There is a false doctrine taught today that people are predestined by God to be saved or to be lost. Those who teach this would use the example of Pharaoh and say see God hardened his heart so he would not let the children of Israel. In other words they would say he had no choice in the matter. So in the first part of our lesson we are going to examine this concept and determine did the Pharaoh have a choice.

 

The first thing that I want to point is there are 3 different was the Bible says the Pharaohs heart was hardened.

 

Pharaohs heart was hardened.

 

Exodus 7:13  13 And Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Exo. 7:22, 8:19, 9:35

 

Pharaohs hardened his own heart

 

Exodus 8:15  15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the LORD had said. Exo. 8:32, 9:34

 

God hardened Pharaohs heart

 

Exodus 4:21   21 And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Exo. 7:3, 9:12, 10:1,20,27, 11:10, 14:4,8.

 

Since the word of God is true and it does not contradict itself we can we can make the following statement, “the  Pharaoh hardened his own heart and God hardened Pharaohs heart”.  From this the question becomes how did God harden the Pharaohs heart and does God still harden the heart of people today?

 

First of all I would say yes God hardens the heart of people day in the same way that hardened Pharaohs heart long ago. But before I answer the question of how God does this. First I want to examine how God doesn’t do this. The false doctrine that God makes some people saved and some people lost means that a person does not have a free will. But we are going to see very quickly from  the OT to the NT that clearly shows that humans do have a free will and God does not violate that free will.

 

Matthew 23:37  37 " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

 

John 5:39-40   39 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.  40 "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.

 

John 7:17   17 "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

 

Revelation 22:17   17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

 

It is from this passage that we see that salvation is offered to all people. This  is slap in the face to those who teach that some are predestined to be lost.

 

Matthew 10:32-33  32 " Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  33 "But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

 

James 4:4   4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 

Lets just say for a minute that predestination is true and the God set some a side to be lost and other to be saved. This being the being the case this would mean that God would be making difference between one person and another showing partiality. If this doctrine is true then I would suggest we need to through our Bibles away because if this is  true then the Bible is wrong in:

 

Acts 10:34  34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.

 

Romans 2:11   For there is no partiality with God.

 

These statement would have to have to be false if predestination is true. You see when whenever you start looking at the topic logically you can clearly see how false a doctrine it is. Notice some more verses that clash against predestination.

 

1 Timothy 2:3-4  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.

 

2 Peter 3:9   The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

 

Again, think about if predestination true then that would mean we have absolutely no control over our fate. This would render the Bible useless because if we no control of weather we are saved or lost there would be no need for us to use the Bible as our guide. ….

 

 

Philippians 2:12  work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 

 

How  could you possible work our your own  salvation if it has already been determined if you are going to be lost or saved?

 

Lets take a look at who the Bible says will be lost and how that determined. 

2 Thessalonians 1:8   in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Hebrews 5:8-9  8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.  9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

 

These are the people that will be lost is those who do  not know the lord and those he refuse to obey the gospel. Joshua it very clear that people have the choice of who they can serve.

 

Joshua 24:15   15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

 

After everything I presented so far there should be no doubt that God does not harden our heart by violating our free will and he did not harden Pharaohs heart by violating his free will. I have also clearly shown that the false doctrine of predestination is simply not true.

 

Now its time for me to answer the question how did God harden the Pharaohs heart and how does harden the heart of people today?

 

I believe the answer to our question is found with parable of the four soils.

 

Mark 4:4  4 "And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.

 

This soil is the hard soil on the path  where people walk and compact the dirt down and just as the seed cannot penetrate the soil neither can Gods word penetrate the heart of someone who resist his truth. That is exactly God harden Pharaohs heart and how hardens the heart of people today. The Pharaoh was presented with God command to let his people go or their would be consequences. But Pharaoh of his own free will harden his heart by resisting God commands. The same thing is true today. When Gods word is taught to the lost and choose to resist the truth God has hardened their heart because they do not want accept Gods will. So there you have it God hardens the heart of people by presenting them with commands they simply do not want to obey.

 

This is what Stephen accused the Jews just shortly before he  was stoned to death.

 

Acts 7:51  1 " You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

 

We have learned  the predestination is not true and that God does violate our free will. We have also learned that we must be careful not to harden our hearts because of Gods truth or we could find ourselves sharing the fate of devil. I want to end my lesson  with what Joshua said Joshua 24:15  choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,