3 Ways We Harden Ourselves Against Discipline | Clip from Final Warning

Media Gratiae

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

Hope Project 4 Kids with Jeremy Walker and Gilbert Mulubwa

00:02

Um, which one have I not thought of? I think that I had never considered that final one, um, the, the conversion or correction of another sinner.

00:14

So he kind of gives a picture of two people running together in life and they're kind of living the same way and living it up and encouraging each other in a life of just self -indulgence.

00:26

One of them is stopped in their tracks. So it could be conversion, but it could have been a Christian where God deals with them.

00:32

And the other person suddenly, you're, you know, you're, you're, you're running, mate, isn't running with you anymore. And so that's kind of shocking.

00:39

But if you see a really deep, distinct change, he says, that's, take that as a correction from God and don't brush it off.

00:50

You know, it bothers you. It got your attention. So use it. Yeah. Um, any of those that you hadn't thought of as an aspect of correction?

00:59

I don't, I don't think so. The one you just mentioned, not in the exact category or as he describes it exactly, but, um, the

01:06

Lord used the conversion of my father to deeply affect me. And so I do see how that could be used as a reproof.

01:13

Yeah. Yeah. Kind of someone to just shake us. Um, and again, I mean, you know, we are talking about God exposing something to us that perhaps we've become blind to.

01:23

So almost like you've fallen asleep and someone shakes you and it can be alarming, but it's for the, but it's for love.

01:31

It's to do us good. Well, he talks about the danger of hardening yourself.

01:36

And I, and I was thinking about what would that look like? And so, you know, I think sadly in this category,

01:43

I can always look at myself and see plenty of examples. Three things I could see in me in the past.

01:49

How have I hardened myself or become kind of calloused toward God's gentle rebukes, his exposing of sin?

02:01

And so I thought of three, I don't know if you can think of others. Sometimes I get angry and say, it's not my fault.

02:09

You're dead wrong. You know, to, to whatever manner that the message is coming to me, I just shrugged my shoulder and say, it's not me.

02:16

Um, the other would be to agree, but to throw in some blame for everybody else around me to say, well, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right, but so -and -so.

02:31

And so the ultimate product of that is I don't really change.

02:37

And then the third, which might look very different than the others is I completely agree. And I get really sentimental and, um, my feelings get hurt and I get down in the dumps and I despair that I'm ever going to be any different.

02:52

And I always seem to do this, you know, and you know, this isn't the first time someone's had to say this to me.

02:59

And that is not repentance. You know, all it is, is an offended, humiliated pride in me.

03:07

And it doesn't lead to any Christ -like alterations in my behavior, especially at that deeper root level.

03:14

And so generally I just end up back there again, you know, if the person is willing to say it again or if God uses other means.

03:22

Can you think of any other ways that, you know, we can harden? The only thing

03:27

I think I would add is maybe an apathy or an indifference. So you just kind of shrug and keep going. Yeah.

03:34

Yeah. And that can come with age, you know. I mean, we've had the benefit of being friends for over 20 years.

03:43

We met when we were at college. You can see how easy it is for yourself or for your

03:50

Christian friends. I mean, when you're a young Christian, you're pretty tender. And as we were talking before the podcast,

03:58

I think one of the evidences of a hardening, you know, when you're a young Christian, you probably have a very short list of gray areas.

04:05

I mean, you know, you're very earnest. So everything's black and white and maybe there's a gray area or so.

04:10

And as you grow older as a Christian, sometimes you realize that your black and white list wasn't biblical.

04:18

But I distrust myself when with, you know, 30 years, yeah, it's been 30 years that we've known each other.

04:27

With 30 years of being a believer, John Snyder's gray list has increased.

04:35

Is it because I'm becoming more like Christ or is it because in pride I'm willing to be a bit hardened in those areas and do what you mentioned?

04:46

I shrug my shoulders when someone or the Bible points them out and I think, come on, that's an immature view of this.

04:52

Everybody knows that this is okay. I don't need to be a legalist. And I wonder if, especially with the, you know, the reform movement in our day with so many activities that used to be considered wrong or not really right.

05:09

Now they're just, we're told that if you're a serious, clear thinking Christian and not a legalist, you understand that these are great.

05:17

And I'm not convinced that we are becoming more like our Lord when we have more gray areas.