Thank you so much for this teaching. It came at the right time. I am in tears. I am realizing my hardness of heart. God is so good. Thank you so much. Please pray for me.
God softened my heart last year, before that I was a mess of a creature. I turned away from the Lord as a child and sin was well known to me, I was depressed and self destructive, but regardless He never abandoned me. I needed to fall on my own so that I may properly give praise to my Lord and Savior, Thank you, Lord, for giving me a humbling that was much needed in my life.
"Take heed, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb 3:12-13)
Nice one Pierre ,, I had forgot that one , as soon as I read it , I said , of course , how did I not remember that .. Hope all is well with you Brother ,, God Bless You and Yours !
Just recieved revelation. When I was younger I was brought up knowing right from wrong. As I got older I went against Gods word. Meaning I hardened my own heart. While in my time away from the things of God. I was blind as to what my actions were causing. But when I was at the end of my strength and totally broken. My eyes were opened again. I came back from a heart hardening. Now the parables make sense.
Great sermon, it put my heart at ease, the JMac message made me think/feel I was heading towards hell, unloved and discarded by God and that I lost my way/salvation somehow ... Why do I care about such things? Why can't I rest in Jesus work on the cross? This sermon is helping me understand the sanctification process. I wish to be soft and useful clay to the creator of all. God have mercy on me.
Yes, JMac, for all his understanding of scripture, has this one doctrine wrong. Such a shame. I became a Calvinist through listening to him. After 3 years in this doctrine, I decided to listen to other perspectives. There must have been something that made me unsettled about it. Now that I am no longer a Calvinist, I still listen to John MacArthur but just not to any of his sermons about Calvinism. 😁😁
Listening to John MacArthur’s teaching on election and security has helped me more than any other preacher. The work the Lord has done in our hearts can’t be overcome by the devil. We have security in the Lord through His work and the sealing of the Holy Spirit.
Ok Mike, I’ve been studying this chapter for years and have been doing good in understanding in my recent years but your teaching on all this has seriously helped me understand certain parts that I didn’t understand. Thank you so much and just so you know out of the 200 teachings I’ve heard on this chapter you’re understanding of this chapter is actually the best I’ve heard and makes the most sense. Thank God for a man like you as you surely make it clear God did give us teachers for a reason.
Amen. Thank God for willing teaching us and opening our eyes and hearts to His goodness, love, grace, mercy and for His power to make those things work already in this world ! My heart shouts "Glory" to Him.
This is a poem I wrote a while back after watching this sermon: For even in hardness, their hearts seemingly unswayed, By the unmistakable majesty of the truth you’ve just said, I find joy in your comfort I find peace in your arms. I trust, knowing you’ve never let me down. And the hardness of the bitter, the callous, and unsaved, Are temporary works of the God who made. The Potter and the Clay - One vessel for mercy, and another given up. His choice not presuming upon, but rather presiding in our broken delusions of self-centered sin. May my heart be broken for those who’ve yet to turn. May I be as grieved as God, and yet still yearn How greater still, would your heart be broken? A love transcendent, riddled with mire, from the painful reality of our sinful desires. But the Potter acquiesced in his mercy and grace. A clay pot made second-rate - a service still found, yet truths of a further purpose abound Come, Lord God, let your work continue, That even though friends fall away and loved ones withdraw, I will stand firm in you God, not by works nor by law, Rather with the unrelenting faith exemplified in you And should you desire, should they grow in truth, may those once lost be returned in all glory. Amen
Really a blessing. I'm going to have to listen again because I need to internalize this. Today I was reading Romans and I got stuck on Romans 9. I found it upsetting. I could not understand. I'm trying to read and understand instead of just reading and not thinking about what I've read (as I usually do). I read it three times each time with a heavy heart. So I got on UA-cam to see if I could find someone talking about Romans 9. Thank you. This really has helped me and clarified the passages for me. Honestly, thank you.
@@hondotheology She's talking about being upset that she couldn't gain clarity. Why would you feel the need to say something negative about that!? (What's wrong with you? is what I'm asking.) Or did you not read her comment properly?
Came into this video worried about what would be said and concerned for my own faith. Left it completely assured of God's glory, with a "hardened" faith that God will carry out his will for us in righteousness and keep the promises he has made to his creations. God bless you Mike, Amen!
Hi Mike, I would first like to say I am beginning my walk with Jesus Christ and our all mighty heavenly father God. I've tried so many times to listen but feel I'm not worth the time but at the same time I feel ,see and understand the awesomeness when I'm in the presence of hearing the word and still look away. As you connect to translation in the bible seeing your commitment your passion your comprehensive connection explained ,I realise if I could see right through you the holy spirit is what I'd see. My heart is hardened repeatedly living how I've learnt and been taught thinking it's supported by the bible. I've never read the bible. I've watched Jesus movies but think i understand how to live by the bible just by understanding right from wrong but will do wrong acts any how. By the grace of God I have crossed your path and am understanding that what I know is partly learnt. While listening to you teach you have uncovered alot of who i am and so i feel this is a great place too begin. I pray that you and others pray for me in my journey to discovering my true potential. Life outside the bible world my mind is like my wondering eyes (no good) i need to understand the bible for all my intelligence and life's experiences keep leading me to discover the truth. I will continue to follow you , your awesomeness I will strive for because it looks just great on you.thankyou so much. in the name of Jesus Christ amen.
You have alot of insight and good self-reflection Tones Yolo . I will disagree with you though on "you understanding right and wrong " , yet never having read the Bible . Life lessons teach us about life , but , the Bible teaches us what the true understanding is in what God has provided to us ,, Romans c 3 vs 11 & 12 cleared that up for me , vs 11 - " There is none that understandeth , there is none that seeketh after God " , vs 12 - " They are all gone out of the way , they are together become unprofitable ; there is none that doeth good , no , not one " ... I'm sure you are smart . But you started one sentence by saying , " I need to understand the Bible " and finished it with " all my intelligence and lifes experiences keep leading me to the truth " ,, You might find subjective truth , but you will never know the objective truth of Gods word unless you learn it from the Bible . John c 17 vs 17 - " Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is Truth " { that's Jesus speaking } .. Anyway , I just wanted you to know i'm praying for you . And since it has been a year that you posted this ,, I bet you have already come along way in Gods Word { the Bible } God Bless you Tones ,, many here are praying for you ....
Brother I just read a message that you wrote 4 years ago on Rick Winger channel and I just want to check with you and make sure you are growing in your walk with our Lord Jesus Christ. Brother you wrote about me it sounded like and I know exactly how you felt. I am thankful that I found my Lord Jesus Christ 5 years ago now and I continue to walk with Him today and I can honestly say that had I not found my Lord I would not be here today. Brother I hope you are still following our Lord because you do matter and you are very important to me and our Lord Jesus Christ! God Bless you Brother!!!
Amen! God simply honors what we choose because he is a righteous God, if we dont repent, he will not forgive, if we don't seek him, we dont find him, of we harden our hearts, he will even hardened it more because that's what we deserved, and be is the God of Justice.
2 Timothy 2.20-21 Also touches on the concept of vessels for common use vs vessels for honorable use, and teaches that one can cleanse themselves of the former in order to become the latter.
@@frodomocho1329 Because he did. We have nothing in us that can make us clean. Christ cleansed us, the Bible makes that clear. I’m Lutheran though, not Calvinist. We don’t adhere to all of TULIP
Thank you, Mike - "God is right, I'm wrong. If I disagree with God, I'm wrong. How much do I know?" - so true. God said in Isaiah, Who are you to be afraid of a man who will die, and forget the Lord your Maker ... It is our small view of God that causes the problems, and God's sovereignty creating free will is part of the picture, as well as His care and provision for His creatures.
This has been the best sermon for me! God wanted me to listen to this today. Answers major questions as well as speaks to me personally. My family will serve the Lord. In Jesus name, Amen
I am jaw-dropped!! WOW! A millennial who is truly in love and reading God's infallible word!! PRAISE the LORD brother! I have just discovered you and have been blessed and shocked and awed by your teachings! STAY TRUE BRO! BLESS YOU!! WOW!
I have only listened to three sermons thus far -- so I hope I haven't spoken too soon. We'll see if you perspective on the Jews is Biblical, but I suspect it is. Well done good and faithful servant! I am shocked and delighted! There IS a remnant! YEAH!
There's plenty of us brother. Not necessarily with the depth of study and wisdom of this man, but there are lots of us millenials (and our next generation some are calling "z") who have come to Christ and love him with all our hearts. I was saved because of exposure and contact with a bunch of wonderful, Bible believing millenial Christians.
He's not a millenial...Gen X or xennials to be more specific. It's a group between generations that experienced things like the rotary phone and the cell phone, no internet to dial up to WiFi, played outside all day but had technology, etc. We're a unique group 😊
This is the best biblical explanation of heart hardness I have heard. Also, so encouraging that it is not permanent and that we can pray for a heart softening for ourselves and our loved ones! Blessings!
Thank you so much for praying for those who have hardened their hearts. My children have so changed from the caring ones they once were toward me, but more importantly toward the Lord Jesus. There is a serious struggle within me that your message is helping to dispel. That God can turn hardening back is just like Him, isn’t it? Quite ironically I’ve been diagnosed with calcifications of the heart, and that is not concerning. I dearly love you, and am so proud of all you put into your teaching. (Please, look at this taping. That shirt…Honey burn it. 🔥 LOL 😂 )
The first time I read this YEARS ago and in a different time in my life, I was so angry with God. I thought, “what kind of God are you”? and then he answered me and showed me his truth. Understanding the heart of God changed the lens of my view of this scriptures. He is good and only good all the time. He does no evil. The fact that he is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, he knows our hearts. Also the reason I am not a Calvinist. Thank you for your love for God, his truth, and people.
Thank you for this. You handle the Word with boldness, depth and humility, a combination that is increasingly hard to find. Lord bless and guide your ministry!
Greetings from London, England. I am so blessed by your teaching. Makes me really want to delve deeper into scripture and examine my heart and actions. Thank you and may the Lord continue to use you and bless your ministry.
Thank you very much for clearing up the situation for me. Those are thoughts that I had when I first read the Bible about the hardening of a heart and why God would do that. I knew that God had a good reason and that it was justified I just didn’t understand it. I think that there are some things in the Bible that at least myself that I don’t have the capability to understand or the Holy Spirit hasn’t given me that understanding yet. Praise God and thank you for helping me study his word. God bless you and your family and friends. Duane.
All it takes for God to harden someone's heart is to remove His influence and leave it to do its own thing. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse- who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
Gratitude of your insight on this teaching. Humility is growing as you share this Wisdom! God bless you for your gentle lovingkindness!!!! At 15 minutes into video a glorious moment of Grace in Mercy to Joy of Good. Your giggle gladdened this heart of Hearts.... of Praises to God. HUMBLED of your giggle! So sweet!
I was studying Romans and chapter 9 through me for a loop. Prayed to God about it because I immediately thought this is contradictory to the gospel explained in the rest of the Bible. Then I found these teachings that make sense. I love how you explain things by looking at different scriptures on the topic that brings understanding. Very grateful for the way you teach.
Thank you Mike! You’ve helped to make a couple of things biblically and personally click. The essence is that God does this partly to give the Pharaoh/ others a chance but also to His glory, to bring those others Israelites / some of us closer to Him, and saves us .... if we are able to see that. Really helps explain parts of my life. Puts a different slant on some tough things I went through and sadly people lost who no matter how much love I gave, they just got more and more abusive. God is just, God is love. Edit : on more reflection, just wow. Thank you again Mike! God bless
I thank God for you. You had me in tears. O God is so good. I am so joyful. God's word is healing and gives hope. I am so exited. Don't ever doubt God.
You are an absolutely wonder and humble "normal potato"....wow....love your teachings with all of my heart and you always instruct us to let the scriptures be our final word. God bless you. Thank you so much.
What an amazing teaching. I'm very new in my walk. This teaching was encouraging. Mike thank you for your humility and care with scripture. May God continue to do great things with you.
Love this, very thorough and (IMO) philosophically powerful! Thank you for your heart for the truth. Side note: when you said more people deserve to have their hearts hardened, I actually thought, "I deserve to have my heart hardened. We ALL do..." because we are attached to these corrupt bodies that fight against all things holy. We deserve to be handed over to what our bodies crave: destruction and chaos. And yet, through the grace and mercy of Christ (by His sacrifice), His Spirit renews us inwardly day by day so that we can fix our eyes on what is eternal, and live accordingly in opposition to the hardening we justly merit.
I was studying Romans 9 after a discussion I had with fellpw brothers and sisters and I encountered your ir teaching and it felt like manna from the sky. Thanks you are a blessing to God's Kingdom and I thank God for you, as I ascribe all glory to God alone 🙂🙏
As your teaching us about this......I feel this is my life as a younger man..............the understanding you bring to this is incredible.......thank you for this and being a teacher of God's truth.
am not here to defend it am not here to attack it, that's not my place! Am here to say what it says!! wooooooo! Thats the most beautiful thing a pastor can say bout Gods Word!!!! Bless u Mike!!!
Thank you Mike and thank you Holy Spirit for giving Mike such insight into the scripture! As a former drug addict and now an asst.pastor, I appreciate how you have humbly and thoroughly expounded on passages that have given me difficulties for a long time...as well as how you steer these teachings back toward ourselves and their applications in our own lives. I just stumbled upon your channel seeking out the Word ( discarding the rocks until I find a gem)..also, thanks for bringing home the danger of my own heard being hardened .. great job!
Mike, I am a new viewer from the UK of your material online. I have to say I am being greatly blessed by your talks/sermons. The clarity, humility, and your way of delivery is something that strongly resounds with me. God bless you as you continue teach in a very real and down to earth yet authoritative way.
What a great talk. When God's Word is preached in fullness as written, without any concern for how it will be received, people are healed! This is such "meaty" Truth.
Thank you for this study, it has really helped me understand the position that both sides take when approaching this scripture and is helping to soothe the voice in my head that says that God is not merciful, that he actually causes people to be lost. I know this voice is the devil trying to convince me that God is not who he says he is: a merciful and loving God.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this careful teaching of a hard to understand truth! I love the reminder of the last point. I dare not trust my heart but humbly seek God's working in my life.
This was beautiful, Mike. Thank you for your study and scholarship to explain these difficult passages so clearly and with inspiration. May God continue to bless you-and us, through you.
A verse worth reflecting on: [+] O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. (Isa 63:17)
Thank you for demonstrating what it actually means to teach Scripture. It has been very refreshing for me to listen to your teachings in the midst of a world being influenced so powerfully by false prophets who infiltrate the Body with ‘good music’. I appreciate so much your sound Biblical teaching. I will be praying for you as you become a beacon of light for so many including me. A voice of reason amidst the chaos. Blessings to you and your family.
There is a profound saying, "The hot sun that softens the wax, hardens the clay". The hardening stems from the person's heart, they are not a new creation, they don't have a new heart that God creates within His people.
Hey Pastor Mike, just wanted to let you know, just like Vernon Magee, you teachings are still working years later! This Teaching is absolute Fire! Wow! Like you said it’s so awesome when the sword of the Spirit shows us a revelation of Gods word! I always knew that God harden peoples hearts, just could never really explain it. And your interpretation of why Jesus spoke in parables, is so Powerful! Thank you Sir! Look forward to diving into more of your teachings! 🔥🔥💪🔥🔥
Thank you Brother Mike, I loved this. God is indeed sovereign, just, righteous, loving, holy, wize, patient, gracious beyond all our understanding. 🕊🙏💙🙌
Thank you so much Mike for this study on Hardness of heart. I love you brother. May Jesus Christ bless you, as you have blessed me immensely through your videos.
Love your dedication Mike! I think the best reformed perspective on hardening I’ve seen is that “hardening is the playing out in time of God’s eternal decree of reprobation”. In the same way that regeneration, faith, and repentance are the means in time of God’s eternal decree of election. Love your ministry brother, praying for you and Sarah Zimmerman ❤️
Amazing explanation, this preaching and your research was def God inspired. This is not an easy chapter to understand or to explain and many people lose faith in God because of this scripture. These are people who do not dig deeper, they do not seek for the reasoning and answers to these tough passages therefore God does not bother to reveal it to them. God bless you cause this really helped me alot.
Sound teaching. Points to ponder: Mark 3:5 - [Jesus] looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the *hardness* of their hearts. Mark 16:14 - [Jesus] appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and *hardness* of heart... Hebrews 3:13 - ... exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be *hardened* through the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 4:7 - Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not *harden* your hearts.
@Last Days Detective ...So far this is a good list where man is cited as the cause for his heart being hard. Now let's get a list of all the places where God is cited as the cause for hardening man's heart. (there are dozens. literally) And while we're at it, let's find a list of places where God says He wanted to soften a man's heart, but wasn't able to because the man wouldn't let Him. (I don't know of any. If one gets desperate, Matt 23:37 comes close, but one would need to believe that "Jerusalem" and "Jerusalem's children" are one and the same. The grammar doesn't easily support this interpretation.) And for good measure, let's find verses where God softened someone's heart w/o them knowing it. Acts 9 (S/Paul's conversion would be a classic example, but there are many others) And lastly, let's find verses where man wants his heart to be softer, but God hardened it. Like Is 63:17 So it would appear that God can harden hearts. Man can harden hearts. God can soften hearts. Man can soften hearts. But the fact that God can harden someone's heart even if they want something different (or w/o them knowing) means God holds the trump card, doing whatever He wants. Man is never given that kind of authority/latitude in the Bible.
Excellent scriptures that do show that Jesus grieived over people who hardened their hearts ( in Israel) God isn't causing hardening he longsuffered loving them and wishing all would come to be saved but yeah they didn't so he let go or something and let it happen but he kept that parable thing going to keep things secretive...I mean nobody even the disciples knew he was gonna die on the cross and be resurrected..till it happened..
@@timffosterPoint against your Isaiah citation for your purpose of displaying a time where someone wanted their heat softened but God hardened it instead: That citation was the soft-hearted Isaiah praying that God would not harden Israel--not the Israelites requesting softness for themselves. Isaiah was telling Israel to repent and they refused and mocked him. It wasn't a case of the people wishing for soft hearts but remaining hardened against their will.
Awesome video and you explained BEAUTIFULLY this hard topic. I hear a lot of wisdom that the Holy Spirit speaks through you. God has definetely used you according to His ways.
A picture the Lord gave me relates to that old quote: the sun shines on the clay and butter, making one hard and one soft. Here it is: There are two soils. The Sun of Righteous shines on both soils with the intent to soften both. On both a seed is cast. One soil rejects the seed. The other soils receives the seed within a crack or cut (circumcision). Then the sun shines on the first soil. With no rain, the already hard soil gets harder and harder until all the water has left. This soil looks like those deserts starving for water with hexagon shaped cracks. Any rain just immediately dries up under such unshaded sun. The 2nd soil has just enough water in which the seed to root. The new leaves give shade to the soil. The roots break up the soil even more. Eventually a new tree grows and drops leaves which decays as organic matter, further softening the soil. The tree invites birds of the air to come who further fertilize and soften the ground below. The tree drops fruit and seeds within to continue to increase the next generation of soil softening. The moral: God does nothing wrong when hearts are hardened. All He does is good - send the sun, the rain and seed. The soil that rejects the voice of the word of God grows hard. As it is written, "when you hear my voice, harden not your hearts"!
@Cory God chose to harden Pharoahs heart. However, Pharoahs response to Gods hardening was to not hearken to the voice of the Lord. I wonder how many times I've hardened my heart according to Gods will for my life. He definitely knows better than me. If I am hardened I will trust and wait on the rain.
@@arcguardian clay is softened by rain God gives the rain. God also gives the sun to Harden the Clay. We may sow and water but God gives the growth. Repent of ur New Age religion. Exodus 4:21 KJV - 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.
If Pharaoh was already defiant of God, then him just learning about God, His holiness and His power, would be enough to make Pharaoh harden his heart. God doesn't have to harden his heart directly. It's like God's saying, 'I'm going to harden his heart, by just being more and more Myself!'
@@chadkndr I feel this way. I don’t know what to do. Here’s how it happened: Over months and months of crying out to God, I started to go and look at the Gospel from living waters and Heart searching of course, and I saw that my heart was inclined toward sin. I think it’s gotten worse, that I started to Despise the Lord. Now I feel Hardened and with not a fear of God. I need to be born again. To hate the darkness and let the light in. I don’t feel conviction, please pray for me. Also that I may be brought to the end of myself. I’m scared.
@@tfolbrix2879 are you sure you are not suffering from depression, anxiety or another mental health issue? Sometimes our minds get so confused by depression that gets in the way of our faith, I've been through this and what I wanna say is a person that doesn't love God are not concerned about this and about how his heart feels about Him. I'll pray for you 🙏 and hope everything gets better soon.
@@chadkndr I view a big part of it to be the way Egyptian royalty was viewed. They weren't just lords or kings they WERE gods. Finding yourself confronted by a Hebrew man who killed an Egyptian, fled the land for year, and then returns claiming to serve the ONLY God?! Acknowledging the Great I Am and listening to his command would require a level of humility and grace that the Pharaoh simply didn't not have (possibly because he never needed it before)
Okay so I’m kinda confused. At one point you said in refutation of calvinism you said it isn’t like God is choosing some and not choosing others but then you go on to say it’s more like God is active & not active in others. Isn’t that God “deciding” who to pursue & not to pursue?
I think the distinction is whether or not you allow God to be active in your life, invite Him in, give Him the green light so to speak and the way in which you do that is by having faith. If you don’t, God is still pursuing you because He loves everyone and He is still wanting for you to place your faith in Him, but if you don’t, He can’t actively prepare you for future eternal glory because He won’t force you into submission. He’s all-powerful and I think in theory He could, but chooses not to because He wants people who choose Him back. Just like He could have not placed the tree in the garden of eden in the first place but He wanted His creation to have a choice. We have the choice to submit or not and I think God respects our decisions.
I know I'm a couple years late on this but, seriously Mike, thanks so much for preaching on this. I've just been thinking about Calvinism and Romans seems to be their goldmine hahaha, but God has truly spoken through you here. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27 The Calvinist interpretation of these passages (if I can even call them that, instead of an addendum) make a voice that I do not recognize, describe a God I do not know. But I do know God, I recognize his voice and you have relayed that here beautifully, thank you!
Yes... good points! Also, if you read Romans 9:22-23 “What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath PREPARED (perfect participle) for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He PREPARED BEFOREHAND (aorist indicative) for glory.” Notice that there are different tenses for the action of “preparation.” When God prepared the vessels for wrath, notice its missing the “beforehand” that is applied to the vessels of mercy “prepared beforehand” for glory. So, Romans 9:22 simply says that the vessels of wrath are “made” for destruction. Though this does happen in the past, one cannot say this happened before birth; otherwise, it would have had to use “beforehand.” Why is this significant... because it also says that God “endured with much patience” (past tense) with the vessels of wrath “prepared for destruction.” And if, this “preparation” for destruction didn’t happen before birth, then there must have been a period in the past when they had a chance to respond to God’s patience. A final note, notice that these vessels are prepared for future events- “destruction (v.22)” and “glory (v.23).” This makes sense with Romans 8:29- (“predestined to conform to the image of the Son”) and Eph 1:5 (“predestined to the adoption of sons”), which also happens in the future according to Rom 8:23. In light of these tenses, it follows that God doesn’t predestine people to believe the gospel; rather, He predestines the believers of Christ unto conformity, adoption to sons, and to GLORY.
Can I put something out there to ponder ? Divide the WORD of GOD 2 Timothy 2:15 one side of the SCRIPTURE is Intent the other side of the SCRIPTURE is cause and effect, through history they run side by side, in our falling state we see life through cause and effect it’s something we did to bring judgment on ourselves, God has SPOKEN but we are rebellious toward His authority, the gospel of moral repentance is preached and to those who turn from there unmoral state and make Jesus Christ lord they will be forgiven, those who do not will be put in hell after the white throne judgment, causes and effect started at Genesis 1:1 Seeing life through INTENT, GOD “wanting to show HIS wrath and make HIS power Known” Romans 9:22a, now the new man see life as GOD wanting to do something, we see through one lump of clay HE made two vessels one will be used for honor the other for dishonor the key thing is they will be used. Out of every generation the vessels for honor are vessels born loved to be used for a vessel for HIS SON, HIS SON in them will as Peter said in 1 Peter 1:10 and 11 paraphrasing CHRIST revealing the work of GOD declare the thing HE will bring about and the purpose being John 14:29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it comes to pass, you may believe” the REVELATION of things coming is JESUS in these vessels for honorable use by GOD and this is why the our loved. Noe the vessels for dishonorable use are the vessels born hated there born hated just because of HIS intent, HE wanted to show HIS wrath they are “prepared for destruction” just because of HIS INTENT these vessels are born in every generation and will show HIS wrath in every generation now, but not all born hated will stay in that state, in every generation GOD is drawing HIS creation to HIMSELF through First the creation and second HE has always had HIMSELF a witness, if the vessels born hated are stirred up to ponder life because of the drawing of GOD, GOD then will start to open there eyes and ears HE will start to conform them to the image of HIS SON Romans 8 with HIS SON now in them they are vessels loved by GOD and used for honor, Hebrews 10:5 “Therefore, when HE came into the world, HE said; Sacrifice and offering YOU did not desire, But a body YOU have prepared for ME.” To see life through the INTENT of GOD we repent of the way we where seeing life to now see it as GOD has revealed it through the vessels for honorable uses, for me I could never walk as JESUS walked but as one who has died to self I am amazed to observe GOD using my body prepared for HIS SON to proclaim the work HE is doing. Every thing in the SCRIPTURE is there to revile how a person see the GOD of the Hebrews, just something to ponder our not. GOD bless
Roy Fox I’m not entirely sure of what you’re saying, but correct me if am wrong... God intends to show what He desires to happen, but from our perspective, it’s all cause and effect. Regardless... we find the same grammatical construction of “God desiring” to do something in 1 Timothy 2:4, where it says “God desires all men to be saved and come to repentance.” Now, knowing that your claim an “effectual desiring/intent” on the part of God, you will have to claim that “all men” doesn’t mean all men. But we know from context and every other instance in the Bible where it says “all men” that it means everyone with out exception. Being this is the case... “Desiring” doesn’t necessarily mean “going to do.” It’s false to say that Romans 9:22 shows “intent”, because “intent” means “going to do.” If that was the case, then Romans 9:22 and 1 Tim 2:4 is a clear erroneous contradiction!
Romans 9:22 does show intent GOD showed us this in Romans 9:17 paraphrasing the only reason GOD raised up Pharaoh was to show HIS power in him and that HIS NAME may be declared in all the earth, that’s understanding is REVELATION that came down from GOD concerning Pharaoh, in Isaiah 46 the REVELATION given to us is He has SPOKEN it and HE will bring it to pass which you can go back to Romans 9:12 the older shall serve the older then HE moves things in to position to fulfill what HE SPOKE using the vessels from the same lump of clay. In John 14:29 “And now I have told you before it come, that when it does come to pass, you will believe” if a man see live as cause and affect then they project to those around them a wimpy GOD but intent shows all is for a reason as a servant HE can never disappoint me because I’m HIS to use how HE likes, The JESUS I made LOAD is the one that came down from Heaven, brother step back and ponder from Genesis to Revelation and tell me what is GOD doing. Thanks for your patience with a fellow servant. GOD bless
Roy Fox Yes, Romans 9:17 shows intent while 9:22 elaborates that action of God in more detail. Two things to note: 1.) When Paul writes that about Pharaoh and God hardening “whom He wills” in 9:17-18, the audience claims that it’s not fair in v.19; to which Paul replies that God- as a potter- does have a right over the vessels to do what He wishes (9:20-21). Notice that v.22 is a further response to justify God’s actions as a potter... “... What if God desiring to show His wrath and make His power known BORE with much patience prepared for destruction” (v.22). Yes... God is willing to show His wrath and He will do just that, but Paul continues to say this doesn’t happen before the period of God’s patience is over with them. In the simplest of terms, God does desire to harden sinners to demonstrate His wrath, but He withholds those desires in the period of patience. It doesn’t say that God automatically hardens people as they come. 2.) Does even Romans 9:17 show “intent”? What does it mean that God “raised up” pharaoh for this purpose? The true question one must ask is... “Is ‘raising up’ someone for a purpose equivalent to ‘creating’ someone for a purpose?” Well... “raising up” someone is the same as “propping” them up as someone props up a chair when it falls. If you read that OT reference about the Pharaoh in Exodus... God says in the verse right before that God could’ve killed Pharaoh long before Moses’ confrontation (Exo 9:15), but has raised him up for this purpose (9:16). So, Exodus is not saying that God created Pharoah to destroy him, but “allowed him to live even longer” to demonstrate His wrath.
Romans 9:12 is very interesting. That’s the section where God said that “before the twins had done anything good or bad, He determined that the older should serve the younger.” Yes, notice that has nothing to do with salvation, but rather who would be the one to continue Abraham’s blessing for the nation of Israel. This makes sense... but why you may ask! Because God is looking at these twins “before doing anything good or bad.” God is looking at these children as blank slates having done nothing wrong or good. Why would God choose to harden someone before they did anything bad? Remember that Esau severely disregarded his birthright for a morsel of soup (Heb 12:16). Yet, God didn’t take into account Esau’s future action of severe disobedience when He deciding between the two. Yes, even if Esau didn’t reject birthright, Isaac still would’ve been instructed to give his blessing to Jacob. Therefore, there is no way to conclude that God created Esau to simply die for his sins while choosing Jacob to be the faithful one and all... it just doesn’t follow (even though the Calvinist insist we look Romans 9:12 in that manner).
In my past religious life,,, I remember ssooo many prayers of instruction,,, giving God all kinds of instructions on how to and what to and not to do !!! Memories that make my YUCK METER hit the peg !! Lifting someone up in prayer,,, Papa, you know the what and how,,, I sense something amiss, you take it from there !! is a MUCH BETTER prayer in my mind,,,,,
Great teaching again. It is interesting that when God hardens the hearts of the ungodly, he does so often through the message or through circumstances, and not by some supernatural rewiring of the human heart. It also explains why we as Christians can become hardened to the word of God, even becoming subject to the judicial hardening of God if we remain stiff necked, unwilling to change direction.
I have always wondered at these things and I am so glad I saw this as it is plain now. I thank you for being faithful to God to teach us the Word. God Bless You
Have you ever wondered if certain biblical topics bother you because you refuse to concede what they are clearly teaching? I wonder how many people who look for a soothing response to every hard thing the Bible has to say can be shown to have submitted to anything their fallen mind didn’t already agree with?
Thank you so much for this teaching. It came at the right time. I am in tears. I am realizing my hardness of heart. God is so good. Thank you so much. Please pray for me.
I know this comment was over a year ago but I hope you're doing okay, Gina. God bless
hope you're doing better now.
Continued prayers for your walk with the Lord 🙏🏼❤️
I said a prayer for you Gina. Have you Accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? We love you and want to meet you in Heaven.
if you're crying, your heart is not hard. people with hard hearts will have nothing to do with God but either way God bless
God softened my heart last year, before that I was a mess of a creature. I turned away from the Lord as a child and sin was well known to me, I was depressed and self destructive, but regardless He never abandoned me. I needed to fall on my own so that I may properly give praise to my Lord and Savior, Thank you, Lord, for giving me a humbling that was much needed in my life.
🙏🏼❤️
Glory to God 🙂
"Take heed, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb 3:12-13)
Nice one Pierre ,, I had forgot that one , as soon as I read it , I said , of course , how did I not remember that .. Hope all is well with you Brother ,, God Bless You and Yours !
Just recieved revelation. When I was younger I was brought up knowing right from wrong. As I got older I went against Gods word. Meaning I hardened my own heart. While in my time away from the things of God. I was blind as to what my actions were causing. But when I was at the end of my strength and totally broken. My eyes were opened again. I came back from a heart hardening. Now the parables make sense.
That makes sense why God was always with me even in addiction and even when I was angry and bitter and lost
Oh my God you are so good. Thank you Lord for revelation.
@@flybandit1 yes
@@flybandit1 surrender to God.
@@flybandit1 Please answer me. Did it go better? My heart is a feelingless stone and i think of hell all the time.
Great sermon, it put my heart at ease, the JMac message made me think/feel I was heading towards hell, unloved and discarded by God and that I lost my way/salvation somehow ... Why do I care about such things? Why can't I rest in Jesus work on the cross?
This sermon is helping me understand the sanctification process.
I wish to be soft and useful clay to the creator of all. God have mercy on me.
Yes, JMac, for all his understanding of scripture, has this one doctrine wrong. Such a shame.
I became a Calvinist through listening to him.
After 3 years in this doctrine, I decided to listen to other perspectives. There must have been something that made me unsettled about it.
Now that I am no longer a Calvinist, I still listen to John MacArthur but just not to any of his sermons about Calvinism.
😁😁
Whatever you do. Look up Andrew Farley
@@judylloyd7901 I have found that the Calvinist approach taints nearly everything MacArthur teaches.
@@judylloyd7901 No need to keep listening to him.
Listening to John MacArthur’s teaching on election and security has helped me more than any other preacher. The work the Lord has done in our hearts can’t be overcome by the devil. We have security in the Lord through His work and the sealing of the Holy Spirit.
Greetings from Pakistan.
I’m your new subscriber and love your teaching. I’m keep watching your videos non stop. Loving it.
God bless you ✊❤️🙏
God bless you brother
😉💪🏼🙏🏼🌹
⁹
@@ֆքǟռ-m5g Only an Armenian can read your name :-D! Good job :)
Love to see you here. Praying for our Christian brothers and sisters who abide in the Lord in some hardened places.
Ok Mike, I’ve been studying this chapter for years and have been doing good in understanding in my recent years but your teaching on all this has seriously helped me understand certain parts that I didn’t understand. Thank you so much and just so you know out of the 200 teachings I’ve heard on this chapter you’re understanding of this chapter is actually the best I’ve heard and makes the most sense.
Thank God for a man like you as you surely make it clear God did give us teachers for a reason.
Yeah man he's good
Yeah.... I totally agree... I just LOVE his teachings!!! so BIBLICALLY sound!!!🔥🔥🔥
Amen. Thank God for willing teaching us and opening our eyes and hearts to His goodness, love, grace, mercy and for His power to make those things work already in this world ! My heart shouts "Glory" to Him.
This is a poem I wrote a while back after watching this sermon:
For even in hardness, their hearts seemingly unswayed,
By the unmistakable majesty of the truth you’ve just said,
I find joy in your comfort
I find peace in your arms.
I trust, knowing you’ve never let me down.
And the hardness of the bitter, the callous, and unsaved,
Are temporary works of the God who made.
The Potter and the Clay -
One vessel for mercy, and another given up.
His choice not presuming upon, but rather presiding in
our broken delusions of self-centered sin.
May my heart be broken for those who’ve yet to turn.
May I be as grieved as God, and yet still yearn
How greater still, would your heart be broken?
A love transcendent, riddled with mire,
from the painful reality of our sinful desires.
But the Potter acquiesced in his mercy and grace.
A clay pot made second-rate - a service still found,
yet truths of a further purpose abound
Come, Lord God, let your work continue,
That even though friends fall away and loved ones withdraw,
I will stand firm in you God, not by works nor by law,
Rather with the unrelenting faith exemplified in you
And should you desire, should they grow in truth,
may those once lost be returned in all glory.
Amen
That was a well-written poem. And quite beautiful, too.
@Kenny Lee, I love this poem.❤️
Do you often write poetry?
Thanks for sharing this
Please share to a wider network.
Beautiful, thank you, God Bless🙏🏼❤️
God Bless and Thank you for this helps me to paint a image in my head when examining my own life. Christ be with you and amen
Really a blessing. I'm going to have to listen again because I need to internalize this. Today I was reading Romans and I got stuck on Romans 9. I found it upsetting. I could not understand. I'm trying to read and understand instead of just reading and not thinking about what I've read (as I usually do). I read it three times each time with a heavy heart. So I got on UA-cam to see if I could find someone talking about Romans 9. Thank you. This really has helped me and clarified the passages for me. Honestly, thank you.
not everything in scripture should make you feel good
@@hondotheology She's talking about being upset that she couldn't gain clarity.
Why would you feel the need to say something negative about that!?
(What's wrong with you? is what I'm asking.) Or did you not read her comment properly?
Came into this video worried about what would be said and concerned for my own faith. Left it completely assured of God's glory, with a "hardened" faith that God will carry out his will for us in righteousness and keep the promises he has made to his creations. God bless you Mike, Amen!
Hi Mike, I would first like to say I am beginning my walk with Jesus Christ and our all mighty heavenly father God. I've tried so many times to listen but feel I'm not worth the time but at the same time I feel ,see and understand the awesomeness when I'm in the presence of hearing the word and still look away. As you connect to translation in the bible seeing your commitment your passion your comprehensive connection explained ,I realise if I could see right through you the holy spirit is what I'd see. My heart is hardened repeatedly living how I've learnt and been taught thinking it's supported by the bible. I've never read the bible. I've watched Jesus movies but think i understand how to live by the bible just by understanding right from wrong but will do wrong acts any how. By the grace of God I have crossed your path and am understanding that what I know is partly learnt. While listening to you teach you have uncovered alot of who i am and so i feel this is a great place too begin. I pray that you and others pray for me in my journey to discovering my true potential. Life outside the bible world my mind is like my wondering eyes (no good) i need to understand the bible for all my intelligence and life's experiences keep leading me to discover the truth. I will continue to follow you , your awesomeness I will strive for because it looks just great on you.thankyou so much. in the name of Jesus Christ amen.
You have alot of insight and good self-reflection Tones Yolo . I will disagree with you though on "you understanding right and wrong " , yet never having read the Bible . Life lessons teach us about life , but , the Bible teaches us what the true understanding is in what God has provided to us ,, Romans c 3 vs 11 & 12 cleared that up for me , vs 11 - " There is none that understandeth , there is none that seeketh after God " , vs 12 - " They are all gone out of the way , they are together become unprofitable ; there is none that doeth good , no , not one " ... I'm sure you are smart . But you started one sentence by saying , " I need to understand the Bible " and finished it with " all my intelligence and lifes experiences keep leading me to the truth " ,, You might find subjective truth , but you will never know the objective truth of Gods word unless you learn it from the Bible . John c 17 vs 17 - " Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is Truth " { that's Jesus speaking } .. Anyway , I just wanted you to know i'm praying for you . And since it has been a year that you posted this ,, I bet you have already come along way in Gods Word { the Bible } God Bless you Tones ,, many here are praying for you ....
Brother I just read a message that you wrote 4 years ago on Rick Winger channel and I just want to check with you and make sure you are growing in your walk with our Lord Jesus Christ. Brother you wrote about me it sounded like and I know exactly how you felt. I am thankful that I found my Lord Jesus Christ 5 years ago now and I continue to walk with Him today and I can honestly say that had I not found my Lord I would not be here today. Brother I hope you are still following our Lord because you do matter and you are very important to me and our Lord Jesus Christ! God Bless you Brother!!!
Amen! God simply honors what we choose because he is a righteous God, if we dont repent, he will not forgive, if we don't seek him, we dont find him, of we harden our hearts, he will even hardened it more because that's what we deserved, and be is the God of Justice.
2 Timothy 2.20-21 Also touches on the concept of vessels for common use vs vessels for honorable use, and teaches that one can cleanse themselves of the former in order to become the latter.
Heh, nice find.
Very good! An alcoholic drug addict etc. becomes clean becomes usable to the Lord! Though a good Calvinist would say you didn't do that God did....
@@frodomocho1329 Because he did. We have nothing in us that can make us clean. Christ cleansed us, the Bible makes that clear. I’m Lutheran though, not Calvinist. We don’t adhere to all of TULIP
@@frodomocho1329 Every good thing comes from above. Ex drug addict here.
Finding these sermons tears later but, fortunately, at the right time. Thanks, brother.
This has really, truly given me clarity (of most of the videos on this topic on UA-cam). God richly bless and inspire you more, dear Mike.
Shalom!
Thank you Mike
Never worry about being lengthy etc
I listen every day. Sometimes 5 years later
God bless 🙏
Thank you, Mike - "God is right, I'm wrong. If I disagree with God, I'm wrong. How much do I know?" - so true. God said in Isaiah, Who are you to be afraid of a man who will die, and forget the Lord your Maker ... It is our small view of God that causes the problems, and God's sovereignty creating free will is part of the picture, as well as His care and provision for His creatures.
This has been the best sermon for me! God wanted me to listen to this today. Answers major questions as well as speaks to me personally. My family will serve the Lord. In Jesus name, Amen
I am jaw-dropped!! WOW! A millennial who is truly in love and reading God's infallible word!! PRAISE the LORD brother! I have just discovered you and have been blessed and shocked and awed by your teachings! STAY TRUE BRO! BLESS YOU!! WOW!
I have only listened to three sermons thus far -- so I hope I haven't spoken too soon. We'll see if you perspective on the Jews is Biblical, but I suspect it is. Well done good and faithful servant! I am shocked and delighted! There IS a remnant! YEAH!
There's plenty of us brother.
Not necessarily with the depth of study and wisdom of this man, but there are lots of us millenials (and our next generation some are calling "z") who have come to Christ and love him with all our hearts.
I was saved because of exposure and contact with a bunch of wonderful, Bible believing millenial Christians.
He's not a millenial...Gen X or xennials to be more specific. It's a group between generations that experienced things like the rotary phone and the cell phone, no internet to dial up to WiFi, played outside all day but had technology, etc.
We're a unique group 😊
Wow are you deceived!
There's a lot of us out there. You just have preconceived ideas about us ;)
Please pray for me I need your intercession
💝
Christ Himself is THE Intercessor.
Jesus in you, talk to HIM.
You can’t use another sinful man as an intercessor, he is no better than you. Jesus is the only mediator between God and men.
This is the best biblical explanation of heart hardness I have heard. Also, so encouraging that it is not permanent and that we can pray for a heart softening for ourselves and our loved ones! Blessings!
Thank you so much for praying for those who have hardened their hearts. My children have so changed from the caring ones they once were toward me, but more importantly toward the Lord Jesus. There is a serious struggle within me that your message is helping to dispel. That God can turn hardening back is just like Him, isn’t it?
Quite ironically I’ve been diagnosed with calcifications of the heart, and that is not concerning. I dearly love you, and am so proud of all you put into your teaching. (Please, look at this taping. That shirt…Honey burn it. 🔥 LOL 😂 )
The first time I read this YEARS ago and in a different time in my life, I was so angry with God. I thought, “what kind of God are you”? and then he answered me and showed me his truth. Understanding the heart of God changed the lens of my view of this scriptures. He is good and only good all the time. He does no evil. The fact that he is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, he knows our hearts. Also the reason I am not a Calvinist.
Thank you for your love for God, his truth, and people.
Amen! That’s the reason I’m not a Calvinist, either.
Thank you for this. You handle the Word with boldness, depth and humility, a combination that is increasingly hard to find. Lord bless and guide your ministry!
Greetings from London, England. I am so blessed by your teaching. Makes me really want to delve deeper into scripture and examine my heart and actions. Thank you and may the Lord continue to use you and bless your ministry.
Thank you very much for clearing up the situation for me. Those are thoughts that I had when I first read the Bible about the hardening of a heart and why God would do that. I knew that God had a good reason and that it was justified I just didn’t understand it. I think that there are some things in the Bible that at least myself that I don’t have the capability to understand or the Holy Spirit hasn’t given me that understanding yet. Praise God and thank you for helping me study his word. God bless you and your family and friends. Duane.
Mike, I love the humility you present this teaching with. It’s very Christlike. Thank you for your example.
Going back and watching these old verse-by-verse series... This is SO GOOD. A clear teaching. 💜
Merci Mike pour cette étude biblique. Thank you for that biblical study. Romuald, Paris France 🇫🇷
All it takes for God to harden someone's heart is to remove His influence and leave it to do its own thing.
The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse- who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9
Gratitude of your insight on this teaching. Humility is growing as you share this Wisdom! God bless you for your gentle lovingkindness!!!! At 15 minutes into video a glorious moment of Grace in Mercy to Joy of Good. Your giggle gladdened this heart of Hearts.... of Praises to God. HUMBLED of your giggle! So sweet!
I was studying Romans and chapter 9 through me for a loop. Prayed to God about it because I immediately thought this is contradictory to the gospel explained in the rest of the Bible. Then I found these teachings that make sense. I love how you explain things by looking at different scriptures on the topic that brings understanding. Very grateful for the way you teach.
Thank you Mike! You’ve helped to make a couple of things biblically and personally click. The essence is that God does this partly to give the Pharaoh/ others a chance but also to His glory, to bring those others Israelites / some of us closer to Him, and saves us .... if we are able to see that. Really helps explain parts of my life. Puts a different slant on some tough things I went through and sadly people lost who no matter how much love I gave, they just got more and more abusive. God is just, God is love.
Edit : on more reflection, just wow. Thank you again Mike! God bless
Thank you for serving up a true Scripture meal, not just milk. This is such a blessing!
Thank you Mike for your humble approach to interpreting scripture.
I thank God for you. You had me in tears. O God is so good. I am so joyful. God's word is healing and gives hope. I am so exited.
Don't ever doubt God.
AMEN PRAISE THE LORD!!🙏💖MAY THE LORD BLESS YOU
As a student and teacher of bible theology I have to say this has got to be the most in depth explanation I have ever heard. Thank you.
You are an absolutely wonder and humble "normal potato"....wow....love your teachings with all of my heart and you always instruct us to let the scriptures be our final word. God bless you. Thank you so much.
What an amazing teaching. I'm very new in my walk. This teaching was encouraging. Mike thank you for your humility and care with scripture. May God continue to do great things with you.
😅
Love this, very thorough and (IMO) philosophically powerful! Thank you for your heart for the truth.
Side note: when you said more people deserve to have their hearts hardened, I actually thought, "I deserve to have my heart hardened. We ALL do..." because we are attached to these corrupt bodies that fight against all things holy. We deserve to be handed over to what our bodies crave: destruction and chaos. And yet, through the grace and mercy of Christ (by His sacrifice), His Spirit renews us inwardly day by day so that we can fix our eyes on what is eternal, and live accordingly in opposition to the hardening we justly merit.
I was studying Romans 9 after a discussion I had with fellpw brothers and sisters and I encountered your ir teaching and it felt like manna from the sky. Thanks you are a blessing to God's Kingdom and I thank God for you, as I ascribe all glory to God alone 🙂🙏
45:35
Haha!!
I love your way of teaching Mike, thank you for the laughter, keep on the good work.
As your teaching us about this......I feel this is my life as a younger man..............the understanding you bring to this is incredible.......thank you for this and being a teacher of God's truth.
am not here to defend it am not here to attack it, that's not my place! Am here to say what it says!! wooooooo! Thats the most beautiful thing a pastor can say bout Gods Word!!!! Bless u Mike!!!
Thank you Mike and thank you Holy Spirit for giving Mike such insight into the scripture! As a former drug addict and now an asst.pastor, I appreciate how you have humbly and thoroughly expounded on passages that have given me difficulties for a long time...as well as how you steer these teachings back toward ourselves and their applications in our own lives. I just stumbled upon your channel seeking out the Word ( discarding the rocks until I find a gem)..also, thanks for bringing home the danger of my own heard being hardened .. great job!
Mike, I am a new viewer from the UK of your material online. I have to say I am being greatly blessed by your talks/sermons. The clarity, humility, and your way of delivery is something that strongly resounds with me. God bless you as you continue teach in a very real and down to earth yet authoritative way.
What a great talk. When God's Word is preached in fullness as written, without any concern for how it will be received, people are healed! This is such "meaty" Truth.
Thank you for this study, it has really helped me understand the position that both sides take when approaching this scripture and is helping to soothe the voice in my head that says that God is not merciful, that he actually causes people to be lost. I know this voice is the devil trying to convince me that God is not who he says he is: a merciful and loving God.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this careful teaching of a hard to understand truth! I love the reminder of the last point. I dare not trust my heart but humbly seek God's working in my life.
LOL your "second" voice is my favorite!! I'm so grateful for the time and effort you put into your channel. thank you!!
This was beautiful, Mike. Thank you for your study and scholarship to explain these difficult passages so clearly and with inspiration. May God continue to bless you-and us, through you.
Great study. Glad I found this even 5 years after the fact. I took 5 pages of notes! Thanks so much.
A verse worth reflecting on:
[+] O LORD, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden our heart, so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. (Isa 63:17)
I pray that my heart will soften
THANK YOU SO MUCH! PRAISE GOD! GOD BLESS YOU!😭
You are a blessing to many Mike. Thank you Brother, God Bless - Skorp, Western Australia.
Time to teach... as a master... God has a plan and He will do His will.
Thank you for demonstrating what it actually means to teach Scripture. It has been very refreshing for me to listen to your teachings in the midst of a world being influenced so powerfully by false prophets who infiltrate the Body with ‘good music’. I appreciate so much your sound Biblical teaching. I will be praying for you as you become a beacon of light for so many including me. A voice of reason amidst the chaos. Blessings to you and your family.
I have recently discovered your channel and teachings, and I am learning so much!
You are truly gifted by God as a Bible expositor and teacher.
This is a GREAT teaching. God bless you Sir.
man mike you really help me understand the grace and purposes of God so much more clearly, God Bless
There is a profound saying, "The hot sun that softens the wax, hardens the clay". The hardening stems from the person's heart, they are not a new creation, they don't have a new heart that God creates within His people.
Hey Pastor Mike, just wanted to let you know, just like Vernon Magee, you teachings are still working years later! This Teaching is absolute Fire! Wow! Like you said it’s so awesome when the sword of the Spirit shows us a revelation of Gods word! I always knew that God harden peoples hearts, just could never really explain it. And your interpretation of why Jesus spoke in parables, is so Powerful! Thank you Sir! Look forward to diving into more of your teachings! 🔥🔥💪🔥🔥
Thank you Brother Mike,
I loved this. God is indeed sovereign, just, righteous, loving, holy, wize, patient, gracious beyond all our understanding. 🕊🙏💙🙌
God bless you so much for this explanation !
Thank you so much Mike for this study on Hardness of heart. I love you brother. May Jesus Christ bless you, as you have blessed me immensely through your videos.
Love your dedication Mike! I think the best reformed perspective on hardening I’ve seen is that “hardening is the playing out in time of God’s eternal decree of reprobation”. In the same way that regeneration, faith, and repentance are the means in time of God’s eternal decree of election. Love your ministry brother, praying for you and Sarah Zimmerman ❤️
So we're pawns on a chessboard and not actually loved
I loved this!!! Though I may not understand it completely it was amazingly awesome to me. Thank you so much for sharing this.
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Amazing explanation, this preaching and your research was def God inspired. This is not an easy chapter to understand or to explain and many people lose faith in God because of this scripture. These are people who do not dig deeper, they do not seek for the reasoning and answers to these tough passages therefore God does not bother to reveal it to them. God bless you cause this really helped me alot.
Sound teaching.
Points to ponder:
Mark 3:5 - [Jesus] looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the *hardness* of their hearts.
Mark 16:14 - [Jesus] appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and *hardness* of heart...
Hebrews 3:13 - ... exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be *hardened* through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 4:7 - Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not *harden* your hearts.
@Last Days Detective ...So far this is a good list where man is cited as the cause for his heart being hard.
Now let's get a list of all the places where God is cited as the cause for hardening man's heart. (there are dozens. literally)
And while we're at it, let's find a list of places where God says He wanted to soften a man's heart, but wasn't able to because the man wouldn't let Him. (I don't know of any. If one gets desperate, Matt 23:37 comes close, but one would need to believe that "Jerusalem" and "Jerusalem's children" are one and the same. The grammar doesn't easily support this interpretation.)
And for good measure, let's find verses where God softened someone's heart w/o them knowing it. Acts 9 (S/Paul's conversion would be a classic example, but there are many others)
And lastly, let's find verses where man wants his heart to be softer, but God hardened it. Like Is 63:17
So it would appear that God can harden hearts.
Man can harden hearts.
God can soften hearts.
Man can soften hearts.
But the fact that God can harden someone's heart even if they want something different (or w/o them knowing) means God holds the trump card, doing whatever He wants. Man is never given that kind of authority/latitude in the Bible.
Excellent scriptures that do show that Jesus grieived over people who hardened their hearts ( in Israel) God isn't causing hardening he longsuffered loving them and wishing all would come to be saved but yeah they didn't so he let go or something and let it happen but he kept that parable thing going to keep things secretive...I mean nobody even the disciples knew he was gonna die on the cross and be resurrected..till it happened..
@@timffosterPoint against your Isaiah citation for your purpose of displaying a time where someone wanted their heat softened but God hardened it instead:
That citation was the soft-hearted Isaiah praying that God would not harden Israel--not the Israelites requesting softness for themselves. Isaiah was telling Israel to repent and they refused and mocked him. It wasn't a case of the people wishing for soft hearts but remaining hardened against their will.
@@bufficliff8978 hm... who is the "us" in that verse , I wonder?
Amazing teaching on this! Thank you so much for this!!
Awesome video and you explained BEAUTIFULLY this hard topic. I hear a lot of wisdom that the Holy Spirit speaks through you.
God has definetely used you according to His ways.
Wow! Amazing teaching. It got me so excited about God’s master plan for Israel and how intricate the Bible is!
A picture the Lord gave me relates to that old quote: the sun shines on the clay and butter, making one hard and one soft. Here it is: There are two soils. The Sun of Righteous shines on both soils with the intent to soften both. On both a seed is cast. One soil rejects the seed. The other soils receives the seed within a crack or cut (circumcision). Then the sun shines on the first soil. With no rain, the already hard soil gets harder and harder until all the water has left. This soil looks like those deserts starving for water with hexagon shaped cracks. Any rain just immediately dries up under such unshaded sun. The 2nd soil has just enough water in which the seed to root. The new leaves give shade to the soil. The roots break up the soil even more. Eventually a new tree grows and drops leaves which decays as organic matter, further softening the soil. The tree invites birds of the air to come who further fertilize and soften the ground below. The tree drops fruit and seeds within to continue to increase the next generation of soil softening. The moral: God does nothing wrong when hearts are hardened. All He does is good - send the sun, the rain and seed. The soil that rejects the voice of the word of God grows hard. As it is written, "when you hear my voice, harden not your hearts"!
@Cory God chose to harden Pharoahs heart. However, Pharoahs response to Gods hardening was to not hearken to the voice of the Lord. I wonder how many times I've hardened my heart according to Gods will for my life. He definitely knows better than me. If I am hardened I will trust and wait on the rain.
@@ryanteuscher7996 the Pharoah wasn't butter, he was clay. God hardens clay. Rejecting God is a choice.
@@arcguardian never said it was butter I said that pharoah was offend at God rebuke of him. I'm saying Pharoah still had a choice after the hardening
@@ryanteuscher7996 God didn't force Pharoah to be clay, pharoah chose the path of clay rather than the path of butter.
@@arcguardian clay is softened by rain God gives the rain. God also gives the sun to Harden the Clay. We may sow and water but God gives the growth. Repent of ur New Age religion.
Exodus 4:21 KJV - 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.
If Pharaoh was already defiant of God, then him just learning about God, His holiness and His power, would be enough to make Pharaoh harden his heart. God doesn't have to harden his heart directly. It's like God's saying, 'I'm going to harden his heart, by just being more and more Myself!'
You would think the nature of Love itself would soften all hearts. Who could withstand Love in it's highest form?
@@chadkndr I feel this way. I don’t know what to do. Here’s how it happened: Over months and months of crying out to God, I started to go and look at the Gospel from living waters and Heart searching of course, and I saw that my heart was inclined toward sin. I think it’s gotten worse, that I started to Despise the Lord. Now I feel Hardened and with not a fear of God. I need to be born again. To hate the darkness and let the light in. I don’t feel conviction, please pray for me. Also that I may be brought to the end of myself. I’m scared.
@@tfolbrix2879 are you sure you are not suffering from depression, anxiety or another mental health issue? Sometimes our minds get so confused by depression that gets in the way of our faith, I've been through this and what I wanna say is a person that doesn't love God are not concerned about this and about how his heart feels about Him. I'll pray for you 🙏 and hope everything gets better soon.
@@chadkndr I view a big part of it to be the way Egyptian royalty was viewed. They weren't just lords or kings they WERE gods. Finding yourself confronted by a Hebrew man who killed an Egyptian, fled the land for year, and then returns claiming to serve the ONLY God?! Acknowledging the Great I Am and listening to his command would require a level of humility and grace that the Pharaoh simply didn't not have (possibly because he never needed it before)
What a true blessing, stay encouraged, God has many treasures set up in Heaven for your faithfulness and heartfelt sermons
Okay so I’m kinda confused. At one point you said in refutation of calvinism you said it isn’t like God is choosing some and not choosing others but then you go on to say it’s more like God is active & not active in others. Isn’t that God “deciding” who to pursue & not to pursue?
I think the distinction is whether or not you allow God to be active in your life, invite Him in, give Him the green light so to speak and the way in which you do that is by having faith. If you don’t, God is still pursuing you because He loves everyone and He is still wanting for you to place your faith in Him, but if you don’t, He can’t actively prepare you for future eternal glory because He won’t force you into submission. He’s all-powerful and I think in theory He could, but chooses not to because He wants people who choose Him back. Just like He could have not placed the tree in the garden of eden in the first place but He wanted His creation to have a choice. We have the choice to submit or not and I think God respects our decisions.
this is by far the best teaching I have yet to hear on the hardening of Pharoahs heart...very logical stance according to scripture if you will...
Thank you for this teaching! This cleared up so many questions I had.
Truly good stuff. Thank you for everything you did and you do brother.
Thanks for the clarity of these verses. Very good teachings
When you reject God, you lose a sound mind. God allows their imaginations to take them captive. / love your teachings in the word, thank you †
I know I'm a couple years late on this but, seriously Mike, thanks so much for preaching on this. I've just been thinking about Calvinism and Romans seems to be their goldmine hahaha, but God has truly spoken through you here.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27
The Calvinist interpretation of these passages (if I can even call them that, instead of an addendum) make a voice that I do not recognize, describe a God I do not know. But I do know God, I recognize his voice and you have relayed that here beautifully, thank you!
Yes... good points!
Also, if you read Romans 9:22-23 “What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath PREPARED (perfect participle) for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He PREPARED BEFOREHAND (aorist indicative) for glory.”
Notice that there are different tenses for the action of “preparation.” When God prepared the vessels for wrath, notice its missing the “beforehand” that is applied to the vessels of mercy “prepared beforehand” for glory.
So, Romans 9:22 simply says that the vessels of wrath are “made” for destruction. Though this does happen in the past, one cannot say this happened before birth; otherwise, it would have had to use “beforehand.”
Why is this significant... because it also says that God “endured with much patience” (past tense) with the vessels of wrath “prepared for destruction.” And if, this “preparation” for destruction didn’t happen before birth, then there must have been a period in the past when they had a chance to respond to God’s patience.
A final note, notice that these vessels are prepared for future events- “destruction (v.22)” and “glory (v.23).” This makes sense with Romans 8:29- (“predestined to conform to the image of the Son”) and Eph 1:5 (“predestined to the adoption of sons”), which also happens in the future according to Rom 8:23.
In light of these tenses, it follows that God doesn’t predestine people to believe the gospel; rather, He predestines the believers of Christ unto conformity, adoption to sons, and to GLORY.
Can I put something out there to ponder ?
Divide the WORD of GOD 2 Timothy 2:15 one side of the SCRIPTURE is Intent the other side of the SCRIPTURE is cause and effect, through history they run side by side, in our falling state we see life through cause and effect it’s something we did to bring judgment on ourselves, God has SPOKEN but we are rebellious toward His authority, the gospel of moral repentance is preached and to those who turn from there unmoral state and make Jesus Christ lord they will be forgiven, those who do not will be put in hell after the white throne judgment, causes and effect started at Genesis 1:1
Seeing life through INTENT, GOD “wanting to show HIS wrath and make HIS power Known” Romans 9:22a, now the new man see life as GOD wanting to do something, we see through one lump of clay HE made two vessels one will be used for honor the other for dishonor the key thing is they will be used. Out of every generation the vessels for honor are vessels born loved to be used for a vessel for HIS SON, HIS SON in them will as Peter said in 1 Peter 1:10 and 11 paraphrasing CHRIST revealing the work of GOD declare the thing HE will bring about and the purpose being John 14:29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it comes to pass, you may believe” the REVELATION of things coming is JESUS in these vessels for honorable use by GOD and this is why the our loved. Noe the vessels for dishonorable use are the vessels born hated there born hated just because of HIS intent, HE wanted to show HIS wrath they are “prepared for destruction” just because of HIS INTENT these vessels are born in every generation and will show HIS wrath in every generation now, but not all born hated will stay in that state, in every generation GOD is drawing HIS creation to HIMSELF through First the creation and second HE has always had HIMSELF a witness, if the vessels born hated are stirred up to ponder life because of the drawing of GOD, GOD then will start to open there eyes and ears HE will start to conform them to the image of HIS SON Romans 8 with HIS SON now in them they are vessels loved by GOD and used for honor, Hebrews 10:5 “Therefore, when HE came into the world, HE said; Sacrifice and offering YOU did not desire, But a body YOU have prepared for ME.” To see life through the INTENT of GOD we repent of the way we where seeing life to now see it as GOD has revealed it through the vessels for honorable uses, for me I could never walk as JESUS walked but as one who has died to self I am amazed to observe GOD using my body prepared for HIS SON to proclaim the work HE is doing. Every thing in the SCRIPTURE is there to revile how a person see the GOD of the Hebrews, just something to ponder our not. GOD bless
Roy Fox I’m not entirely sure of what you’re saying, but correct me if am wrong... God intends to show what He desires to happen, but from our perspective, it’s all cause and effect.
Regardless... we find the same grammatical construction of “God desiring” to do something in 1 Timothy 2:4, where it says “God desires all men to be saved and come to repentance.” Now, knowing that your claim an “effectual desiring/intent” on the part of God, you will have to claim that “all men” doesn’t mean all men. But we know from context and every other instance in the Bible where it says “all men” that it means everyone with out exception.
Being this is the case... “Desiring” doesn’t necessarily mean “going to do.” It’s false to say that Romans 9:22 shows “intent”, because “intent” means “going to do.” If that was the case, then Romans 9:22 and 1 Tim 2:4 is a clear erroneous contradiction!
Romans 9:22 does show intent GOD showed us this in Romans 9:17 paraphrasing the only reason GOD raised up Pharaoh was to show HIS power in him and that HIS NAME may be declared in all the earth, that’s understanding is REVELATION that came down from GOD concerning Pharaoh, in Isaiah 46 the REVELATION given to us is He has SPOKEN it and HE will bring it to pass which you can go back to Romans 9:12 the older shall serve the older then HE moves things in to position to fulfill what HE SPOKE using the vessels from the same lump of clay. In John 14:29 “And now I have told you before it come, that when it does come to pass, you will believe” if a man see live as cause and affect then they project to those around them a wimpy GOD but intent shows all is for a reason as a servant HE can never disappoint me because I’m HIS to use how HE likes, The JESUS I made LOAD is the one that came down from Heaven, brother step back and ponder from Genesis to Revelation and tell me what is GOD doing. Thanks for your patience with a fellow servant. GOD bless
Roy Fox Yes, Romans 9:17 shows intent while 9:22 elaborates that action of God in more detail. Two things to note:
1.) When Paul writes that about Pharaoh and God hardening “whom He wills” in 9:17-18, the audience claims that it’s not fair in v.19; to which Paul replies that God- as a potter- does have a right over the vessels to do what He wishes (9:20-21). Notice that v.22 is a further response to justify God’s actions as a potter...
“... What if God desiring to show His wrath and make His power known BORE with much patience prepared for destruction” (v.22). Yes... God is willing to show His wrath and He will do just that, but Paul continues to say this doesn’t happen before the period of God’s patience is over with them.
In the simplest of terms, God does desire to harden sinners to demonstrate His wrath, but He withholds those desires in the period of patience. It doesn’t say that God automatically hardens people as they come.
2.) Does even Romans 9:17 show “intent”? What does it mean that God “raised up” pharaoh for this purpose? The true question one must ask is... “Is ‘raising up’ someone for a purpose equivalent to ‘creating’ someone for a purpose?” Well... “raising up” someone is the same as “propping” them up as someone props up a chair when it falls.
If you read that OT reference about the Pharaoh in Exodus... God says in the verse right before that God could’ve killed Pharaoh long before Moses’ confrontation (Exo 9:15), but has raised him up for this purpose (9:16). So, Exodus is not saying that God created Pharoah to destroy him, but “allowed him to live even longer” to demonstrate His wrath.
Romans 9:12 is very interesting. That’s the section where God said that “before the twins had done anything good or bad, He determined that the older should serve the younger.” Yes, notice that has nothing to do with salvation, but rather who would be the one to continue Abraham’s blessing for the nation of Israel.
This makes sense... but why you may ask! Because God is looking at these twins “before doing anything good or bad.” God is looking at these children as blank slates having done nothing wrong or good. Why would God choose to harden someone before they did anything bad?
Remember that Esau severely disregarded his birthright for a morsel of soup (Heb 12:16). Yet, God didn’t take into account Esau’s future action of severe disobedience when He deciding between the two. Yes, even if Esau didn’t reject birthright, Isaac still would’ve been instructed to give his blessing to Jacob.
Therefore, there is no way to conclude that God created Esau to simply die for his sins while choosing Jacob to be the faithful one and all... it just doesn’t follow (even though the Calvinist insist we look Romans 9:12 in that manner).
Excellent lesson! So blessed that I somehow found your You Tube channel.❤
I love Mike Wagner I just recently watched his videos and he has opened my thinking and faith in Christ
Love your sermons and explanations👍
In my past religious life,,, I remember ssooo many prayers of instruction,,, giving God all kinds of instructions on how to and what to and not to do !!! Memories that make my YUCK METER hit the peg !!
Lifting someone up in prayer,,, Papa, you know the what and how,,, I sense something amiss, you take it from there !! is a MUCH BETTER prayer in my mind,,,,,
'For he spoke not as the scribes do but as one who has authority.' Thankyou.
Great teaching again. It is interesting that when God hardens the hearts of the ungodly, he does so often through the message or through circumstances, and not by some supernatural rewiring of the human heart.
It also explains why we as Christians can become hardened to the word of God, even becoming subject to the judicial hardening of God if we remain stiff necked, unwilling to change direction.
I love your preaching and how u say things that are funny 🙌🏼❤️🙏🏻
Thank you Pastor Mike for the inspirational message.
WOW. Explained carefully. May God bless you Mike 🙏
Ditto ginamommy. This sounded great to me, and addressed some of my lingering questions. Thanks Mike. You are a gifted teacher. Lyn
I have always wondered at these things and I am so glad I saw this as it is plain now. I thank you for being faithful to God to teach us the Word. God Bless You
Thank you, this topic has been bothering me very much. Your teaching helps.
that's great!
Me too!!!! Thank God for people like this:)
Have you ever wondered if certain biblical topics bother you because you refuse to concede what they are clearly teaching? I wonder how many people who look for a soothing response to every hard thing the Bible has to say can be shown to have submitted to anything their fallen mind didn’t already agree with?
This was really good, it’s really important to get into specifics with this subject and this sermon really helped in understanding those.
Great and very relevant teaching. Thx.
Oh Lord, how I wish I could find a fellowship and teacher where I could study and ask questions.
Great video!!! LOVE that you stand up for who God is, and that HE is God...we're not!!