The Danger of a Hard Heart
It causes one to reject God’s commandments.
Few people like those with hard hearts.
Hebrews 3:12-14
“Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil,
unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another
day after day, as long as it is still called today, lest any one of you be hardened
by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold
fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; while is said,’TODAY
IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME’.”
Introduction
Many suffer from arteriosclerosis, a serious health condition where the arteries
lose their elasticity and become hardened. As a result, blood circulation becomes
impaired and the person is in danger of a heart attack or stroke.
Even worse is the ‘hardening of the heart.’ Such a spiritual malady
can lead one to eternal death.
This is no new problem; Pharaoh suffered from this spiritual disease (Exodus
8:15).
How Was Pharaoh’s Heart Hardened?
God does not harden anyone’s heart.
Four (4) times the Bible says God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21;
7:3; 9:12; 10:1).
Three (3) times the Bible says Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Exodus 8:15;
32; 9:34).
Is this a contradiction?
God is no respecter of person (Acts 10:34-35)
Man has a choice whom he will serve (Joshua 24:14-15)
Solution: God’s demands through the plagues caused Pharaoh to harden his
own heart by his own will.
Pharaoh would say “no” to Moses & Aaron, and the subsequent
plagues caused him to pridefully and stubbornly harden his own heart.
Pharaoh was responsible for his own choices, and God held him accountable for
his choices.
How Can Our Hearts Be Hardened?
All of us are susceptible.
Even the disciples – after witnessing Jesus miraculously feed 5,000 people,
hardened their hearts (Mark 6:52).
Christians are warned about allowing their hearts to harden (Hebrews 3:12-15).
How is the heart hardened today?
By procrastinating & delaying
By allowing distractions (i.e. children, spouse, entertainment, hobbies, work,
etc.),
All these have the potential to keep us from thinking about eternity.
There must be urgency to making our lives right with God (“today”
3x in Hebrews 3),
By not loving the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
Instead of loving truth, many love excuses and believe lies.
God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).
We must love truth (Psalm 1:2; 19:10).
How will you explain to God how much you “loved the truth” when
in reality you rarely read His Word?
Another way is by treasuring the world instead of the truth, Christ, God, the
church, etc.
What sin are you still grasping? Addiction? Pornography? Lying? Gossip? Pride?
These are all problems, and Christians are not immune to these things.
Footholds of the devil (Ephesians 4:27) create lukewarm Christians (Revelation.
3:16)
The grace of God warns us by its own instructions (Titus 2:11-12).
What Are The Consequences of a Hard Heart?
Seared conscience (1 Timothy 4:2).
Impenitence (Hebrews 6:4-6; 2 Peter 2:20-22).
Eternal death.
Conclusion
You are responsible for your own heart (Philippians 2:12-13)
You must allow God to mold and make you into what He wants you to be (Jeremiah
23:29).
Do it Today!
Before it is too late.
By Carey Scott
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