Hardness of Heart – We want God to fix the problem around us when God wants to fix the problem within us. We must get to the root of the problem – the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
So, the heart (the place of our deepest feelings) and the soul (the mind, will, and emotions of which the heart is part) need disciplining. They need to grow up.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. 10 But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be. (MSG)
When we ignore Scripture and conviction by the Holy Spirit that we have done something wrong, we become calloused and hard-hearted.
Romans 2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
The Greek word for impenitent is “unrepentant.” Simply put, it is stubbornly refusing to change one’s mind even after presented with the truth. Obdurate. Rebellious.
Proverbs 28:14 Blessed and favored by God is the man who fears [sin and its consequence] at all times, but he who hardens his heart [and is determined to sin] will fall into disaster. (AMP)
God set up His laws and principals because of our hard hearts.
Matthew 19:8 Jesus said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
Mark 3:4-5a Then Jesus said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
How does God reach the hardened heart? With His Word.
Ephesians 4:17-24 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Matthew 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (gross = calloused, become stupid, obtuse)
Matthew 15:8-9;18-19 Jesus quoted Isaiah saying, “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and
honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from
Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as
doctrines the commandments of men.” Jesus when on to say, 18 “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”
And yet, the heart is also the place of belief.
Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Matthew 12:34b-37 Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Words matter! If you don’t mean it, don’t say it.
Mark 11:22-24 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Your mind may not understand the “why?” But with your heart you can believe in the “WHO” in spite of the circumstances.
