Have you considered How Sin Hardens the Heart?
Have you considered how sin affects the non-Christian and the Christian? Sin affects both similarly, yet differently. Our understanding of this begins back in the garden of Eden. We read from chapter 3:1-8. “1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden? ’ 2 And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:1-8).
Before violating the only prohibition that God placed on Adam and Eve they walked in harmony with Him in the garden. But, as soon as they transgressed that commandment, fear grasped them and they hid themselves from Him. Thus, the first thing that we learn about sin is that it separates one from fellowship with God. Fear grasps the non-Christian. He may not know why, or whom he fears but he experiences guilt and tries to suppress that guilt by avoiding anything or anyone who might know of what he did.
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The Christian on the other hand can never truly be separated from God but fellowship with Him may be impaired. Sin also hardens the heart against God and against each other. According to Jeremiah 17:9 “The unregenerated heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” When the Bible talks about the heart it is not talking about the muscle that pumps blood, but the hub of human personality and sin causes that personality to grow harder. The hardened heart also dulls a person’s ability to perceive and understand. Anyone’s heart can harden, even faithful Christians.’ Sin causes hearts to grow hard, especially continued and unrepentant sin. Consider Paul’s letter to the Galatian church. He wrote: “17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish ”(Galatians 5:17). Of course, this was a letter to Christians but in principle it was/is applicable to non-Christians also. The point is, sin does great damage to Christians and non-Christians. Continuing with his letter Paul warned: “19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).
A clarification Paul was not saying in verse 21 that a believer could lose his salvation he was reminding them that an unregenerate person would not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Their continued practice of the things mentioned was proof that they were not Christians and that the true believer must not emulate them.
About the hardness of the heart the apostle Paul wrote this about unregenerate (the Non-Christian) in his letter the Romans wrote: “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
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19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man–and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen” (Romans 1:18-25). A hardened heart against God opens the door to many things.
Paul was aware that there were divisions and strife in the Christian community of Rome. Jewish Christians considered themselves more worthy of God’s grace than the Gentile Christians because to them “pertained the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, the promises and through them, according to the flesh, Christ came” (Romans 9:4-5). Gentile Christians on the other hand thought themselves more favored of God believing themselves to be special because they had been grafted in. Pride is an obstacle to Christians and Non-Christians.
As depicted in the Bible, pride is a condition of the heart that leads individuals away from God and towards self-exaltation. It is often portrayed as a root sin that gives rise to various other sinful behaviors and attitudes. The Bible consistently warns against pride, emphasizing its destructive nature and its opposition to the humility that God desires. Pride is fundamentally an attitude of self-sufficiency, self-importance, and self-righteousness. It is the elevation of oneself above others and, ultimately, above God. The Bible identifies pride as originating from the heart, the core of human will and emotion. In Mark 7:21-23 , Jesus explained, “For from within the hearts of men come evil thought’s, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly.
All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”
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Pride is often seen as the original sin, as it was pride that led to the fall of Lucifer, who sought to elevate himself above God (Isaiah 14:12-15).
This same pride is reflected in humanity’s rebellion against God, beginning with Adam and Eve’s desire to be like God (Genesis 3:5). Pride, therefore, is not merely an individual failing but a fundamental aspect of the fallen human condition.
Believers are called to guard their hearts against pride by cultivating humility and dependence on God. Philippians 2:3-4 instructs, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” This call to humility is rooted in the example of Christ, who, though being in very nature God, humbled Himself by taking on human form and submitting to death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8). pride is a deeply ingrained sin that originates from the heart and manifests in various forms of self-exaltation and rebellion against God. The Bible consistently warns against pride and calls believers to pursue humility, recognizing their dependence on God’s grace and the example of Christ.
The softening of our hearts come by way of the cross and Jesus’ Resurrection.
Steve
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Jesus’ sacrifice and glorification is where it all began for steve. Consider>
It was by the grace of God that Steve was brought to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It was by God’s longsuffering that he has been sustained in that faith. Steve became a Christian on November 17, 1961, when as a young marine on liberty he came upon a street meeting held by Open Air Campaigners for Christ in the city of Los Angeles, California. For the remaining three years of his enlistment after coming to faith, Steve immersed himself in various books and studies concerning his relationship with Christ.
During those three years he worshipped at Granada Heights Friends Church in La Mirada, CA. Sunday mornings and the Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles, CA. Sunday evenings. Steve was encouraged by three families who were members of Granada Heights Friends Church and nurtured his faith. To these three families he will forever be grateful.
Those three years were a tremendous blessing to Steve, and it was the foundation gained in those three years that sustained him through several tumultuous years during which he walked away from a faithful walk with the Lord and lived as a prodigal son. But thanks to God, Steve was still a son, and as the prodigal of Luke 15:8-22 was never disowned by the Father. In 1985, after living a life of riotousness that almost destroyed him, Steve surrendered to the authority of God and has since been in service of his Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.
Steve readily acknowledges that it was and is only the grace of God that allowed him to remain alive during those years and by His love that Steve was brought back to fellowship with Him. This grace and love, Steve believes, is best spoken of in Romans 8:28-29: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and who he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
It is confirmed in this passage that each child of God is being conformed (being changed) to the image of Jesus Christ. First, however, God calls that person out of the world into a loving relationship with Himself, making him a son. He justifies that person so that they may have fellowship one with the other and that justification makes it possible for him to eventually be in the very presence of God.
Similarly, this could also be your experience. Stop being your own authority and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and be prepared for an amazing life!
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