Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. I. WHAT IS SIN. TO love God and to love our fellow-creatures with a pure heart fervently is the gospel law, and our own conscience witnesses that it is holy, just, and good. Whatever is the contrary to, whatever comes short of this law is sin. Now, if we trace up sin to its fountain, then we call it birth sin — derived from our first father Adam. But, if we trace sin to the streams that flow from this unclean fountain, then we call it actual sin, done by our own will. Then sin is everything we do which we ought not to do, and everything we leave undone which we ought to do. If we trace it to its different kinds we find some sins done against God only, others against God and man too. There are sins of the thought, sins of the heart, sins of the tongue, sins of the hand, sins of the whole body. II. THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN. 1. Sin draws us away from the thought of God and of His grace; of what He has done for us, and of what we owe to Him. 2. Then unbelief slips in; unbelief of God's Word. So Satan tempted Eve. 3. If only we disbelieve God's Word, then we are ready to be caught with the bait which sin offers, fair and tempting to the sight, hiding under it danger and death. 4. Be not misled by the deceitfulness of sin, to go on without repentance, without conversion of heart to God. Is not delay the devil's favourite word? 5. Nor let sin beguile you to misuse the doctrine of the grace of God. III. THE EFFECT OF SIN. It hardens the heart. (E. Blencowe, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. |
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