Scripture: Hebrews 3 v 10 - 12: "Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."
Let us closely examine the make up of an evil heart:
1. Unbelief....departing from the living God.
Unbelief is the root cause of backsliding, or going back into the sinful world and turning away from your Saviour, Jesus Christ. It means we reject the love of God and embrace His enemy and feel good about it.
2. We do always err in our heart....
We continually make the wrong decisions concerning our lives. We are spiritually confused and misguided. We are not following the Word of God but we listen to other losers and choose their ways over God's way.
3. We have not known God's ways......
We have never given God a chance to show us how He has made provision for our lives. He has given His Son for our salvation but we don't want to know about that. He has prepared an abundance for us but we have our own career plan and path to wealth mapped out.
4. We don't believe God means it......
They will never enter into My rest. The door to Heaven will be blocked to those who are cursed by unbelief. It is because we deliberately choose to reject God, who made us in His own spiritual image. He has greatly suffered from the damage one created being called Lucifer has done to His heavenly kingdom, and he will never let in anyone else who rejects the sovereignty of God.
Lucifer became Satan, the enemy of God and his declaration that He would be like the Most High and even rule over all the heavens, has gotten him forever banished from there. He has his own evil realm now and will finally be consigned to the lake of fire for eternity. Those who continue in unbelief will join him in it.
The only alternative is to believe in God and in Jesus Christ. Believe in the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Their family name is God. Father God, Son of God, and Holy Spirit of God.
What do we gain from this true belief?
Forgiveness of sin
Eternity in Heaven
The Word of God
Salvation including baptism in water after being born again. Followed by laying on of hands for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Healing
Deliverance
Abundant Life
The Blood of Jesus
The fruit of the Holy Spirit...love, peace, joy, patience, goodness, meekness, self-control, faith, gentleness.
Grace to live without the law of Moses.
The Holy Spirit's gifts....Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Faith, Gifts of Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Discerning of Spirits, Word of Knowledge, Word of Wisdom
The five-fold ministries
Jesus with us forever.
Greater works than Jesus did.
If we are missing any of these start to root out unbelief lurking within our souls, mind, emotions, will. It is the root of unbelief, even the curse of unbelief that prevents us from receiving all that God has for us. We doubt, we waver, we argue, we disagree and we abandon that blessing for whatever reason. We have erred in our heart.
Our God wants us to have the fullness of His salvation before we even get to Heaven where we cannot even imagine the wonders He has planned for us. If we deny Him here, will we deny Him there too? Will He take the remotest chance that we will become a wrecking ball as the beloved cherub Lucifer has?
Mark 7 v 6 - 9: "He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Words of Jesus Christ
Looking at the recent wrecking balls on this planet like ISIS, Covid-19, tsunamis, superstorms, AIDS, anarchists in America, who now want to delete the National Anthem, - the Star Spangled Banner, and no doubt the actual flag will be next. So it always escalates, starting out as honourable and becoming truly crass. No remote chance God will permit this in Heaven. The wrecking balls of the invasion of Ukraine and Israel. They can only be thankful for their ability to retaliate under extreme fanatical global condemnation. What has humanity become ?
God has given us everything we need to live holy, peaceful, sinless, joyful lives. It's our choice to do so. He has given us free will. Just getting born again and dropping an anchor does not change your life much. We are a work in progress and we must do all in our power to work with the Holy Spirit to become like Jesus. The Body of Jesus is being changed into His likeness, not the likeness of a Bride. Just saying.
The speed with which the end times has descended upon us without warning and brought us to our knees. Socially and financially. Never before in history has the national debt become 100% of GDP as is predicted for some major nations. It will change many lifestyles dramatically. We will start to lose everything not essential to sustain our lives. Jesus said there will be great tribulation just before His return. So look up for our redemption draws nigh.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us in our unbelief. We don't even realise that some of our cherished church traditions are unbelief issues that cause us to disobey Your Word. Open our eyes wide and fill us with true belief in all those things that You want us to have. In Jesus' name. Amen.