Stay Soft: Avoid Sins' Hardening Influence

Sin is deceitful and has the power to harden one's heart. When we sin, we have the option to turn to God and ask for forgiveness. However, if we are prideful and defensive about our sin, we will make excuses for ourselves and blame others for our problems. Protecting your heart from sin is crucial, as a hardened heart can lead to insensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The key to safeguarding against sin is humility. We must not place ourselves in situations that may tempt us and instead, encourage one another daily to stay on the path of righteousness.

Sin has a singular power to deceive

The deceitfulness of sin is seen in the manner of its approach. It does not reveal its hideousness or horrible consequences but offers us advantages. It comes with questions and inquiries, doubts, and speculations that undermine the foundations of godly fear in the heart. It comes as a bare suggestion or imagination, a pleasant thought that fascinates and lures us into evil. Sin is also deceitful in its object, presenting itself as a means to gain or avoid evil, rather than a way to defy God's authority.

Sin is adept at changing its title and wearing pretty names to disguise its true character. It uses fine words to cover foul deeds, and its quiver has an arrow for everyone, no matter their circumstances. It knows our weaknesses and raw points and finds its way into our lives, whispering smooth words and promising liberty and elevation. However, it keeps none of its promises and leads only to misery and slavery.

Sin is also deceitful in the arguments it uses. It tells us that our actions are trivial and that circumstances have changed, making it acceptable. It encourages us to excuse our sins by pointing to the faults of others and arguing that our circumstances justify our actions. It flatters us into thinking we can control our actions and stop before going too far.

The deceitfulness of sin has a hardening influence on the soul. Through familiarity, security in wrongdoing, and insensibility to the gospel, our hearts become hardened. We become used to the increasing heat of sin and descend into an abyss, thinking it impossible to turn back. Unbelief sets in, and we doubt our Bible, the atonement, and the wrath to come. We seek the company of other evil men, and our hearts grow harder.

To fight against the deceitfulness of sin, we must believe in God and confess our sins honestly before Him. We must cultivate tenderness of heart and be willing to hear exhortation from others. We must also practise exhortation, encouraging and warning one another daily to stay on the right path.

Sin's deceitfulness has a hardening influence on the soul

The Bible warns against the deceitfulness of sin and its hardening influence on the soul. Sin, being the greatest evil in the universe, has the power to deceive and lead people astray from God. It is described as a deceiver, luring individuals away from truth and righteousness. By presenting itself as attractive or harmless, it ultimately leads to spiritual death and hardness of heart.

The Bible urges believers to encourage and exhort one another daily to prevent sin from hardening their hearts. The act of sinning, if indulged, can lead to a gradual process of spiritual insensitivity and rebellion against God. This is why it is crucial for individuals to protect their hearts from sin, maintain humility, and not place themselves in situations of temptation.

Sin has a singular power to deceive, and its deceitfulness can manifest in subtle ways. It may come disguised as a suggestion, imagination, or even as a means of repentance from another sin. It adapts to individual circumstances, preying on vulnerabilities and exploiting weaknesses. Sin is deceitful in its objects, arguments, and promises, often presenting itself as a means to gain pleasure or profit.

The deceitfulness of sin has a hardening influence on the soul. Through familiarity, security in wrongdoing, and insensitivity to the gospel, sin can lead to a gradual hardening of the heart. Evil companionship and the influence of evil associates can further reinforce this hardening. It is important for believers to cultivate a tender heart, confess their sins, and seek forgiveness to prevent the hardening influence of sin.

Sin's deceitfulness must be fought against

Sins deceitfulness must be fought against

Sin is deceitful and it will harden your heart. When we sin, we have the option to turn toward God and confess our sin and ask God for forgiveness. However, if we begin to enjoy our sin or if we are prideful and defensive about our sin then we will make excuses for ourselves. We will find fault with God, the preacher, and everybody else. We will blame others for our problems. When your heart is hard you are in big trouble. You become completely insensitive to the Holy Spirit and that is a sad place for a Christian to be.

The key to protecting your heart from sin is humility. Don’t think that you are impervious to temptation. Don’t trust yourself near temptation. Don’t place yourself in a position where you can possibly be tempted. Abstain from all appearance of evil. Don’t participate in anything that even looks like sin. If you are not going to be religious, then be spiritual and fall in love with Jesus again.

Sin is deceitful in the names it wears. It is very apt to change its title: it seldom cares for its own true description. Fine words are often used to cover foul deeds. Sin has many names by which it would disguise its real character. Sin also shows its special deceitfulness in the arguments which it uses with men. Have you never heard its voice whispering to you, “Do not make much ado about nothing. Is it not a small sin? There is no need to boggle over such a small matter as this. It is not right, but still, it is a mere trifle, unworthy of notice. Do it! do it!” My friends, can there be such a thing as a small sin? The point of the rapier is small, and for that reason, the more deadly. That which grieves the Lord cannot be a little evil.

Sin has a way of adapting itself to us and to our circumstances. One man is of a sanguine temperament, and he is tempted to speculate, to gamble, and ultimately to become dishonest. Another man is of a sober frame of mind, and he is tempted to be melancholy, disputatious, peevish, rebellious against God. To the young man, sin will come with fire for passions, which are all too ready to blaze; to the old man, sin will come with the chill frost of parsimony, or the frost of sloth, or the canker of care. Sin’s quiver has an arrow for the rich, and a dart for the poor: it has one form of poison for the prosperous, and another for the unsuccessful. This master fisherman in the sea of life does not use the same bait for all sorts of fish; but he knows the creatures he would capture. If sin finds you poor, it will tempt you to envy, or to steal, or to doubt God, or to follow crooked ways of gain. If sin finds you abounding in riches, it will follow quite another tack, and lure you on to self-indulgence, or to pride, or worldly fashion. Satan knows more about us than we know about ourselves.

Sin is deceitful, next, in the object it puts before us, for the object which it puts before us is not that which is its actual result. We are not tempted to provoke our Maker, or wilfully cast off the authority of righteousness. We are not invited to do these things for their own sake. No, no; we are moved to do evil under the idea that some present good will come of it. The man thinks, when he yields to sin, that he shall enjoy an additional pleasure, or shall gain an extra profit, or at least shall avoid a measure of evil, and escape from something which he dreads. He does the wrong for the sake of what he hopes will come of it. In brief, he does evil that good may come. Thus, the seeming good is dangled before the short-sighted creature, man, as the bait before the fish. In every case, this object is a piece of deceit. Evil does not lead to good, nor sin promote our real profit: we are fooled if we think so. Yet, in most cases, the man does not commit the sin with the design of breaking the law of God, and defying his Maker, but because he fancies that something is to be gained; and, in his judgment, he better understands what is good for him even than the Lord God, by whose wisdom he ought to be guided.

The way to keep from hardness of heart, and from the deceitfulness of sin, is to believe. Believe against the present temptation. Believe against all future deceitfulness of sin. You shall find that, just in proportion as faith grows strong, the deceit of sin will be baffled. Under the strong light of a living faith, you see through the sinful imposture, and you no longer put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter; but under the half light, the twilight, the darkness of a questioning, half-hearted faith, you cannot see the true colour of an act, and you are easily deceived. Believe thou in the living God, and in his righteousness, and in thy obligation to serve him — then sin will appear exceeding sinful. Believe in Christ, who took thy sin, and bore it in his own body on the tree — then sin will be seen in its black colours. Believe in the Holy Ghost, by whose power thou canst be delivered from the deceitfulness of sin; and as thou believest, so shall it be unto thee, and thou shalt stand fast where the half-believer slides.

Sin's deceitfulness is seen in its promises

The deceitfulness of sin is evident in its promises. Sin promises liberty, but the man who yields to it becomes enslaved. It promises light, but the man who gives up the old faith for the new light soon finds himself in darkness. Sin promises elevation of mind and spirit, but the sinner soon becomes worldly, pleasure-loving, and superstitious. Sin's quiver has an arrow for the rich and a dart for the poor. It knows our weaknesses and tailors its temptations accordingly. It comes to us in subtle ways, offering us advantages and presenting sin as a good thing. It whispers in our ears, "Do not make much ado about nothing. Is it not a small sin? There is no need to boggle over such a small matter." It tempts us with the idea that some present good will come of it, but evil does not lead to good, nor does sin promote our real profit.

Sin is deceitful in its names and arguments. It often changes its title and wears pretty names to disguise its true character. It raises difficult points of casuistry and entices us to excuse sin because others have done so. It flatters us with the notion that we can go so far and no further, that we can tread the verge of crime and yet remain innocent. It frames excuses for us after we have sinned, telling us that we are weak but not wicked, that we were compelled to do wrong. It adds that, considering the temptation, we may wonder at our own moderation in transgression.

Sin is deceitful in its influence. It cultivates a free and easy bearing, telling the sinner not to think or consider, to leave contemplation to older heads. It makes the heart horny by contact with it, leading to insensibility and security in wrongdoing. It leads to insensibility to the gospel, causing the sinner to doubt God and the gospel, and to become indifferent to truth. Evil companionship also hardens the heart, as evil men seek other evil men to associate with, and the daring, looseness, and profanity of abler persons tempt the weak-minded to venture further into sin.

To protect ourselves from the deceitfulness of sin, we must believe in God and confess our sins honestly before Him. We must cultivate great tenderness of heart and not be afraid to grieve over sin. We must also exhort one another daily, warning each other of the dangers of sin and encouraging each other to remain steadfast in faith.

Sin's hardening influence is seen in its influence on the gospel

The hardening influence of sin is seen in its influence on the gospel. Sin has a singular power to deceive, and its deceitfulness has a hardening influence on the soul. The gospel is God's remedy against the evil, filth, and guilt of sin. However, Satan will suggest that God's grace is so great and free that even if one continues to sin, God's grace will abound. This is a mockery of gospel grace, as God's grace teaches us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions.

Sin's deceitfulness is seen in the manner of its approaches, as it does not reveal its hideousness or consequences but offers us advantages. It frequently comes as a bare suggestion or imagination, a subtle thing that fascinates and leads to deadly sin. Sin also adapts to our circumstances, knowing our weaknesses, and comes to us when we are most vulnerable. It presents itself as something that will bring present good, when in reality, it does not lead to good but instead promotes our real profit. Sin is deceitful in its object, for the object it puts before us is not that which is its actual result.

Sin also shows its deceitfulness in the arguments it uses, telling us that it is a small sin, or raising questions about whether it is really wrong. It will also tell us that we may be too precise, and that circumstances have changed. Sin is great at raising difficult points of casuistry, and it will tempt us to find a loophole. It creates in the mind a tendency to do evil because others have done so, and it will tell us that our circumstances furnish us with an excellent justification. It will tell us that we can go just so far and no further, and that we can retreat with ease. It will tell us that we can tread the verge of crime and still be innocent.

Sin will also tell us that we can soon make up for lost time, and that we can live nearer to God and be more useful. It will suggest that we can give something extra to make up for our offences. Sin is deceitful in its promises, as it promises liberty, light, and elevation of mind and spirit, but instead leads to slavery, darkness, and a worldly, pleasure-loving, grovelling, and superstitious state.

Sin has a hardening influence on the soul, as it makes the heart horny by contact with it. Security in wrongdoing leads to a man doing wrong with impunity, and he will do it again and again, proceeding from bad to worse. Insensibility to sin leads to insensibility to the gospel, and a man begins to doubt his Bible, the atonement, and the wrath to come. Evil men seek other evil men to be their associates, and companionship in sin leads to a further hardening of the heart.

To keep from hardness of heart and the deceitfulness of sin, we must believe. Faith has saved us and will keep us. We must also confess our sins honestly before God and cultivate great tenderness of heart. We must also exhort one another daily, both hearing exhortation from others and practising exhortation ourselves.

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