Gospel Hardened

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: - Hebrews 3:8

    Harden not your hearts.

    There is a natural hardness of heart with which we all are born. The heart of all natural sons of Adam is like a stone; destitute of life.

    There is an acquired, voluntary hardness of heart to which men arrive by mocking the word of God and ignoring the warnings and words brought by God's, servants. Pharaoh is a good example. “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice;” and so, “Pharaoh hardened his heart and hearkened not to Moses.”

    There is a hardness of heart (referred to here) to which people are liable who claim to be God's people (as Israel did), who give mental acceptance to the word, who often hear the word preached and go about the outward forms of worship and religion, “Who try me, prove me, and see my works, yet err in heart and do not know nor walk in my ways” (Heb. 3:9-10). The old-timers called it “gospel-hardened.” Heart and hand, faith and walk, thoughts and ways; these are to be attended to now, while it is called today.