Thanks, but no thanks

Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. – Ezekiel 33:5 (NIV)

It seems like it was just yesterday when the plumber warned me of potential problems I’d run into if I didn’t consider going beyond the Band-Aid job he would do to stop my hot water valve from leaking in the shower. Thinking that this was a more money making scheme, I simply responded (in a round-a-bout way) with a “Thanks, but not thanks” expression! Well, that scenario was nearly 10 years ago and let me tell you, I wish I’d taken the advice because overtime those old galvanized (?) pipes began to rust as water slowly dripped and holes opened up to cause floor joist and interior wall studs (2x4) deterioration. On top of all that, termites had crept in and did further wood damage.

Our home on Cedrow Drive in High Point, NC, was built in the early 1940s and when my wife and I moved in 1968, it was then 28 years old. Right now, every nook and cranny of the old house has seen approximately 60 years of wear and tear. Nonetheless, it was last month (October 2010) that I had to call in both a carpenter and a plumber to solve my problem. What an expensive mess! I should have heeded the early warning some 10 years ago, but instead I said “Thanks, but no thanks!” It didn’t matter how many times I tried to console myself, I didn’t give the matter proper attention. I kept saying, “Look Jones, you saved a few pennies on the deal; after all you couldn’t see how bad the pipes were leaking! Maybe so; maybe not! Remember that just about every professional you call on to fix something for you is out to rip more money out your pockets with slick sale gimmicks – so chill out!”

“Thanks, but no thanks” is more than just a mere thought or conversational piece. It is a signal to become aware of something – to be on the alert or to simply take a warning from a reliable source. How can this be rephrased? Consider what Hebrews 3:7-14 teaches:

So, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared an oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

The message from Hebrews 3:7-14 is a warning against unbelief. One of the greatest spiritual challenges is to protect the heart from becoming hardened and to stay receptive to God’s action in our lives. Hence to say “Thanks, but no thanks” suggests that you or I haven’t listened carefully to the plea for staying on the right track. The warning is for us to gently examine our lives by asking such questions as, 1) Are there any habits that draws me away from God? 2) What will help me to draw nearer to Jesus Christ and deepen my relationship with him? 3) Who has been my cheerleader – one who has inspired me to be faithful?

Ezekiel 33:5 provides additional food for thought. First, it speaks of a person who has heard the sound of the trumpet (a loud siren warning of impending danger) but said “Thanks, but no thanks” –went on his merry way until the unexpected happened and his life (no doubt) was snuffed out. Note the emphasis upon “since he heard …but did not take warning.” Secondly, Ezekiel 33:5 speaks of eternal separation from a Holy God. Notice again what the last portion of the verse says, “if he had taken warning, he would have saved himself.” God does not want any one to perish because he is a loving God – Love is a strong suit of his character. But anyone who persists in rebelling against God by saying “Thanks, but no thanks” has a rebellious nature, which inevitably will receive God’s judgment. On the other hand, those who are faithful to God will find encouragement and hope. Selah