Sunday, July 31, 2011

Sin At Work



You have all see them, the signs that warn you to slow down on the road way that say "Men Working." Those signs are there to warn us to be cautious so that we do not injure or God forbid kill a man who is simply doing his job.

I was reading Brian Hedge's Christ Formed In You yesterday and I came across this warning on page 254:

"Not only do I need the help of others to see more of Christ and His glory, I need their help to see the sinfulness of my own heart more clearly." 

Listen to Hebrews 3:12-14:

"Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one  another every day, as long as it is called "today", that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." (Hebrews 3:12-14)

Hedge's goes on to say, "This is a serious warning that both diagnoses the problem of sin (the hardening of heart in unbelief) and prescribes the cure (exhorting one another every day.) And the scary thing is that because sin is so insidiously deceitful, we may not even recognize the hardening process at work in our souls. (Emphasis mine)

This got me thinking! I think we need at the front, center, and rear of every sanctuary, or meeting place where the body gathers large, neon, unmistakable, and unavoidable warning signs that say:

Caution: Sin At Work

Just like the warning signs that are designed to protect men who work on our highways and byways, we need warning signs to remind us that sin is ever at work hardening our hearts to the ruin of our souls.



______________________
What do you think?


8 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

We are all sinners in one way or another, none of us are perfect, it would be good to see signs at the roadways about this, good idea.

Have a peaceful Sunday Gregg.
Yvonne.

Keena said...

Would we become desensitized if there were signs???

Gregg Metcalf said...

No more than we become desensitized to our bible laying on the shelf, or mouthing words of praise when we sing overly familiar songs, or by mindlessly gathering each week with the body for service, ministry, edification, and growth. I wanted to emphasize the seriousness of the deceptive insidious working of sin in our lives rather than truly placing signs in the auditorium. We run the danger of being desensitized toward the regular observance of the Lord's Table, praying, worshiping, etc. It is all in the perspective don't you think? I don't think posting signs will keep us from sin, I do think that we need many helps in constantly being reminded of sin.

I certainly asked, "What do you think?" and I appreciate your input, thanks a bunch!!!

Anonymous said...

Sin (missing the mark) is a wily little booger that seems to sneak up on us when we least expect it... kinda like a snake or a politician. Any warning sign is more than welcome as far as I'm concerned.

Anonymous said...

Excellent post. Warning/be alert signs sound like a good idea.

Mike said...

Funny how easy it is to see others' sin with binoculars, but am myopic to my own sin.

Petra said...

Maybe: "Caution, sin at work, hardening your heart!" at the entrance, and "Rejoice, Christ's Finished Work at work, replacing your heart!" at the exit? :-)

Gregg Metcalf said...

Petra - Great suggestion! Love it. Was just caught up in the gravity of Hedge's paragraph and the warning passage from Hebrews I was focused on the deception of sin as it hardens my soul, should always remember the finished work of Christ! Great comment, thanks.