let go of our trust in Him.
A hard heart forgets what life was like before Christ. A deceived heart actually thinks life was better before Him. And if you stay away from people who can encourage your faith, you are entering dangerous territory. This may sound totally self-serving coming from a pastor, but staying out of church is not helping your heart stay tender to the Lord. We all need an environment of faith to help us stay encouraged and steady. I am firmly convinced that one of the reasons I departed, fell away from the Lord early on in my walk, was my lack of church and lack of Christian encouragement. The first thing I did when coming back to the Lord was to get into church. And I have been in ever since. It did not mean my life was perfect, but it helped me keep my confidence in Christ firm and not depart from God. I also know that when I came back to the Lord, I came back to stay - there was no exit plan.
Prayer
Lord, my confidence is in You. Help me to stay steady with my faith and be an encouragement to the believers around me. I purpose not to become hard-hearted through the deception that sin creates.