It is written in Hebrews chapter 3 by The Holy Spirit:
12 So search your hearts every day, my brothers and sisters, and make sure that none of you has evil or unbelief hiding within you. For it will lead you astray, and make you unresponsive to the Living God.
As long as I am in this world in its current state and dealing with people of an unregenerate heart, I find in necessary to repent daily. I do not want any spot or wrinkle to be found within me. The adversary will use people we interact with to initiate reactions contrary to The Word. We must be on guard against such attempts. We must not allow them to affect our walk and cause us to be distracted from our intent to ascend to a higher state.
There are times we must distance ourselves from those who continuously distract us with their issues. Often, they want us to take on the responsibility and accountability for their problems. Their immaturity, neglect, and/or fleshly desires must not be allowed to become a perpetual distraction… including family.
13 This is the time to encourage each other to never be stubborn or hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 For we are mingled with the Messiah, if we will continue unshaken in this confident assurance from the beginning until the end.
15 For again, the Scriptures say,
If only today you would listen to HIS Voice.
Don’t make HIM angry by hardening your hearts,
as you did in the wilderness rebellion.
16 The same people who were delivered from bondage and brought out of Egypt by Moses, were the ones who heard and still rebelled. 17 They grieved God for forty years by sinning in their unbelief, until they dropped dead in the desert. 18 So God swore an oath that they would never enter into HIS calming place of rest all because they disobeyed HIM. 19 It is clear that they could not enter into their inheritance because they wrapped their hearts in unbelief.
Those in the wilderness are a perfect example of unbelief and hardness of heart. They were simply unwilling to change even though they saw and experienced great miracles of deliverance and provision. If you continually associate with people like that, they will simply pull you down as they want you to stay at their level of immaturity. Misery loves company.
Jesus dealt directly with unbelief. He spoke in John chapter 6:
47 “I speak to you living truth: Unite your heart to Me and believe—and you will experience eternal life! 48 I am the true Bread of Life. 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the desert and died. 50 But standing here before you is the true Bread that comes out of heaven, and when you eat this Bread you will never die. 51 I alone am this living Bread that has come to you from heaven. Eat this Bread and you will live forever. The living Bread I give you is My body, which I will offer as a sacrifice so that all may live.”
52 These words of Jesus sparked an angry outburst among the Jews. They protested, saying, “Does this man expect us to eat his body?”
53 Jesus replied to them, “Listen to this eternal Truth: Unless you eat the body of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have eternal life. 54 Eternal life comes to the one who eats My body and drinks My blood, and I will raise him up in the last day. 55 For My body is real food for your spirit and My blood is real drink. 56 The one who eats My body and drinks My blood lives in Me and I live in him. 57 The Father of Life sent Me, and HE is My life. In the same way, the one who feeds upon Me, I will become his life. 58 I am not like the bread your ancestors ate and later died. I am the living Bread that comes from Heaven. Eat this Bread and you will live forever!”
59 Jesus preached this sermon in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Jesus was speaking directly to the mindsets of those whom He was called. Once again they were rejecting God with their unbelief. They preferred to stay in the comfort of their religion even though they produced no fruit. The miracles of Jesus did not break through their bias. They had closed minds and were unwilling to change.
60 And when many of Jesus’ followers heard these things, it caused a stir. “That’s disgusting!” they said. “How could anybody accept it?”
61 Without anyone telling Him, Jesus knew they were outraged and told them, “Are you offended over My teaching? 62 What will you do when you see the Son of Man ascending into the realm from where he came?
63 “The Holy Spirit is the One who gives life, that which is of the natural realm is of no help. The words I speak to you are Spirit and life. But there are still some of you who won’t believe.” 64 In fact, Jesus already knew from the beginning who the skeptics were and who his traitor would be.
65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one embraces Me unless the Father has given you to me.”
66 And so from that time on many of the disciples turned their backs on Jesus and refused to be associated with Him. 67 So Jesus said to his twelve, “And you—do you also want to leave?” 68 Peter spoke up and said, “But Lord, where would we go? No one but You gives us the revelation of eternal life. 69 We’re fully convinced that you are the Anointed One, the Son of the Living God, and we believe in You!”
Let’s face it, not everyone is going to like you and me. When confronted with righteousness, they will reject change. Jesus did not beg those who were leaving to come back, He let them go. We must be willing to do the same… no matter who they are.
We are in the midst of the separation: wheat from tares, sheep from goats, wise virgins from unwise virgins. Don’t be surprised as the separation intensifies. Stubbornness and unbelief brought forth judgment in the wilderness and it is occurring once again.