We Can Get that Childlike Soft Heart Again

[Reading Time: Approx. 8 min]

Lesson 16 Devotional: Jesus | His Grace & Judgment Tills the Soil of Our Hearts (Matthew 13:23)

Matthew 13:2323 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

We can all remember those early days when we were first forgiven from all our sins at baptism. We were so in love with God. Every day was beautiful. We were committed to daily self-denial, remembering that "Jesus is Lord." We had no sense of entitlement. Our words were, "Yet not as I will, but what you will, Father" (Matthew 26:39). And we felt great about it! Our hearts were soft to God and His word. They were good soil for the seed of the word.

Then, over time, it started to fade a bit. The initial excitement we had about our relationship with God began to fade, just as with the Israelites, who quickly forgot where they had come from and began to fall into sin. The same happens to us at some point. We forget God’s goodness to us—how He saved us. Then the old sinful nature starts to creep back in. Our hearts become hardened. When that happens, our deep love for God can begin to fade. But we can get that back! Our hearts can be softened again. That’s what we’ll be talking about in this lesson.

4 Key Ideas:

1Awareness of Sin
2Hatred Toward & Brokenness Over Sin
3Confessing & Renouncing Sin
4Grace & Judgment

Awareness of Sin

Addressing Obvious Sin

Before we became Christians, we didn’t really understand what sin was. I used to think, “I never killed anybody.” We were aware of the basic sins—lying, cheating, stealing, and killing—those obvious ones. However, when we actually studied the Bible, we were shocked to discover that sin encompasses much more. Envy, jealousy, fits of rage, divisiveness… I had no idea!Then there were the sins of omission, which really caught me off guard. It made sense that if we knew we should do something good but didn’t, that would be wrong. Yet, I didn’t realize it was explicitly mentioned in the Bible as a sin. This was another revelation for me. Once we understood that these behaviors were sinful, that awareness brought us to repentance.However, that initial awareness isn’t enough for lasting change. In the early stages of our walk as disciples, the Holy Spirit is working within us. We strive to do the right things because we know they are right, and what Jesus did for us was still fresh on our hearts. But over time, God begins to prune us, revealing deeper issues of the heart. Even though we understood that selfishness was a sin, we often indulged in it anyway. This brings us to another level of repentance: addressing the root cause.

Addressing the Root Causes of Sin

Different sins have different root causes. As I mentioned above, when we are new in the faith, we may not even realize certain behaviors are sinful. Once we learn that something is wrong, we typically stop doing it out of newfound awareness and the fresh gratitude for our salvation. However, the scriptures that initially enlightened us may not prevent us from falling back into that sin. Why is that? Initially, the root cause may have been ignorance, but later it might be different—perhaps feelings of hurt or frustration lead us to indulge in a sin we already recognize as wrong. Overcoming that sin then requires us to address the underlying hurt. Just as a stomach ache or headache can stem from various root causes, each requires a different remedy. If I have a stomach ache because I ate bad mushrooms, taking antacids to help me with my stomach ache will do me no good. I probably should go get my stomach pumped! In the same way, to address a sin in my life now may need for me to address some deeper issues that may seem to have nothing to do with simply "knowing" that what I'm struggling with is a sin. We have to dig deeper. We need a deeper awareness to address sin as we grow in the faith. In this second phase of addressing root causes, we become aware of a deeper level of sin or healing that needs to occur. Ultimately, both processes begin with awareness.

Hatred Toward & Brokenness Over Sin

Remember His Love. Remember the Price: I remember the Friday night in June of 1995 when I studied Matthew 26-27 — the account of the crucifixion. It was the most life-changing and heart-cutting (Acts 2:37) night of my life.

I couldn’t believe what I read that night.

What I read that night all happened because of God's love for me. Yes, He sent His Son to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, but it wasn’t about “the world” that night, it was about me—Thomas Hadley. That broke me and made me more grateful than I had ever been.

What happened on the cross was for Thomas Hadley. Jesus's love for you should break you. Take a stroll down memory lane and watch this video before going on.

From that point on, I took my sin seriously. I couldn't deliberately lie, give in to impure thoughts, or compromise in any way. I understood the importance of sharing the good news with others and the consequences of omission. However, as the years passed, that initial conviction began to fade. Has that happened to you? If so, to regain that hatred toward and brokenness over sin, we must remember the price paid for our forgiveness. Jesus laid down His life for us, enduring humiliation, mockery, and violence from those He came to save. Returning to the cross can help us feel rightly about our sin—developing a hatred for it and a deep brokenness over it. This brokenness will start to soften our heart again.

Confessing & Renouncing Sin

Even with brokenness and hatred of our sin, we will still fall short. To keep our hearts soft during these times, it’s crucial to continually confess our sins to one another and pray for each other. John reminds us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:5-10). James emphasizes the importance of confessing to each other. This practice keeps us aware of our sin, humble, and aware of our need for God.

Proverbs 28:1313 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy

However, confessing alone isn’t enough. We must also work out our salvation with fear and trembling, crucifying our sinful nature. This means taking seriously the task of doing battle against the sinful desires that war against our souls. God has given us the tools to repent (Ephesians 6:10-17) and has given us the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, reminding and strengthening us in times of difficulty. In Matthew 26:44, Jesus shows us in a very practical way what it looks like to fight against the flesh as he prayed three times saying the same thing to submit his flesh to his Father's desires.

Grace & Judgment

GraceIn Revelation 2-3, we see Jesus’s mercy toward the churches living in sin. He extends grace, giving them time to repent. God longs to be with us and to show us mercy, not treating us as our sins deserve. This message resonates throughout both the Old and New Testaments. He sent His servants, the prophets, repeatedly to guide His people back from wickedness. In 1 Corinthians, we see the depth and breadth of His forgiveness for sins committed within the church—sins even more grievous than those outside it. His grace truly overflows. If you feel condemned, remember that this feelings are not from God but from the enemy (Revelation 12:10). Feeling convicted is from God (2 Corinthians 7:8-11). Feeling condemned is NOT. This is part of his strategy as he wages war against all who follow Jesus (Revelation 12:17). He is the accuser and the father of lies (John 8:44).

Judgment: There is a Limit to GraceWhile God’s grace and forgiveness for our sins are immense, both the Old and New Testaments reveal instances when God has simply “had enough.” The doctrine of “Once Saved, Always Saved” contradicts Scripture; we can, in fact, lose our salvation. Hebrews 10:26-27 teaches that there comes a point when no sacrifice for sins is left — only a fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.Furthermore, in Hebrews 6:4-6, the author warns that if we fall away, we cannot be brought back to repentance. Similarly, 2 Peter 2:20-22 cautions that those who turn away after following Jesus are like a dog returning to its vomit.It is crucial to understand that while God’s mercy is boundless, judgment awaits those who choose to abandon their faith. We must maintain a healthy reverence for our Heavenly Father and recognize the consequences of sin in our lives.

As Jesus Did: Practical ApplicationHow can we apply what we’ve learned today to walk as Jesus did?

1Regain Awareness (Matthew 13:19): Jesus was able to fight Satan's temptation by using the scriptures (Matthew 4:1-11). It’s likely that Satan has snatched some of God‘s word from your heart (this happens to all of us at times) over the years so that you have forgotten what sin IS. Review Matthew 5-7 to regain Jesus's perspective on righteousness (Isaiah 5:20-24).
2Hating Sin (avoiding sin) (Matthew 5:29-30). Identify one specific sin that has been challenging for you to overcome recently. Create a list of at least 5scriptures that address this sin. Review it daily for a week. Watch the change God makes in you (Psalm 119:11)!
3Confessing Sin (Matthew 26:36-38). If you haven’t been, get back into the practice of confessing your sins and sharing your weaknesses (2 Corinthians 11:30). Especially the sin you identified in #2. Confess to a friend in Christ who will encourage you, yet challenge you to grow. He/she should be open to doing the same with you. Jesus demonstrated his vulnerability in his most challenging hour. This is a great model for us.
4Grace and Judgment. Spend some time in prayer and fasting, asking God to reveal any sin that has hardened your heart and caused you to lose your first love for Him. As you become aware, ask Him to help you understand His grace while also giving you a healthy fear of Him and how that sin can destroy your life and put your salvation at stake.

Lesson 16 Training Tips: Hate Sin Like Jesus Did

Getting More from Your Study of the GospelsThese insights aim to build your faith, deepen your understanding, and encourage practical application of God’s Word.

1Read: Read Matthew 5-7 aloud. Jot down on paper what the Holy Spirit spoke to you from that reading.
2Meditate: Meditate on the section that stood out to you most from Matthew 5-7 and meditate what the Holy Spirit has spoken to you. Take 10 minutes to reflect on it, allowing it to sink into your heart.
3Pray: Ask God to sensitize you to renew a sense of hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) in your heart.

ConclusionJesus's desire for you is for you to restore your first love and to do the things you did at first (Revelation 2:4-5). A major step in this is regaining conviction about sin, softening your heart to the word of God. Once we see sin the way our Father does—as walls and weeds that destroy the relationship He wants to have with us—we will be well on our way to the soft heart we had at first!

Lesson 16: Jesus | With Him, Our Hearts Can Be Softened Again (Matt 13:23)

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