Proverbs 28.1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth [his] neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
The nation of Israel went into captivity because it hardened its heart against God’s Word. “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.” An alternate reading may be that they stiffened their necks and refused to listen to God. Beloved, when we refuse to listen to God, it is because our hearts are hard and our necks are stiff. That condition must be addressed with confession and prayer. Why? Scripture declares, who has hardened his heart against a God and prospered?
Because there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, we need to reject the idea that somehow God winks at our deliberate, defiant disobedience to Him. It is one thing to truly be battling against those fleshly lusts that war against our souls. But it another thing altogether to walk in repeated, blatant sin against God. That is a dangerous path to be on, dear ones. When Gideon was called by God to battle the mighty forces of Midian, the Amplified Bible says that “The Spirit of The Lord clothed Gideon.” In other words, it was in the power of God’s Spirit that Gideon went to battle and overcame the powerful army of Midian. Likewise, it is by yielding our wills in obedience to the Word and indwelling Spirit of God that we overcome our sinful strongholds and walk in victory. Beloved, if today you are finding yourself making excuses or alibis for walking in clear cut sin, stop right now. God is giving you space to repent and get back on track with Him.
In Psalm 32 & 51, David was a mess when he tried to cover his sin. Outside he may have been putting up a good front, but inside, he was in turmoil. That is not the kind of life that Jesus died for. Confess your sin. Turn away from that in by the power of God. May God’s love soften that hard heart and restore unto you, the joy of your salvation.
