Spiritual Neuropathy

“To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” —Heb. 3:15

I have a preacher friend who is a diabetic and has neuropathy—The loss of feeling in his hands and feet.  A couple of weeks ago he was drilling a screw into a wooden board he was holding. The screw went through the board into his finger.  He didn’t even realize it until he tried let go of the board he was drilling.  The screw attached his finger to the board.  Now, infection has set in and he had to have part of his finger surgically amputated. (Please pray for him.)

The affliction of neuropathy shows the importance of a person sense of feeling. It is a God-given protection against injuring yourself.

There is also a danger of “spiritual neuropathy” when a Christian loses any feeling of conviction against sin.  Paul warns about becoming “past feeling” (Eph. 4:19). This happens when a person commits a particular sin and hardens himself against the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  He continues that sinful behavior until he becomes so calloused, he doesn’t even feel any conviction about it. It isn’t long until the infection of sin takes over.

That is one of the most dangerous things that can ever happen to a Christian—“having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:2). Don’t let it happen to you.  Always remain tender to the Holy Ghost’s conviction of sin in your life. Don’t harden your heart. As soon as you feel conviction, confess and get it right immediately.

“A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise” (Ps. 51:17).