{"id":2947,"date":"2016-05-19T12:51:51","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T16:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cristolaverdad.com\/?p=2947"},"modified":"2023-02-02T16:52:24","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T21:52:24","slug":"does-god-harden-hearts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cristolaverdad.com\/?p=2947","title":{"rendered":"Does God harden hearts? Pt.1"},"content":{"rendered":"
This entry is part 3 of 6 in the series Importance of The Heart<\/a><\/div>

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God places on us the responsibility to guard our hearts from hardening. Deut. 15:7<\/a>, Prov.4:23<\/a>, Prov. 28: 14<\/a>\u00a0 We are warned NOT to harden our hearts.<\/p>\n

So what about the passages where God hardens peoples hearts?<\/strong> The main confusion people encounter in this regard has to do with Calvinist’s teachings that say passages which speak of God hardening human hearts prove God’s selective election & determinism from the foundation of the world. That God hardens the hearts of people not elected for heaven so they won’t receive salvation.<\/p>\n

But God is not saying one thing and doing another. God is Just!<\/strong> Deut. 32:4<\/a>, Jeremiah 17:10<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0 Job 34:12<\/a> , etc.<\/p>\n

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How can we reconcile the notion of the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ (God made flesh) John 1: 1-5<\/a>, willingly<\/strong> suffering and dying on the cross to pay for the sins of the world (John 3:16-17<\/a>), with this frightful suggestion that God for no reason at all<\/span> hardens people\u2019s hearts to keep them from coming to Him ? It just doesn’t make any sense at all!<\/p>\n

We need to take into consideration the whole<\/strong> counsel of the Word of God, & God’s character<\/strong> to make sure we are not misrepresenting Him.<\/p>\n

The first time Scripture speaks of God hardening someone\u2019s heart, it is in reference to Pharaoh:
\n– God speaks of hardening Pharaoh’s heart: Ex.4:21, 7:3, -God hardens his heart Ex. 9:12, 10:1, 20, 27, 11:10, 14:4
\n– Pharaoh hardens his own heart: Ex.7: 13, 22; 8:15, 19, 32<\/a>; 9:7, 24-26, 34; 12:31 & 13:15, 1 Sam. 6:6<\/a>.\u00a0 His servants did also Ex. 9:34<\/a>
\n– Also, God to Sihon (King of Heshbon) an Amorite, Joshua 11:19-20<\/a>, they were occupying the promised land that God gave to Israel (Ex.3:8, Deut.7:1), what was the reason of God’s judgment? Numbers 21:20-26<\/a>, Deut. 20:17-18<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also Israel, God’s people hardened their own hearts:<\/em> Zech. 7:11-14<\/a>, This happened so many times: Ezekiel 12:1-2, Psalms 95:8, 96:8-9, Matt.19:8, Jer. 9:14, 16:.12, , Matt.13:15, John 12:37-43, etc.<\/p>\n

Hardening can happen to anyone, even believers<\/strong>: Heb.3:7-9, 3:13, Romans 2:5, Mark 6:51-52,\u00a0 8:17-19<\/a>. That’s why we ALL need to guard our hearts Prov.4:23<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Exodus 2:23-25<\/a><\/span> And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried<\/strong>, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. <\/span> And God heard their groaning, and God remembered<\/span> his covenant<\/span> with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span>And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them<\/i>.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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To the Egyptians the ruling pharaoh was a god, the son of the sun-god Ra.<\/p><\/div>\n