Subject: The Hidden Lines
Scripture: Proverbs 29:1 “He that being often reproved and hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
Introduction: There is a danger in crossing God’s deadlines. It is hard to imagine that a God of love has deadlines. This verse says, a person often rebuked who becomes obstinate Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy. One who becomes stiff-necked, after many reprimands will be shattered instantly— beyond recovery. Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery. Can a person cross a deadline spiritually? Can you so stubbornly, arrogantly sin against God that He will give up on you? The answer is yes. You can. The poem “The Hidden Line” describes it like this:
“There is a time, we know not when, A place, we know not where, That marks the destiny of men, To glory or despair. There is a line by us unseen That crosses every path, The hidden boundary between God’s patience and His wrath.”
But far more gripping than the words of the poem is what God says on the subject. Proverbs 29:1 is a terrifying verse: “He who hardens his neck and refuses instruction after being often reproved (corrected, criticized), Will suddenly be broken beyond repair.”
You say, “But God is a God of infinite love.” Yes, He’s a God of love, but that’s only part of the truth. Partial truth is an untruth. We need to see all God says on the subject. Yes, you can reach the point of no return.
What about the mercy of God? Mercy refers to God’s forbearance or God withholding punishment. For example, God the Father showed mercy on us when he sacrificed his son, Christ Jesus, on the Cross to pay the price for our sins. God’s grace, in Christian theology, is the spontaneous, unmerited gift of the divine favor in the salvation of sinners, and the divine influence operating in individuals for their regeneration and sanctification. As Methodist we believe in three kinds of grace: prevenient grace, which is God's active presence in people's lives before they even sense the divine at work in their lives; justifying grace, through which all sins are forgiven by God; and sanctifying grace, which allows people to grow in their ability to live like Jesus.
The religious leader, in particular, and the Jewish people had experienced the miracle of grace and mercy, and the love of God displayed in the person of Jesus Christ, his son. To justify destroying Jesus, they accused Him of being a law breaker, casting out devil by the power of Beelzebul and working miracles in league with Satan. They were in danger of Mismanaging God’s Mercy and misusing God’s grace.
This lesson points out that there is a line that we should not cross. Many today are excited about the message of grace and the liberty of the gospel. They cast off the restraints of the Laws of God and any traditional moral rules. They use their liberty as an occasion to sin. They crucify the Lord afresh and trample the love of God under their feet. Jesus saw the direction the religious leaders were going and warned them of the danger.
Years ago, the military prison system coined the phrase, “Deadline”. It was a line in the prison yard, identified as point where violators would be shot by the guards, if they crossed that line. It was the first things newly incarcerated persons were shown and taught so no one would dare test the limits. There are places in the scripture that God has drawn a line in the sand. I know for some, it maybe difficult to embrace the idea that a merciful, kind and loving God would dare set some limits.
Here are some examples, Genesis 6:3 “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” God said, this period of Grace will end.
Genesis 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. God, set a day of destruction for the man he created and loved.
God set a time limit for the Holy Spirit to woo and plead with men, encouraging them to repent and return unto God. When man refused, the flood came judging every man, woman, boy and girl. They crossed the deadline. Some people view God as being cruel, hard and unjust, yet Paul warns against anyone who would accuse God of injustice. How can the one created accuse the creator of injustice? Listen to the deadline used by Jesus to the religious leaders of the danger of crossing the deadline.
Matthew 12:31,32 “And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Jesus calls this deadline, Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. These religious leaders were endanger of mocking the Holy Spirit’s work, insulting His person and even attributing the work of God to Satan. There are several ways people can blaspheme the Holy Ghost: railing against Him, speaking evil of Him, reviling him, defaming Him, slandering Him and even lying to him.
In Acts 5, Ananias and Saphira crossed the deadline. They were guilty of trying to deceive the church and lying to the Holy Spirit. They were instantly judged and fell dead in the church. In Acts 12, Herod crossed the deadline trying to take God’s glory for himself. He was judged and was eaten alive by the worms. Herod crossed the deadline, and the worms got him. Throughout the scriptures, we have many cases revealed from the flood over the world to Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt. The record is given so no one would dare to live carelessly harden their hearts, walk in willful and blatant disobedience to test the limits of God.
Proverbs 29:1”He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
There is a danger of crossing the deadline, mismanaging God’s mercy and abusing God’s grace. The religious leaders were trying to protect their position, their authority and the influence over the people. They witnessed Jesus’ miracles, listened to his preaching, observed his actions and manners, yet they chose to call him a sinner and servant of Satan. They harden their hearts, stiffened their necks and rejected the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Just like to people in the days of Noah; just like Lot’s wife, Herod, Felix and Festus and countless others who chose to reject God’s offer and the call of the Holy Spirit, ignored God’s mercy and abused God’s grace.
Isaiah 55:6-9 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
God showers us with His Mercy and Grace because He does not want a single person to be lost. His desire is to have mercy upon us; and offer us abundant pardon for every sin and bring us into a right relationship with Himself, with others and within ourselves. The word exposes sin in our lives so we can repent of our sin and turn from our wicked ways. If believers choose to live in known sin, and ignore the call of God, they should brace themselves for judgment. If people persist in willful disobedience of God’s word, they can expect God to use other methods to get their attention.
Deuteronomy 28, God use instruments to get Israel’s attention. He used hunger, thirst, nakedness and finally want of all things. The people of Israel were chosen, called, privileged, and abundantly blessed, yet they mismanaged their position, misused their privileges and abused the mercy and grace of God. In Matthew 12, Jesus warned the religious leaders and us of the danger of crossing God’s deadline, mismanaging God’s Mercy and abusing God’s Grace. Jesus was so concerned about these religious leaders that He spoke to their thoughts before they voice them. First, let me say, many are endanger of misusing God’s mercy and abusing God’s Grace today.
1. Stubbornness Can Be Dangerous. Jesus said, “A divided kingdom cannot stand.” I know we see a lot of division in our world, our country, our state, city and community, but a divided kingdom cannot stand forever. Many leaders are dealing with inner turmoil. Their lives are filled with inner conflict. Many of the decisions conflict with what they know to be true. Their actions are in conflict with what they know about the Scriptures. The religious leaders saw miracles, healing, deliverance of Jesus, they heard his teaching, but they refuse to believe their own eyes and ears. The evidence was convincing, yet they rejected Jesus. Just as some try to discredit the value of church, they point to weak Christians and faulted preacher, as justification for their attitude and sin. Yet they know pointing finger at others can never justify their actions. They are divided by the conflict in their own hearts. Church members maybe weak and faulted, preachers may have shortcoming and moral failure, there is no fault in Jesus or in the life he lived or in the salvation he offers. What are you going to do with Jesus? Stubbornness can be a Dangerous Deadline.
2. Indecision Can Be Dangerous. Matthew 12:30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
Some refuse to make a choice; they choose to remain neutral. Some take comfort in the fact they are neutral. If we think we can remain neutral about Jesus, you are mistaken. Some confess, “I have “nothing against the Church or preachers or Jesus Christ, I just want to be left alone. Jesus can be the Savior to those who need him.” In verse 30, Jesus makes it clear. There is no neutral ground. Either you are with me or against me. You are for me, or you are against me. In a generation that loves compromise, this maybe hard to receive. Some take a neutral approach to government involvement and election. But a none vote “for” is the same as a vote against. The person who does not stand for Jesus, takes a position against him. What are you going to do with Jesus? What side are you standing on?
3. Procrastination can be Dangerous. Hebrews 4:7 “He again marks out a certain day, saying in David, "Today," (after so long a time). Even as it is said, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."
Many think the door of opportunity will be opened for them forever. God does not want anyone to perish. Every message is a call to repentance. God is longsuffering, constantly warning, hoping that all would repent and change direction. Some mismanage God’s given opportunities by thinking, “I know I need to change, and I will but not now.” The Scriptures remind us that the day you hear my voice, harden not your heart. If you ignore God’s call long enough, you may become dull of hearing. Like the ring of an alarm clock, or the buzz of a smoke detector, you can get used to it.
Barbara and I were guests in a home in Dallas and the smoke detector needed a battery. It beeped constantly during our stay. Upon leaving we mentioned the beep, but family members never noticed. The wife said, “I told you about it months ago.” They had blocked the sound out. What are you going to do with Jesus today? What side are you standing on today? Tomorrow is not promised and all we really have is right now! Every day has been a day of God’s mercy and grace. We can avoid mismanaging our day of mercy and grace by deciding today to choose the Lord’s side, to answer the Lord’s Call and to yield to the pull of the Holy Spirit. Don’t waste today, because today is all we have. Don’t imagine a vain thing. Psalms 2:1-4; “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.”
A vain thing is believing life can be better without God, without rules and without restraints. A vain thing is trying to live the good life without God in our lives. God laughs because it is foolish and folly. We should avoid this foolishness and folly because it is a vain thing. We can avoid mismanaging our day of mercy and grace by deciding today to choose the Lord’s side, to answer the Lord’s Call and to yield to the pull of the Holy Spirit. Invite Jesus to come in and take control.
Proverbs 3:5-6 remind us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Don’t allow stubbornness, indecision or procrastination to cause you to cross God’s hidden lines. Don’t ignore the call of God. God is not willing that any should perish, but all would be saved. Invite Jesus to come in and take control. Do it today. The poem “The Hidden Line” describes it like this:
“There is a time, we know not when, A place, we know not where, That marks the destiny of men, To glory or despair. There is a line by us unseen That crosses every path, The hidden boundary between God’s patience and His wrath.” Amen.
