The Hardened Heart, Ephesians 4:17-19

How does a person get dull and dark in the mind? What is the source of confusion and oppression that can dominate a life? Keep Reading…

Read
Ephesians 4:17-19 - So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

Meditate
Fatalism, hopelessness and darkness of the mind comes from somewhere. A person does not wake up one day and feel completely separated from the life of God. It grows gradually. And it's a symptom of a deeper problem - continually choosing to harden the heart. How does this happen? The heart gets hardened by many small moments of rebellion against God… choosing not to believe in his character, his promises and his commands.

Bread gets stale and then hardened over several days of sitting in the air. Exposure to rebellion over a period of time through music, images, videos and rebellious friends will produce a hardened heart.

The results of a hardened heart are devastating - the loss of sensitivity, fully immersed in impurity and controlled by lust.

Questions:

1. How does hardness of heart impact your mind? See answers above in RED.
2. What is the ultimate outcome of a hardened heart? See answers above in GREEN.​

Apply
Do you sense a callousness or apathy toward the voice of God? Perhaps you are not fully hardened, but there can be callouses on your spirit. Ask the Spirit to search your life for rebellion and unbelief that would lead to a hardness of heart. Repent of choices to harden your own heart. Softness and sensitivity will follow.