How does a person harden their heart? It happens by years of resisting the Lord. When your conscience convicts you and you continually ignore it you continue to harden your heart. We all have a conscience and we all know right from wrong at a certain age. If we continue to do the things we know are wrong we keep getting harder and harder.
The Word says in Galatians 6:7, “Be not deceived: God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.” This verse covers different areas of our life, one of them being our attitudes. If people continue to rebel against the Lord the result will be that they will harden their hearts.
This was the condition of the Pharaoh in Egypt in Moses’ day when God told Moses to go tell Pharaoh to let His people go so that they could worship Him. It says in Exodus 9:8-12, “Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on men and animals throughout the land.’ So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.”
I used to wonder about this verse, where it says that the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Did the Lord take away his free will? No! He allowed Pharaoh opportunities to heed the warnings that Moses gave him but because Pharaoh wouldn’t listen, God let him have his own way and Pharaoh’s heart became permanently hard.
This is what I feel about God keeping people from going to Heaven, He doesn’t! He allows them to go where they choose to go, but by not receiving Him when they have the choice, they choose not to go to Heaven. Some people think they can put this decision off until they are good and ready. The problem is when you reject the Lord’s call over and over again for many years you just keep hardening your heart until your heart gets so hard it may be impossible to turn to Him. This decision is a very important one, so don’t put it off. The Word says Isaiah 55:6-7, “So you should look for the Lord before it is too late; you should call to him while he is near. The wicked should stop doing wrong, and they should stop their evil thoughts. They should return to the Lord so he may have mercy on them. They should come to our God, because he will freely forgive them.”
If you put this decision off too long you may not be able to hear the Lord’s voice the next time He calls you. Don’t miss out on Heaven because of foolishness, make the right choice today. Tell the Lord you are sorry for your sins and ask him to forgive you and to be your Lord and Savior and if you mean it you will be a child of God and there will be rejoicing in heaven. God bless and have a great day!!
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