Unrepentance Kills

Proverbs 29:1

A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed- without remedy.

Unrepentance kills.  Unrepentance and rebellion is a sign that there is no faith in a person's heart.  Repentance is a fruit of faith.  It is not a good work that we do to earn forgiveness or salvation.  

Notice here:  "many rebukes".  When someone is caught in a sin he needs to be rebuked with God's Law.  Only the law convicts us of our sins.  We do not give the gospel to someone who is arrogantly rebellious.  We do not "cast our pearls before swine".  

If you have received "many rebukes" (many is two or more) for a sin that has ensnared you, it is time to turn to the Lord and repent.  Your arrogance is not cute or cool.  It is killing you.  Pride and arrogance are tools Satan uses to keep people locked in their sin.  He loves watching people play the fool as they fight for their right to reject Christ's gift of salvation and ignorantly embrace his (Satan's) lies that guarantee eternal damnation in the fires of hell.

This Proverb also makes it very clear that God's patience will run out with the unrepentant sinner.  That's why it is so sad when someone hardens their heart to rebukes with God's Word, "they will be destroyed".  The writer of Hebrews says it this way in Hebrews 10:26-27,31:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

The good news is that if you are reading this, it's not too late.  Confess your sin, repent of your sin and ask God to forgive you.  Your sins have already been forgiven.  Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all people.  Through the blood of Jesus Christ all your sins are forgiven.  

My prayer for anyone caught in this situation is that the Holy Spirit works faith in your heart and leads you to repentance; and through that gift of faith you stop rejecting the forgiveness and salvation that Jesus won for you with His life, death and resurrection.

Ezekiel 33:11,14,16

As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.  Turn!  Turn from your evil ways!  Why will you die, O house of Israel?
And if I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right-
None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him.  He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.

God bless

Jason Fredrick