Do Not be a Carcass

In the first part of this message, Carcasses for Christ, I highlighted that salvation is a relationship with God. We must avoid the doctrinal quagmire of obsession with the security or lack of security in the believer and lift our eyes to the cross wherein our salvation is secured. So what is it that keeps us unfocused on the cross?

Part 2 Don't be a Carcass

12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:12-19

How can we avoid becoming carcasses in the wilderness? Verse 13 tells us to Exhort one another daily lest our hearts become hardened.

1. Exhortation keeps us from a hardened heart.
We need fellow believers to stir us up and challenge us at the same time. There is a time to be challenged and a time to be comforted and exhortation in the church should provide both.

2. Exhortation can keep us from unbelief.
As believers we have an obligation to one another to encourage, comfort and chastise, if need be, lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

3. Exhortation can keep us from the deceitfulness of sin.
Sin always lies. Sin always promises more than it can offer. Sin never touts its consequences. This careful exhortation within the modern church is rare indeed. It either is never present or presents itself in a judgmental Pharisaical form. Loving Christian exhortation and discipline can only come from those whose hearts are in tune with the voice of God, “Today if you will hear His voice....”.

Weaning from the milk of the word is not synonymous with weaning from meaningful fellowship with fellow believers. There is never a time in your Christian walk where you do not need exhortation from fellow believers. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” I Cor 10:12.

Where is the first century model of the church exhorting one another found today? The last great example of this was found in early Methodism from 1740 to circa 1860. While many previous church movements were built on doctrine such as Lutherans, Reformed and Presbyterians, Methodism was based upon this very principle of exhortation in a new testament fashion. The Wesley's understood this principle of exhortation.

Click on the podcast message to the right of this post for more.