Why & When We Harden Our Hearts Against God
Do you have a hardened "Spiritual Heart"?
What then is a hardened heart?
First, the deceitfulness of our sins helps to harden our hearts. This does not come from God.
We become comfortable and determined to sin, to be arrogant, self-serving, and prideful. We harden that into our spiritual selves, our hearts. Like clay that becomes hard, we start doing this to ourselves.
“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:13)
When we do not take responsibility for our sins if we do not feel sorry for our actions we become stiff-necked and disobedient.
“But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;” (Rom 2:5)
Our unbelief will contribute to our hardened hearts.
“Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” (Mark 16:14)
Our pride, and our mindset will harden our hearts.
“But when his (Nebuchadnezzar’s) heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:” (Dan 5:20)
Our rebellion against God and his Will will harden our hearts.
“Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.” (Eze 12:2)
Furthermore, when we become recalcitrant in our sin and thinking, God will give us over to our sinful mind by further making our attitude one of rebellion.
God Hardens Our Hearts (Giving Us Over to Our Sins)
Our hardness of our spiritual hearts is ultimately due to God’s judgment on the whole human race in our forefather Adam. This we came to term as hardness, deadness, or futility, which we all acquire from Adam.
Romans 11: 5-7
At the present time there is a remnant [a believing Jewish people], chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened.
Our hope is through the Gospel.
God promises in the New Covenant, which is a gospel promise.
Ezekiel 11:19
“I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.”
To help us soften our hard hearts we must pray, repent of our sins, and change how we think and what we do. It is clear in our culture, in our world that God is turning many people over to their sins. But he can only do that after WE have stubbornly submitted to sin and depravity.
Let us pray for God's mercy in our lives!
Did Pharaoh Have Free Will When "God Hardened His Heart"?
Video from Mike Winger
"Here's the full study on this topic from my verse-by-verse teaching through Romans. • Why God Hardens H... This is my best understanding of this topic and I think that it fits really well with a wide variety of Scripture that speaks to the issue. For a fuller defense of my own view please see the video I have linked above. My website https://BibleThinker.org" from the video introduction
The above video is a clip from the complete study which is in the video below.
Why God Hardens Hearts: Romans 9:17-24
Video from Mike Winger
"9 conclusions we can make about the doctrine of hardening. Starting with Romans 9 we look at the biblical teaching on how, when and why God hardens hearts. Questions from the Q&A at the end of the video Does Romans 9:29 mean that God will create some people specifically to dishonor Him in order to carry out His will? Is this an example of God simply knowing what the actions of Pharaoh would be if he were in that situation? The process of a person becoming hard seems to begin with that person’s own will before God hardens them. Does the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit relate to having a permanently hard heart? Can you pray for someone’s heart to be softened?" from video introduction
Romans 9:17-24
17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[a] 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19 One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[b] 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
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