Hot Or Cold

[looksgood]

Lets lay out these verses and dive into the issue of why God would harden the heart.

Romans 9:20-23

21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,

Here we see why God would harden someones heart. It is to show His mercy and wrath to those whom He has mercy on. It isn’t to be cruel, but to show His goodness. Since we see that even on those who are ready for destruction are given much mercy by the longsuffering of God rather than the quick destruction.

But isn’t that cruel to the one who has their heart hardened? Do they not have a chance? After all…who has resisted the will of God (i.e. if God wants to make the heart of someone hard, why is it there fault)?

1 Timothy 2:3-5

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

So in this verse we see Gods will is NOT to harden the heart of someone. So we know from this that the choice to harden the heart is not because God does not want to save someone. It must be because of something else.

Think of the term lukewarm. God said in Revelation that “I would that you were hot or cold”. So we know that with God it is all or nothing. We choose which way we will go. If we choose to deny God He will harden our heart because that is what we are going for.

God will make us how He wants us…He will show mercy on who He wants to. He will harden the heart of someone rather than let them be on middle ground. Now lets see how to obtain His mercy and not a hard heart.

1 Peter 2:10

10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

We see that even those whom God has decided not to show mercy on can be saved here. Below we read how:

2 Timothy 2:18-21

19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

This is where we learn what being hot means. Before, we knew that not being totally for God was the reason for us to become cold. But here we see why Jesus said “Not everyone who says Lord, Lord will be saved”. If you wish to be something other than lukewarm (Which will become cold) then you must follow this verse and depart from iniquity!

This is how you gain a tender heart. To not follow it means you will be asking God to harden your heart.
So why did God harden the heart of pharow? Because he was neither hot, nor cold. Pharow was called…but:

Matthew 22:14

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”