Do we really know what is meant by the term "hardened hearts"? This is not just a slang term that appears in scripture, and we need to clearly understand what the term means. God considered it so important He placed it up front in the bible, We begin by looking at Ex. 4:21, where God is talking to Moses. This is a major happening in scripture, not only for the introduction of hardening hearts, but for God's declaration.
"And the Lord said to Moses, 'when you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will HARDEN HIS HEART, so that he will not let the people go." Now see the second part of God's direction in verse 22. "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord: 'Israel is My son, My Firstborn. (Verse 23) So, I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"
This is a warning God fulfilled, but note the Lord's declaration that Israel, as a nation, is His firstborn. There always is significance in firstborn, because they are to be dedicated to God. This declaration by God clearly tells us that nation is dedicated to serve Him. Later, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to provide the opportunity for our salvation through His Son's sacrifice. The explanation of firstborn is wrapped in the "or else" warning that a hardened heart will mean eternal destruction.
We have here a form of the Trinity, as God explains the importance of His choice for firstborns and the consequence to those who refuse to follow God's wishes. Unless you recognize the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and follow the path they give you, you will have a hardened heart. So, just what is this "hardened heart?"
Besides being lost to eternity, the terrible part is that you will probably not accept or recognize you have a hardened heart. This is a condition not of your body or mind, but of the soul. If you are a carnal human, your mind will undoubtedly control your soul. Even if you think you have accepted Christ as your Savior, that acceptance must be genuine and complete. Otherwise, the carnal human heart will control your actions.
That is not to say you will no longer sin, but that you will make a very serious and conscientious effort to stop sinning. It also means you will make every effort to follow Christ's teaching, with no exceptions. This is especially important for those who deliberately misinterpret clear directions from the Word, or who excuse "partial" obedience. The carnal human wants things the way he wants them, and corners are cut or obliterated in an effort towards self satisfaction.
We all experience hardening of the heart from time to time, but for Christians, this is not a problem until our desire conflicts with God's Word and Christ's teaching. These mini sins, such as eating a second piece of cake when we know we shouldn't, may be a temporary hardening of the heart and harmless so long as you don't repeat the action often. If you know it is wrong for some reason, and try not to "fall off the wagon" frequently, you are not doing something that will take you directly to Hell. Hell is where people with hardened hearts will spend eternity. God doesn't tell us not to eat that piece of cake, and He may even smile while He watches us struggle to overcome the temptation. However, He definitely won't smile when He sees us deliberately change His Word because of our selfish desires.
There are all kinds of germs or viruses out there that cause us to "catch" a hardened heart. Most are geared to our emotions, and unfortunately most of those emotions are difficult for us to control. To name a few are lust, envy, jealousy, over indulgence, retribution, control, power and greed. These causes of a hardened heart are more deadly to our spiritual and physical lives than any of the conditions we normally try to treat or cure through physicians, medicine or pastors. If we fail to recognize the symptoms very early, the condition will rapidly proceed to God's judgment, the heart will be hardened, and you will be unable to be cured. No matter how much you may enjoy the temporary benefits of your condition, you have a non-cancelable ticket to eternal Hell.
I'll get into more of an explanation of the condition, but first we will carefully recognize that there is only one prevention for a hardened heart. That is an early vaccination by God's Word. Nothing else will do the job. Those who read scripture and use it to excuse disobedience or achieve something, will find that misuse of the Word will not be unlike an overdose of drugs. Great feelings for a time followed by everlasting pain and death.
Obedience is the key word here, and if you fail to understand Christ's teaching or God's Word, you are not obedient. See I Sam. 15:22, "So Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams." Now pay particular attention to verse 23, which lists the probable cause of a hardened heart.
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, AND STUBBORNNESS is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king." You may not be rejected from being king, but your rejection is even worse--condemned to Hell for eternity.
The Gospel is supposed to be Good News, and I have been writing about what could be bad news for you. I have never been comfortable when a pastor preached doom and don'ts, but no one ever explained hardened hearts to me. We want our own way with things, and the first line to get that is through stubbornness. We make up our mind about a subject--usually with very insufficient facts--and stand on our conclusion. Negotiation is usually not a good method to achieve a solution, especially if you're trying to negotiate with God. He doesn't negotiate. You'd better look into more of His Word.
If we can understand the difference between being stubborn and mentally lazy, we may be able to come up with a reasonable explanation of the subject as well as a solution. You must carefully study scripture to understand it. Reading the bible in a year is nice, but if you don't comprehend what you read, you may have wasted most of your time. Just reading is not understanding.
Why and how do we get hardened hearts? There are many reasons, and Satan knows all of them. Lack of interest and a lazy mind top the list. Especially when you are young, there are so many things to do and see. When you're older there is the workplace and responsibility. There is always an excuse. Luke gives us the answer to,prevent a hardened heart in 11:9,10. "So, I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
The worst thing you can do to bring on a hardened heart is to cruise through scripture like you would read a novel. Think about how you need to study any subject in school. You don't learn physics or chemistry by just reading the textbook. You don't become a musician by reading a music book. You don't become a mechanic by reading a manual. It takes careful study and the ability to comprehend the words to understand. It also means you don't have a predetermined conclusion and simply seek justification through finding a passage not really related to the subject or problem.
Another example of hardening of the heart that exemplifies the stubbornness of humans is found in I Sam. 5 and 6. I won't quote those entire chapters, but will point out that the Philistines took possession of the ark of the Lord when they defeated Israel in battle. They placed it next to Dagon, their god, and twice Dagon was damaged. Every city they placed the ark in was ravaged, and they eventually knew they had to return it to Israel. Finally the diviners and priests of the Philistines told the people in I Sam. 6:6, "Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts?"
The most serious ailment we have in the United States today is the hardening of Hearts by pretenders who call themselves Christians. They use scripture to gain the confidence and support of lazy bible studiers. If necessary, they rewrite the very Word of God as given in the bible through inspiration. They make and change both the church and man's rules to achieve their greedy and selfish goals.
We have an epidemic of hardening of the heart in our nation, and the very people who should be administering cure and recovery are instead providing fuel to increase the disease. There is a radio program by the name of Back to the Bible that gives us the clue of what we desperately need, and we need it now, before the disease becomes fatal to our nation. As Smoky the Bear warns us, "only you can prevent the fire from burning up America!" (Sorry, Smoky, for the misquote, but it's for a noble cause.)
WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
I usually don't add a post script to a sermon, but with this sermon about the condition of one's heart, I know this conclusive point needs to be stressed. Most Christians, whether real or professing, consider two major actions to be necessary to be a Christian. The first action is a full commitment to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and redeemer. He is the greatest teacher in the universe, and the teacher whose principles we MUST follow. You should know this verse without prompting.
The second action is the acceptance and realization that the only way we can lose salvation is through denial of the existence and power of the Holy Spirit. See Matt. 12:31, "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men." The Holy Spirit IS the power of God. The Holy Spirit enters you when you accept salvation, but only if you are 100% serious.
The third action is your understanding that while Christ was sent to provide salvation and to teach us, God the Father is still in complete charge, including complete charge of Christ. To verify this, check scripture, Matt. 26:39, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." Matt. 24:36 makes it clear only God knows His plan and the sequence of events. See "But of that day and hour (end times and tribulation) no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only."
This post script is to assist you in understanding that being a Christian through acceptance of Christ as Savior, and the Holy Spirit, is NOT ENOUGH. You must still realize God, Himself, is in charge. Remember, I Sam. 15:22 tells us obedience is better than sacrifice. If you ignore or CHANGE IN ANY WAY the teaching of God's Son to suit your selfish desires, you have two strikes against you, and the probability you will take a "called third strike." That will be the denial of God's power vested in the Holy Spirit.
You may talk to "sweet" Jesus all you want, but He, too, must do God's will, and He cannot intercede for you if you do not heed the Word and Christ's teaching. You had better pay attention to ALL the teaching of the New Testament without putting any buts or spin on the Word. God is watching you. I have added this post script because, from many comments I see interpreting scripture, many people who consider themselves Christians are interpreting God's (and Christ's) Words to suit their purpose, not God's purpose. He is God of ALL people, not just those you may favor for ANY reason. He is the judge, and you'd better remember that.
I'm not an aficionado of television game shows, but I believe there was/is a show called Let's Make A Deal. That title is a perfect fit for this message, and I doubt any Christian can honestly claim the word "deal" has never been mentioned in prayer. If I'm wrong, I not only apologize, but recognize you as a very special advocate of Jesus Christ. My Christian charge is to teach the scriptural Word of God, and I must admit I have used the word "deal" in talking to God. I believe I am now cured of that fault/sin, but it took a while. Making personal connections like these are very difficult.
When we come under stress, we quite naturally seek a rapid relief. For those with a weak prayer connection, the first solution may be an attempt to find a quick, but temporary cure. This course places the person in a position that precludes prayer because that cure is not uppermost in your mind. Things like drugs or alcohol may be the "instant pill" that permits you to escape reality. If you realize this won't work, you are at least on the path that can lead you to relief--prayer.
Before I get to scripture, I need to explain just how easy it is that we propose a human carnal solution to God. We instantly place ourselves in the same category as God--as if we have the power and choice of making our personal solution. How easy it is to forget "our place" in the universe. How easy it is to propose a "deal" with God, Himself. We are thinking only of ourselves, and the desire to relieve the pressure and stress of our problem. Worse yet, the problem undoubtedly is a situation we brought on ourselves.
Have you ever faced an important decision or problem and said to God, "God, if you help me out of this jam, I will (finish off this promise in whatever way you believe will please God)? Perhaps you can't quite get a motor going, or the oven won't work, or you can't get someplace on time, or you're injured, and on, and on, and on. If God gives you a quick fix, you'll pay Him back by doing something you should do anyway. Or, you promise something you should know you will never be able to keep.
I'll stop right here and give you the definition of "deal" so you aren't one of those who claim I put spin on scripture, especially for political philosophy. I give the exact words of scripture, and, in this case, I'll give you the words in a dictionary. If you choose to doubt these meanings, it will be because you have already decided how you want to interpret the meanings. Folks, these meanings are simple and plain. They were placed there for your understanding and guidance. God gives you the choice, and He holds you to His Word.
We begin this "understanding in scripture, and I'll just skip to a few main verses so this message isn't too long. Gen. 1:1 states "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Note the plural word "heavens". That's another message. Read the verses following 1:1, to verses 26 and 27, where God states He will make man in "Our" image, and man will have dominion over all the earth. Now we know that God created everything. It is all His, including each of us. We can create only that which God gives us the ability and direction to create. There is a character, Satan by name, who can also give us the ability to make or do things, and has a remarkable way to persuade us to oppose God's way.
I want to show you clearly the difference between the power of God and any power of anything else. Turn to I Samuel. I urge you to read all of chapters four and five to get a good understanding of the ark of God. This "box" actually contained the spiritual POWER of God. For a Christian, this power is conveyed through our acceptance of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The Philistines defeated Israel and captured the ark of God (I Sam. 4:22). The Philistines took the ark of God to Ashdod, and placed it beside their god, Dagon. In the morning Dagon was found face down on the earth beside the ark. They replaced Dagon, and the next morning they found Dagon, again on the ground, but this time the head and both palms of the hands were broken off. Meanwhile, the Lord ravaged the people of Ashdod, so they moved it to another Philistine city, and the problem continued. The Philistines knew very well that the ark of God had the power to injure and destroy them. They finally understood the ark had to be returned to Israel. This account is told in Chapter 6. Be sure to read these chapters.
You see, even the idol worshiping Philistines understood the power of God. But being carnal humans they refused to change their ways. They were reprobate-- they had hardened hearts. There are many would be or pretending Christians who are in this condition. This section of I Samuel well illustrates what God can do. Think of how foolish we are to believe we can make a deal with the creator of all. Before we go any further on the power of God, we need to look into this attempted deal making on our part.
The dictionary gives us the definitive explanation of the word "deal". It is quite simple. "To give in portions or as one's portion; TO DISTRIBUTE." In America we look at deals as a way to satisfy two individuals or groups by giving something to each side, while taking away something from each side. The "perfect" goal is to see that each side gets a fair distribution. Unfortunately, we have changed that goal to mean getting more than we give. We have deals in business, sports and politics. The object has become how we deal to gain more than we give, without caring that the action is honest and fair. It's become sort of a game to see who is superior.
Imagine! We actually think, at least for a brief time, we have the power to deal with God on His level! Our prayer, if you can call it that, places us on the same level as God. Even Christ repeatedly said the Father was in total charge. God has everything every place all the time. How can we be so presumptuous as to even think we have God's power? It is carnal man's thinking, placing us in charge of all problem solving.
Worse yet, if God does solve the problem--not because of our "deal", but because He wants it solved or is showing mercy--He must turn away quickly as we fail to deliver our promise. We usually do fail. Now I want to go back to that explanation of the word deal. Notice the simple explanation is "distribution". There has been a great "deal" of discussion about distribution and redistribution of wealth in America. There are some Godly factors and expectations of distribution and redistribution of wealth. Since wealth--money-- controls every aspect of human life except one, this is very important to comprehend. The one aspect money doesn't control is spirituality. Christ made it very clear that God and His teaching come first in your life. You cannot serve God and mammon--check out the parables (Matt. 6:24).
All wealth BELONGS to God. Not one penny belongs to you, rich man. It is all in your investments and bank accounts because God permitted it to be there. Do you think you are extra intelligent and that brought you great success? How about the day laborer who just won millions in the lottery? You're no better than that person, and, in fact, he/she is the superior person because he/she realizes the money does not come because he/she is a superior (elite) human being.
All this talk about a wealthy person "deserving" wealth because of hard work and dedication is a very lame excuse for hoarding. Have you ever considered the really hard work performed every day by the average person? If you ever bothered to research pay for work, you'd see that much of the most difficult work is performed by people who are paid low wages. The caretakers in nursing homes or retirement homes are on the low end of the pay scale.
Just look at the effect our spiritual deal making has had on our value system. Our success is measured in money. We fool ourselves into believing it is our education and ability that make us wealthy--whether that measurement is modest in amount or in millions. You worked hard, and you earned what you have. That's what everybody should be required to do. If someone has to come "begging" for assistance, that's not your fault. Let them make a deal with God--especially if they're the religious type.
If you've spent time in a nursing home, hospice, special care facility, or other type of residence, you should understand about what we sometimes call "the unfortunate". None of these people have made deals with God. They are where they are because that is (for whatever reason) where God has placed them or permitted Satan to place them. Before you decide I'm shilling for people on welfare, understand I agree with those of you who loudly proclaim there is a sizable number of cheats.
Is it wrong to be wealthy? Of course not, and don't use this claim to discredit the truth about distribution and redistribution. God blessed many individuals in scripture both materially and monetarily. Think about David and Solomon, for example. Before you leave these two examples, carefully consider how God dealt with them after they received their blessings. They fell victim to the same love of money as most of the rest of us, and greatly overdid material excesses. So, see what you're in store for if you don't follow God's instructions about spending your money.
I REPEAT: IT IS NOT A SIN TO BE WEALTHY. It's what you do with the wealth. God blesses people in many ways. If you are a millionaire or earn a large salary in a profession or job, you need to ask God what you should do with your blessing. In my youth I worked for a man who privately owned a bank that specialized in short term loans. As soon as a client paid off the loan, this banker convinced the client to take out another loan. The banker told me "There's never enough (money)." His son became a school teacher and rarely returned home. Although his father invested small amounts in many, many banks in his son's name, the son kept his distance because he detested the "money game". God judges your use of money, and He gave you the rules through Christ's teaching.
Now, to those who support undisciplined wealth (greed). I say to you that a Christian, a real follower of Jesus Christ, will not be a deal maker to hoard wealth. The Christian will not have the attitude that everyone or anyone is poor or in need because they lack the smarts, work ethic or anything else. They will accuse another Christian of envy or insult a real believer by saying that person would do the same thing with money if he had it (greedily seek more).
Have you well-to-do sham Christians actually "earned" your wealth by sweat of your brow, calloused hands and honest use of your mind? If the money comes from investments, it's time you understand what that invested money is doing besides giving you an easy profit. It takes skill to manage money in various investments, but callouses on your brain aren't any more honest than callouses on the hands of a laborer. Money can create jobs, but many investors are primarily interested in profit, not the use of their money to create jobs. You don't need a job; you need more money.
If you really read scripture, you will find many references to money in Christ's teaching. The references to money in the Old Testament number over 100. In the New Testament, where Christ carefully tells us how to use money, there are more than 25 references. Most are not positive. In fact, Christ warns us about making a profit through illegal and immoral means (Matt. 25:26-28; Luke 19:21-22). Note in Luke, we are talking about political power through control of cities. You may have interpreted these passages to mean you are encouraged to make money. I pray you also see that encouragement tells you to cheat and steal to do it. Christ never taught us to cheat and steal to make money.
Two more admonitions from scripture: Matt. 19:21 and Matt. 19:23-24. Wealth usually brings with it "honor" and respect. Your question is: which do you place first--Christ or material things? You must make the choice now, before you die. Read Luke 16:19-31, and you will understand your future. We give billions of dollars to foreign countries to feed and care for their poor--our tax dollars. Our millionaires and comfortable workers can't afford tax dollars for our own people in need? Do you think all those people in foreign countries are workers? The foreign leaders skim our money, and the people get what remains, if anything. If you think you can make a deal with God and continue to ignore Christ's teaching about money, you are mistaken. Enjoy your money while you can, because there is none in eternal life. You will pay your dues with the rich man who dwells in misery forever.
