God is particularly interested in what is going on within the heart of man. Specifically, He seeks for, and desires to find, TRUTH.
Perceived strength can be one’s own worst enemy. After all, it leads people to think that they are more powerful and capable than they really are.
Sin has consequences and brings responsibility. A man who gets right with the Lord should naturally look for ways to restore that which he has stolen.
Sin develops, plots, schemes, and finalizes its dastardly deeds within the heart of the guilty long before the sin manifests itself to the eyes of others.
Sin demands atonement. Atonement puts God and man at one. When atonement is made man is cleansed and forgiven. In other words, things are made right.
Often the best way to expose one’s motives involves asking and answering the question “Why?” This question may resurface at the judgment seat of Christ.
Many who understand the wickedness involved in murder fail to realize that the scripture also warns “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.”
The Devil blinds those who have never experienced saving faith by keeping them from being born again. He also distracts the saved to keep them from successfully serving the Lord. Interestingly, the Devil accomplishes both elements using the same means—encouraging men to continue with their misplaced hopes. Job understood that misplaced hope (Job 31:24-27) was a sin and acknowledged it as such in Job 31:28. Some place their hopes in wealth, others in careers, others in family, others in science, and others in physical well-being, but in the end, all of their hopes will be disappointed. Hope placed in anything other than the Lord Himself, His perfect words, and His work on sinful man’s behalf is sin and will eventually leave one with no hope at all.
In a very basic sense, the word hope means desire, yet the true meaning is not nearly as weak as the world presents. The word hope in scripture is associated with the word expectation (Proverbs 10:28; Proverbs 11:7). Hope is not simply some type of wishful thinking; it is something that someone trusts in dearly (Jeremiah 17:7). This type of hope is not something visible to the naked eye of man (Romans 8:24), but it is believed and held firm by faith (Hebrews 11:1). All men live their lives based upon hope; however, not all hope is the same. One man’s hope might be that there is no life after death. Another might place his hope solely upon the payment for sin provided by the Lord Jesus Christ.
An assault upon the conscience of man is indicative of the “latter times.” As men depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, their consciences become so weak that they show very little sign of life. The Bible describes it as a searing of their consciences with a hot iron. Initially, there is great pain in the sin and the conscience feels the pain. Yet, eventually, the conscience becomes so seared that it is numb. At that point, the conscience loses its ability to warn the believer of sin. It further loses the ability to get the believer’s attention when he is on the verge of danger. Eventually, men speak lies in hypocrisy and do not care or feel any remorse for their wickedness.
