Hearts Are Hardened Through Sin
September 17, 2022
Commentary
In many places, the Bible warns us not to “harden our hearts.” This means to stubbornly set ourselves against God so that we are no longer able to turn to Him for forgiveness. This passage is one of those warnings (vv. 7-9). Some Bible scholars say this was written to Christians who had hardened their hearts against God. Others say it was written to those who knew the gospel but had not committed themselves to it. I personally do not know, but believe these verses could have been written with both in mind.
Yes, it is possible for born-again believers to become spiritually cold and harden their hearts against God. Do you remember how convicted you were when you were first saved and you were faced with the need of giving up some sin or habit in your life? But as time went on you began to find excuses, and today the very things that once brought you feelings of guilt and conviction are now condoned without any conscience toward them. If this is the case, as with the Israelites, you have hardened your heart, and is why you are not growing spiritually. This is why it took the Israelites forty years to make a journey that normally would have only taken eleven days (v. 9).
God was angry with them, and grieved with that generation. He said, “They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I swear in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest” (vv. 10-12). He told them that they must warn each other every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that no one will be deceived by sin and hardened against God (v. 13).
Application
Is there some hard-hearted person that I could be used by God to soften? What part could I play in this softening process?
Hebrews 3:7– 13 (NET)
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, βOh, that today you would listen as he speaks!
8 βDo not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.
9 βThere your fathers tested me and tried me, and they saw my works for forty years.
10 βTherefore, I became provoked at that generation and said, βTheir hearts are always wandering and they have not known my ways.β
11 βAs I swore in my anger, βThey will never enter my rest!ββ
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God. 13 But exhort one another each day, as long as it is called βToday,β that none of you may become hardened by sinβs deception.