The Deceitfulness of Sin

 I hope all of us know that we can be fooled. That is why there are so many people who devise scams to deceive people and take their money. All of us are susceptible to deceptions. Therefore, we must be on the lookout every day and stay alert for anyone who might be out to trick us. If we let our guard down, it could cost us a lot of money and a lot of trouble. 

The worst deceptions that we experience come from our own sins. Yes, sin is deceitful. It has a way of subtly leading us in the wrong direction a little at a time, so we don't notice it, and before we know it, we are in a bad place. The Bible gives us a clear warning of what we need to do. (Hebrews 3:13) As Christians, we must exhort one another every day, while it is still today, not putting it off, lest any of us be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. This is a vital weapon against the effects of sin.

When we exhort others, we are encouraging them to change their actions. It is not enough just to tell someone the truth, we need to make sure they act upon the truth, and they don't put it off until tomorrow. The reason this is so urgent is that every day we allow a sin to remain in our life, our heart gets harder and harder and less sensitive to the Holy Spirit's voice. Satan and his demons, along with the world, and the flesh, will lead us farther and farther from the Lord, if we allow sin to remain.

The other principle is that we can't allow ourselves to think that we can live with a little sin, and it will still be OK for us. Sin always grows. It never stays at the same level. We are either getting closer to God, as we grow in Him, or we are getting farther from Him because of our sins. We can never stay at the same level of our relationship with God. That is why we need to exhort others, and we need to be exhorted to get rid of any sins and not take them for granted. Let's all remember I John 1:9 and confess your sins daily, so our hearts will not get hardened.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Hebrews 4-6.