Hardened

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Today we looked at the sinful nature of man.

In our nature, our freewill is not inclined to the things of God, but towards ourselves and what we want.

Exodus 7:1-5

What does it mean by God will harden?

Does this mean God will directly act against Pharaoh and place evil in his heart that was not previously there?

No

Before we answer that, lets look at another topic.

Common Grace

Common grace is different than effectual grace.

This is grace that God shows to all of mankind.

Psalm 145:9 ESV

9 The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Matthew 5:43–45 ESV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Acts 17:28 ESV

28 for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’

Everything we are is sustained by the mighty hand of God.

The fact that Biden is still alive, is evidence of common grace.

Remember that mankind is incurably wicked at it’s core.

You remember how we spoke of the total depravity of man, how no one is as evil as they could be.

That is because of the common grace of God.

The fact that their is good in this world is evidence of the existence of God.

Flashback to Exodus

God doesn’t need to create evil in the heart of Pharaoh, He only needs to remove some of His common grace.

The wickedness of Pharaoh will do the hardening.

Some other examples of the hardening

John 12:37–40 ESV

37 Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38 so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

Hebrew idiom being used.

It doesn’t mean God is hardening, but God is allowing them to continue in sin.

Some ask is God unjust for allowing some to be hardened and calling others?

It isn’t unjust.

We may not like that God extends mercy to some and not others.

But if it was required of God which some suggest, it wouldn’t be mercy, nor would it be grace.

When we say unfair, we are speaking of our feelings.

Romans 9:14-26

v.19

Some say “God made me this way! I can’t help but doing it. How can God judge me!?”

We should all come to the feet of Jesus with an attitude of gratitude. Thankful to be loved by God.