Is there one sin greater than all others? Is there one sin that destroys more souls than all others sins combined?
I say to you that there is.
There is a sin—if it remains in the heart—that will prevent a person from ever tasting salvation.
Yes, I know that the Bible says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). And, “Whosoever believeth in [Christ] should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Still, there is one sin that will forever disqualify a person from receiving eternal life.
What is this sin? ... Unbelief.
Sermon Title: The Danger of Unbelief
Sermon Text: Hebrews 3:7-19
To fully understand this passage, we need to know a little bit about the history of the nation of Israel.
• God began the nation of Israel with a man named Abraham.
• Abraham had a son named Isaac, and Isaac had a son named Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel.
• Jacob had twelve sons whose families became the twelve tribes of Israel.
• One of Jacob’s sons was Joseph who was sold as a slave by his jealous brothers.
• Joseph ended up in the land of Egypt where he was, by the providence of God, finally exalted as second-in-command under Pharaoh.
• Eventually all of Joseph’s family moved down to Egypt from Canaan
• Years later, a Pharaoh rose to power who felt threatened by the Israelites.
• He made them Egypt’s slaves, and they suffered for four hundred years under this bondage.
• Finally God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and back to Canaan, the Promised Land.
• Today’s text refers to Israel’s time in the wilderness following their exodus from Egypt.
Key Verse: “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (v. 19).”
Unbelief presents a great danger.
What is the danger?
Unbelief prevents one from entering into God’s rest.
What is God’s rest?
God’s rest for the Israelites was the land of Canaan. Canaan was to be a rest from their journey from Egypt through the wilderness.
What is God’s rest for us today?
God’s rest for us is the blessing of salvation in Christ. Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). To “labour” means to be weary. Just as the Israelites were weary from the wandering in the wilderness and desired rest in Canaan, people today are weary from wandering in the wilderness of sin and need rest in Jesus Christ.
I. The danger of unbelief is illustrated by the Israelites in the wilderness (vv. 7-11).
Verses 7-11 are a quote from Psalm 95:7-11. Psalm 95 refers to Israel’s disobedience while they were in the wilderness. Just as the psalmist used these words as a warning to the people of his day, so the writer of Hebrews warns his readers not to do what the Israelites did.
“Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness” (vv. 7-8).
The word “wherefore” points back to verse 6: “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
The purpose of this passage (3:7-19) is to make sure professing Christians really are possessors of salvation.
God’s house refers to all believers. We are true believers “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” To “hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” simply means to remain courageous and hopeful to the end.
What is the proof of a genuine believer? He will “hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto then end.”
What is the proof of a false professor of salvation? He will not “hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto then end.”
This is what we see in the illustration of the Israelites in the wilderness. The Israelites were not courageous and hopeful unto the end. Rather, they were cowardly and hopeless in the wilderness. Why were they like that? Because they lacked real faith in God.
Their unbelief is seen in verse 8: “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.”
What is a hardened heart?
A hardened heart is a heart of unbelief which manifests itself by continual disobedience to the will of God.
“The provocation”(the rebellion) and “the day of temptation in the wilderness” refer to the same event which is recorded in Exodus 17:1-7.
These Israelites were a grumbling and complaining people.
• In Exodus 5, they complained about being the Egyptians’ slaves, so God judged Egypt with a series of ten plagues that led to the Israelite’s freedom.
• In Exodus 14, they complained when the Egyptians were pursuing them, so God parted the Red Sea and delivered them.
• In Exodus 15, they complained about the bitter water at Marah, so God made the water sweet.
• In Exodus 16, they complained about not having any food to eat, so God provided them with manna and quails.
• Now in Exodus 17, they complain about not having any water to drink, so God miraculously provides water from a rock.
Despite all of God’s miracles performed in their midst, their hearts were still filled with unbelief. How do we know this?
The real proof of the Israelites’ unbelief was demonstrated at Kadesh-Barnea.
Numbers 13:26-14:3
Numbers 14:22-23
Why did the Israelites disobey God’s command to possess the Promised Land? Unbelief. God said, “I will give you this land.” The people said, “We cannot take this land.” They failed to believe God’s promise. They possessed no confidence in God.
A. Their hardened hearts did not appreciate God’s faithfulness (v. 9).
“When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.”
1. They tempted God. That means they tested Him.
2. They proved God. That means they tried Him.
3. They saw God’s works.
This verse reminds me of a slogan Ford used in their commercials: “Tried, Tested, and True.” Apparently, owners of Ford vehicles had tried and tested them and found them to be true.
How long did this last? “Forty years.” That is the character of unbelief—it never has enough proof.
B. Their hardened hearts grieved God (v. 10).
“Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.”
“Grieved” means more than just being unhappy. It means “aggravated” or “angered.”
1. God said, “Their hearts are always going astray.”
Sin was a continual practice for these people. Moses said to them in Deuteronomy 9:7, “From the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt, until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the Lord.”
2. God said, “They have not known my ways.”
They were associated with God, but they didn’t really know Him.
C. Their hardened hearts excluded them from entering into God’s rest (v. 11).
“So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)”
That generation died in the wilderness. They never entered the Promised Land. Why? Because their hearts were filled with unbelief.
II. The danger of unbelief is real today (vv. 12-14).
A. If we do not examine ourselves (v. 12).
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
“Brethren” is not a specific reference to Christians. The writer is addressing his Hebrew brothers. He does not know the actual state of every person’s heart.
These Hebrews are urged to “take heed.” This means beware. Beware of what? That they do not depart (turn away) from the living God.
What does departing from God reveal? An evil heart of unbelief. The one who departs never possessed saving faith.
It is not always clear which people in the church have only an intellectual faith in their heads but not genuine faith in their hearts. The Bible mentions in several places that unbelievers in fellowship with the visible church can give outward signs or indications that make them look or sound like genuine believers.
Let me give you three biblical examples of this truth. The first example is a person. The second example is a prophecy. And the third example is a parable.
1. The Person: Judas
Judas, who betrayed Christ, must have acted almost exactly like the other disciples during the three years he was with Jesus. So convincing was his conformity to the behavior pattern of the other disciples, that at the end of three years of Jesus’ ministry, when Jesus said that one of His disciples would betray Him, they did not all turn and suspect Judas, but they rather “began ... to say unto him, Lord, is it I?” (Matthew 26:22).
2. The Prophecy: Matthew 7:21-23
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Although these people prophesied and cast out demons and did “many wonderful works” in Jesus’ name, the ability to do such works did not guarantee that they were Christians. Jesus says, “I never knew you.” He does not say, “I knew you at one time but you strayed away from me,” but rather, “I never knew you.” They were never genuine believers.
3. The Parable: The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4)
Jesus says, “And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: but when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away” (vv. 5-6). Jesus explains that the seed sown on stony ground represents people who “when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended” (vv. 16-17). The fact that they “have no root in themselves” indicates that there is no source of life within these plants; similarly, the people represented by them have no genuine spiritual life within. They have an appearance of conversion and they apparently have become Christians because they received the word “with gladness,” but when difficulty comes, they are nowhere to be found—their apparent conversion was not genuine and there was no real saving faith in their hearts.
The writer wants his readers to examine themselves to make sure that they do not have an evil heart of unbelief that turns away from God.
Paul echoes these words in 2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.”
B. If we do not exhort one another (v. 13).
“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
To “exhort” means to come alongside someone to help. The writer tells his readers to get alongside each other and strengthen one another’s faith in Christ. In doing so, they might find someone who is not a genuine believer.
This exhortation is an immediate need lest anyone “be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” “Deceitfulness” refers to trickery. Sin often tricks an unbeliever into never making a decision for Christ. And every time the offer salvation is rejected, the heard becomes more and more hardened.
C. If we do not exemplify steadfast confidence (v. 14).
“For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”
This verse is very similar to verse 6.
Simply put, “Partakers of Christ” are those who have a share in Christ’s salvation.
The partaker of Christ has “confidence.” What kind of confidence? A confidence that is held stedfast unto the end. “Stedfast” means “firm”or “secure” (Vine).
How do we know if we have become partakers of Christ? One way we can know that we have come to genuine faith in Christ is if we continue in faith until the end of our lives.
I’m not saying that a Christian can never backslide or drift from the Lord. That often happens. But a real Christian will never totally depart from the faith.
The purpose of this verse is not to make those who are presently trusting in Christ worry that some time in the future they might fall away. Rather, the purpose is to warn those who are thinking of falling away that if they do this it is a strong indication that they were never saved in the first place.
Let me stress that I believe in eternal security. I believe that once God saves you, you are saved eternally. I don’t want Christians to doubt their salvation, but I also don’t want people to have a false assurance. There are many people who really think they are saved, but are actually not.
Many people view faith in Christ like a vaccination. They got their vaccination years ago and assume all is well without every giving any thought to the danger of unbelief. They say, “I got innoculated against hell when I was eight years old, or 20 years old, or whenever.” They are unaware that becoming a Christian is more than repeating a prayer or walking an aisle. Becoming a Christian involves a real faith in Christ that endures through any difficulty and continues to the end. Those who think of salvation as something that only happened in the past and doesn’t effect the present are in tremendous danger.
III. The danger of unbelief is worthy of a second look (vv. 15-19).
A. This danger demands immediate action (v. 15).
“While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.”
This verse contains the third mention of the word “today” in this passage. “Today” is a word of urgency.
D. L. Moody, the great evangelist, was preaching in Chicago on October 8, 1871. Before him was the largest congregation he had ever addressed in the city. He concluded his sermon with a blunder that he called the biggest mistake in his life, one he vowed he would give his right hand to take back. He, D. L. Moody, gave the people a week to decide for Christ. That night the great Chicago fire broke out and many of the people who were there were killed. Moody said that was the last time he ever told anyone to postpone a decision for Christ.
The apostle Paul echoes the need for urgency in 2 Corinthians 6:2: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
When is the day of salvation? Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next year. Today is the day of salvation!
Don’t harden your heart. Don’t continue in unbelief. Put your trust in Christ today for salvation.
B. This danger destroys even those who have known God’s truth (v. 16).
“For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.”
It doesn’t matter if you attend church every Sunday. It doesn’t matter if you read the Bible and know what it says. It doesn’t even matter if you agree with what the truth of the gospel. If you do not have a faith (a confidence) in Jesus Christ than endures unto the end, you are not a true believer.
C. This danger delivers God’s anger (v. 17).
“But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness.
All those who continue in unbelief will one day face the judgement of God. Today is the day of grace. Coming is the day of judgement. Don’t be like that unbelieving Israelite generation that fell in the wilderness. Fully commit yourself to Jesus Christ today.
D. This danger disqualifies one for entering into God’s rest (vv. 18-19).
“And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
* * * * *
The Israelites witnessed the power and glory of God, but with hardened hearts of unbelief they turned from Him and never entered into His rest.
When a person hears the truth of Jesus Christ, acknowledges that it is true, and then turns his back and walks away, there is nothing more God can do.
Don’t be like those Israelites.
• Examine yourself.
• Exhort one another.
• Exemplify steadfast confidence.
If you have examined yourself and doubt that you are saved, that is a good indication that you’re not. You don’t have that enduring confidence that is to be evident in a believer’s life. If you are not sure you’re saved, I urge you to make sure of it today.
Dr. C. I. Scofield, author of the well-known Scofield Bible, worked as a lawyer before his conversion. One day a Christian lawyer named Tom M’Pheeters called on Scofield in his office. As he was about to leave, he suddenly turned round to where Scofield stood, and facing him directly, said, “For a long time I have been wanting to ask you a question, that I have so far been afraid to ask, but I am going to ask it now.” “I never thought of you as afraid,” said Scofield. “What is your question?” “I want to ask you why you are not a Christian?” said M’Pheeters, courteously. There was a pause of silence, for that question had come so unexpectedly that for the moment he was staggered by it.
Scofield thoughtfully answered, “Does not the Bible say something about drunkards having no place in heaven? And I am a hard drinker, M’Pheeters.” “You have not answered my question, Scofield,” the visitor said. “I asked, ‘Why are you not a Christian?’” “I have always been a nominal Episcopalian, you know,” said Scofield, “but I do not recall ever having been shown just how to be a Christian.” I do not know how.” To the answer of his friend, M’Pheeters had his answer. Drawing his New Testament from his pocket, and taking a chair in the lawyer’s office he sat down, and there and then read passage after passage from the Word of God, showing God’s way of salvation simply and clearly. Then he put to Scofield the plain and definite question, “Will you accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior?” “I’m going to think about it,” was the answer. “No, you’re not,” answered M’Pheeters, “you’ve been thinking about it all your life. Will you settle it now? Will you believe on Christ now, and be saved?”
Scofield stood silent for a moment in deep thought. Then turning, he looked his friend full in the face and said, “I will.” (Twice-Born Men, Hy. Pickering, pp. 82-83).
Will you? Don’t delay in making this decision. Don’t put it off. Do it today.
