Context of Hebrews 3
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Hebrews 3 provides a warning against unbelief, rebellion, distrust, and disobedience that comes from the hardening of your heart.

Hebrews 3:13 answers two questions:
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1) What leads to the hardening of your heart?
2) How to prevent the hardening of your heart?

We can be deceived in two ways:
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1) Think it’s harmful but it isn’t.
2) Think it is not harmful but it – this is the deceitfulness of sin.

Five Signs we are being deceived by sin and our hearts are being hardened:
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1) Not a hunger and thirst for Christ and his righteousness as seen in the slippage of spiritual disciplines.
2) No longer hate sin - now there’s an allowance for or a tolerance of sin in our lives.
3) Our identity, purpose, worth and value are impacted by things other than Jesus.
4) Your greatest source of joy is no longer found in your relationship with Christ.
5) Godly love, care and compassion for all people has subsided.

Two examples that show incredible deceiving power of sin:
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1) Adam & Eve
2) Angelic Lucifer

The deceitfulness of sin, before we sin:
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1) Sin is deceitful in its approach.

The deceitfulness of sin, before we sin (continued):
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1a) Sin has a way of adapting itself.
1b) Sin can develop out of repulsion of another sin:
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2) Sin is deceitful in its object.
3) Sin is deceitful, next, in its names.
4) Sin is deceitful in its arguments.

The deceitfulness of sin, after we sin:
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1) Sin deceitfulness is in its power.
2) Sin’s deceitfulness is in its excuses.
2a) Sin can make itself out to be praiseworthy.
2b) Sin suggest that you can make up for it.
3) Sin deceives in its attack.

The Process of Hear Hardening:
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- “Hardening,” in a moral context, it means impenetrable, insensitive, blind, unteachable, unyielding, obstinate, stubborn.

- This is not a sudden aberration, but the product of a habit.

- Hardening of the heart is through the co-operation of both God & Man (Like Pharaoh)

1) Hardening through familiarity with sin.
2) Hardening through no-immediate visible consequence.
3) Hardening through companionship.

The Prevention of Heart Hardening:
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1) Salvation
2) Confession
3) Exhortation
3a) Hear & Receive Exhortation from Others
3b) Speak & Give Exhortation to Others

- Exhort = encourage
(Spur one another on to good deeds / Iron sharpens iron)
- Sin – A brother’s eye may need a little cleaning.
- Sloth – A brother’s fire may need a little stoking.

Response:
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- All have sinned, all have fallen short, all have been deceived.
- All have rebelled, all have distrusted, all have disobeyed.
- All are loved, all are desired, all are offered forgiveness in Christ Jesus.
- All are invited to come to Jesus, who will undeceive you and give you a new heart.