Deaf and Dumb

I guess I'm still a little distracted by this whole idea that God actually causes people to harden their hearts.  In our homeschool studies, we were reading about the plagues of Egypt and my son asked why God would harden Pharaoh's heart.  Why would God be the one to do that if God wanted His people freed.  "Um, it's complicated," I answered quickly as I kept reading.  He seemed okay with that answer and let me continue.

But I decided to stop and give this explanation an try anyway.  I told him that Pharaoh saw himself as a God and that if he should let the people go, he would credit himself with their freedom and God's name would not be honored.  God needed Egypt, and especially the Israelites, to accurately comprehend his sovereignty as the only God of the universe.  God knew that the Israelites were quick to dismiss God's leading and needed to reinforce His place as Lord.  God was waiting for Pharaoh to submit to the true God, the I AM.  I also told my son that the Bible does say that God will harden people's hearts because if everyone was so overtaken with miracles and signs, they would all be pouring into God's Kingdom without any respect and honor for the Holy God, but only for signs and wonders.  God requires and waits for His people to acknowledge His holiness.  Heaven would not be heaven, if we were not there for Jesus.  It would just be a place where people are drawn to things that stimulate their excitement and sense of adventure and awe.

My son was very content with that response and asked me to continue my reading of Exodus.  But I still wasn't thoroughly submitted to that answer.  Okay, I understand how God hardens the hearts of people who don't actually love Him or acknowledge His Kingship.  But what about those that do acknowledge Him?  Those that do worship Him and do obey His commandments.  'Cause it seems to me, that there are many who profess God and His law but still seem to have their hearts and minds closed beyond comprehension.  And when the Lord works, they absolutely can not acknowledge His hand.

I struggled with that for a few days.  I didn't need to, though.  God placed Romans 11 on my heart days ago and I seriously, purposely, said, "No, not today."  I was at Romans 11 in my Bible and I closed it.  On purpose.  I know what Romans 11 was about and didn't really want to think about it.

Day after day (since last Wednesday) I kept choosing other things to focus on because I was avoiding Romans 11.  But today, I finally gave up and read it.  And wow!  I've read this chapter so many times in the last year and never actually understood this part:

Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God, have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God's mercy to you.  For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.  Romans 11:30-32

Whaaaatt?!  God binds them to disobedience?  On purpose?  But Paul was talking to the Gentiles about the Jews who were on the outside because of their rejection of Jesus.  And how because of their disobedience to Jesus' message, the Gentile world was allowed to accept it too.  It's all a very weird understanding of the whole Jew/Gentile thing but it does make some sense.

Earlier in that passage, Paul talks about how, during the Israelite exile, God chose a remnant by grace.  The truth is, during the exile into Babylon, all the Israelites were worshiping other gods.  They were not faithful at all.  But God chose them by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.  (Rom 11:6).

Well, that's awesome!  I totally get it now.  These Jews (aka, spiritually upright, law abiding, "perfect" Christians) base so much of their salvation on their own accomplishments and work, whether they recognize it or not.  But God is not cool with that.  In fact He dislikes it so much that He will purposely bind them to disobedience so that He can save them by HIS grace.  I totally get it!  It all makes sense now.

Paul says that so too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.  (Rom 11:5)

I choose to believe that his statement is applicable to this present time as well.  And that God is still doing this kind of thing.

By the way, Paul also uses similar verses that I used in the last post.

God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear to this very day. Romans 11:8.

(That verse is originally found in Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10.  Apparently this concept is throughout the Bible.)

Those that cannot hear the word of God have made choices that have closed their minds.  That is true.  Because God does not just close people's hearts in a willy-nilly fashion.  He closes their minds to give them a better chance of salvation because they cannot be saved if their salvation comes from themselves.  It's like the guy at the party without the white garment.

But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.  He asked, "How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?"  The man was speechless.  Then the king told the attendants, "Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 22:11-13

The white garment represents Christ's righteousness, not our own.  It's not enough to say that you acknowledge that Christ died on the cross.  Lots of Christians accept that.  More is needed.  A crucifixion of self and all that you have done to earn your salvation.  I can be the most righteous person, the most careful individual to keep ALL of God's laws and still miss out on the how to be saved.  That is so, so sad.  There are so many "very good" Christians out there who honor their own efforts and feel satisfied in how "righteous" they are.  Yet in the same day, they offend and disown and successfully hurt people who are seeking Jesus to save them from themselves. So that can't possibly be "righteous."  They elevate themselves to an "I'm-better-than-that-sinner-over-there." attitude.  And they puff themselves up in the knowledge of how good they are.

Those people take Christ's name in vain, as far as I'm concerned.  Because to take on the name of Christ, is to take on His righteousness.  So if God needs to break these individuals down and bring them into disobedience so that they FINALLY acknowledge their need for God, then I stand behind that with praise in my heart.

I know what that's all about.  Because Jesus did it to me.  I was that Christian and my heart was hard and I, too, elevated myself above those that were in obvious need of God because I was so much more righteous than them.  I may not have done it openly because I was always kind to "sinners" but in my heart, I knew what they really were.  But God did something drastic to me.  He brought me into disobedience, on purpose.  Don't tell me He didn't because the Bible SAYS that He does it.  And when I was there, I saw my need of Him as my Savior and my life has been altered forever.  The reliance and acceptance of Jesus as my Savior is the most peaceful, hope-filled, worry-free, Son-shiny place I have EVER been in!  My life before was self-righteous but still dark and filled with worry and anxiety and fear.  I WAY prefer this life above the last one that I lived.

I love that I'm not perfect and that everyone knows it.  Because I am a testimony to Jesus' saving grace and forgiveness.  I seriously love it and wouldn't trade it for the world.  I have heard others say that they preferred that God would have never exposed their sins but that makes me sad and brings me into serious prayer for them because they're totally missing the point!

I know that the self-righteous Christians reading this will still puff out their chests and be proud of themselves for not having been so "bad" that they needed God to bring them into disobedience.  But I wouldn't be so proud if I were them.

They should read their Bible so that they can see what they have coming...

And then rejoice, because the Light at the end of that tunnel is SO glorious that the life we had before would be but a dim shadow of what used to be.