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. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:12–19, ESV)Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Take care. The author begins this section of the book of Hebrews with a stern warning. Take care. There is an immediacy that goes with it. He means that the danger is more than real. Take care. There is trouble out there. Even you faithful can experience it. He warns against the evil, unbelieving heart. He’s talking to you and me.
To be sure faith is God’s gift. He gives it through the Word, through Baptism and through the Lord’s Supper. These work in our hearts to draw us closer to the Savior. All of it is God’s gift. But the author says, take care. He’s talking about what you do. God provides the means and the opportunity; you provide the open vessel. You see, the evil, unbelieving heart, exists in all of us. It is a fact that defines a Christian. You are a forgiven sinner, but a sinner you remain. And St. Paul tells us about it in his letter to the Romans.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” (Romans 7:18–20, ESV)What a struggle. Those who say being a Christians is an easy fight against sin, are lying to you. What Paul shows us is his own sinful heart, his own struggle with sin, and he is losing.
In verse 24 he even says,
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24, ESV)The struggle against sin is real and continuous.
So, we understand when the author of Hebrews says,
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. (Hebrews 3:12, ESV)Take care! He says. When the text says, in any of you we may be thinking to be on guard against other people. The comic Pogo has the famous quote. “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” But the most immediate danger for each of us is in each of us. We all have the enemy within who is leading you to fall away from the living God.
Paul answers his own question,
Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24b–25a, ESV)In other words, God is the one, and the only one, who delivers us from our sinful nature. It is Jesus on the cross, Jesus in his preaching and teaching, Jesus in his resurrection, Jesus in his coming again. Your sin is forgiven because of Jesus, all of it, those that you struggle with daily and those that you don’t. Jesus is the answer. That is what faith putting your whole trust in Jesus for the forgiveness he offers.
Hebrews continues,
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.” (Hebrews 3:13, ESV)Exhort. That is how the author says to take care. The dictionary definition of exhort is strongly encourage or urge (someone) to do something. As long as it is today, that means always.
Later in the letter he says,
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24–25, ESV)In other words, God has provided the church to you and me, for this encouragement. Back in our text he says,
For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. (Hebrews 3:14, ESV)This sharing of Christ isn’t to unbelievers, it is to each other. We continually need to hear what Jesus has done for us. We continually need to hear about the forgiveness of our sinfulness. We need to received God’s Word that works in us to tamp down the sinful nature.
Sometimes, we take all that God does here for granted. But what a miracle it is to have our little church here in this pagan place. What a miracle it is to have a Christian church anywhere! As Martin Luther says it is God’s Mouth House. It is where He comes to share Christ with sinners.
And what is the encouragement to take care that comes to you here? Well, Martin Luther begins with remembering your baptism.
What does such baptizing with water signify?That old Adam that he is talking about is the unbelieving heart that you struggle with. That is highlighted everywhere in our worship service. When ever we hear the name of God (our hymnal encourages us to use the sign of the cross when we hear it) we are to remember our baptism and the gifts that God gives through it. It isn’t a one-time thing but an everyday, a today, thing that happens through contrition and repentance. Seeing our sin and knowing that God has done something about it through Jesus.
Answer: It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts. And also it shows that a new man should daily come forth and arise, who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
We are in God’s mouth house. We hear God speak here. We confess our sins, and God speaks of your forgiveness through your pastor. We hear his word read / spoken into our ears and straight to our hearts. The stories of God’s faithful people in the saving story of Jesus. Then the sermon applies it to you. We pray together for the needs of our church, community and the world, and God promises answers. We receive the very body and blood of Jesus, that was on the cross. We open our mouths and our ears to hear that forgiveness is given over our tongue.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have re-freshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another
All of this is the found in take care. Take care and use what God has provided. Take care and encourage one another to do these things while it is called today.
Our struggle with sin is real, and dangerous. We can’t tackle it on our own. But God in his grace provides all that we need. First, he gives faith. Then he gives us the church where he causes that faith to grow. In the church he gives encouragement through our brothers and sisters of faith. You can’t be a Christian on your own in this sinful world. You constantly need to be told about Jesus. You constantly need to be told that your sins are forgiven. You constantly need what God has here for you. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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