It's the Same Son

During my doctor's visit on Saturday, the Lord gave me the topic for this article and told me what the title should be.  When I got home, I started writing it.  However, there was one Scripture He wanted me to include, and I told Him that I wasn't sure how to tie that all together.

Since I had some questions, I stopped writing it until I received the answer.  Then in church the next day, a video was shown that answered every question (I have included that below).  It is so wonderful to me how the Father is a personal God.  He knows and hears every petition of our hearts.

Okay, so I have an easy science question for you. Let's say you set some ice cubes out before a hot sun. What is going to happen?  The cubes are going to melt.

Now let's place some clay pots before that same sun.  What will happen?  The clay will get harder. See, I told you this was easy. :-)

Is it the sun which causes the ice to melt?  Yes.

Is it the sun which causes the clay to harden?  Yes.

So how can the same sun cause such different reactions? The difference is due to the varying make-up of the objects in the sun.  It is the same with God.  Some people can be exposed to God and their hearts will melt; others can be exposed to God, and the hearts become harder.  It is the same God who causes the result, but the difference is based upon the condition of the object.

Examine this in Scripture in God's dealings with Pharaoh before the exodus of Israel.

"And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go." Exodus 4:21 

"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt." Exodus 7:3 

"And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so." Exodus 14:4

Some, who don't believe in man's free will, may say,"See, it is GOD who hardened Pharaoh's heart." And this is true.  But the question is, "How did God do this?"  He did it by revealing Himself to Pharaoh.  There was a causative connection between the "signs & wonders" wrought by God through Moses and the hardening of Pharaoh's heart.

Every time God showed His power to Egypt as He prepared to deliver Israel, Pharaoh became more and more resolute.  He became increasingly more set in his ways against God.  Yes, it was God who hardened Pharaoh's heart, but it was because he was already set to pursue his own way and rebel against God. Therefore, Pharaoh's heart became harder each time he was exposed to God.

This is an important lesson for us to understand. It is not possible for us to be exposed to God and stay the same.  Each time you are exposed to God's presence, His power, His word, etc., something is happening to you.  You are either becoming better or worse.  You are either undone, becoming pliable in His hands, or becoming more stoic and stiff-necked against Him.

"And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Matthew 21:44

It is the same Son who brings about both results in the illustration above.  The stone which breaks is the same stone which grinds to powder.  There is both goodness and severity in God based upon how we respond to Him (Romans 11:22).  If receiving the truth sets you free, then rejecting that truth merely fortifies your captivity (John 8:2; II Thessalonians 2:11-12).

People often say, "I will come to God later on.  I have some living I want to do, some things I want to accomplish, some oats I need to sow, then I will give my life to the Lord."  Yet there is a critical point that people often do not know about God. There may be a point in time when you decide to come to the Lord and you will be unable to because your heart has become so defiled through rebellion.  It is not a matter of you just deciding one day to get saved; with every exposure from the Lord that you do not heed, you are being changed spiritually for the worse.  It is possible to play with God so long that you eventually find "no place" for repentance.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Hebrews 12:14-17

Esau eventually wanted to claim the blessing he had forsaken, but he could not obtain it because he could not repent.

This is a terrifying thought. People like to think of God as always being present and available when they decide to come to Him. This is just not true.  We must seek the Lord while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6).  Do not just assume that the opportunity will be there when you are good and ready. Don't fall for the world's presentation of an unoffended Jesus who is holding up eternity waiting upon you.

"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)" II Corinthians 6:2

Additional Resources:
Repent and Believe
Jesus is NOT a Friend to Sinners