‘He who, being often reproved, hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy’

Proverbs 29:1

It’s one thing to be a simpleton or a fool. It’s quite another to be pigheaded and proud of it.

The Bible constantly characterises the fool as one who has not prepared for the future (Matt 7:26, 25:3, Luke 12:20). This may be because one’s attention has not been drawn to the impending danger of eternal destruction under the wrath and judgment of holy God.

Let me therefore set it out for you as clearly as I can.

• ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth’ (Gen 1:1). The mark of design is all over our universe, and design presupposes a designer. There is a Creator, but who is He?
• ‘I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator … your King’ (Isaiah 43:15). We don’t have to guess, for God has revealed Himself as One who is holy, and we are accountable to Him.
• ‘Be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect’ (Matthew 5:48). This is the standard the Jesus Christ sets for us – moral perfection.
• ‘All have sinned and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). It is clear none of us are perfect. We have therefore fallen short of God’s standard, and that’s what the Bible means by sin. We are all sinners.
• ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). Sin always separates, and ultimately will separate us from God and everyone else forever.
• ‘It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment’ (Hebrews 9:27). As God is holy, sin also must be punished, and righteous judgment handed down. But there is good news … and this is the Gospel.
• ‘Thus saith the LORD God … I will save them … and will cleanse them’ (Ezekiel 37:23). God is not only Creator and Judge. He is also the loving Saviour. But how can He save, yet righteous be?
• ‘God commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8). It all comes down to the cross of Jesus Christ. He who is God, yet who became man, has taken our place under the wrath and judgment of God. Now that the price is paid, God is able to freely offer salvation to whoever will accept His terms. But what are God’s terms for salvation?
• ‘God commands all men, everywhere, to repent’ (Acts 17:30). We must agree with God that we are sinners, and turn from our sin.
• ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved’ (Acts 16:31). We must agree with God that His Son Jesus Christ is the only Saviour, and put our trust wholly in Him.
• ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 5:1). To be saved is to be declared righteous before a holy God, and therefore to enjoy peace with God.

Now that you’ve read, and I trust understood, the truths concerning our sinful state, our danger, and God’s provision of salvation, what are you going to do about it?

Sadly, our Western culture is characterised by a hardness of heart against the Gospel. The watchword for this obstinacy is apt – ‘pride’.

Instead of being encouraged to humility and repentance, a healthy attitude for any civilised people, billboards tell us to ‘be proud of who you are’. This indeed is pigheaded in every sense of the word. Not only an intractable determination to ‘do it my way’, but also a willingness to wallow in the mire of depravity.

Dear reader, do not be characterised by such mulishness, for it is a terminal condition. Listen again to the wise words of Solomon.

‘He who, being often reproved, hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy’

Proverbs 29:1

Let me underscore the point. For the person who is proud and unmoving, THERE IS NO SALVATION. Destruction is certain, and will fall suddenly. This is as true for society as it is for the individual. May we take heed to this proverbial warning and humble our hearts before it is too late.