WHEN GOD HARDENS A HEART – HE BLOTS OUT A NAME
A Terrifying Truth.
This terrifying title with its final eternal judgment sentence brings me a very heavy feeling which I cannot fully explain. I think it is the awesome grandeur of the Sovereignty of God.
The Lord said (Revelation 3:4-5) that He would not blot out the name of anyone who belongs to Him from the Book of Life. Obviously, the name would have to be written in before it could be blotted out. This informs me that the name of every person born into this world, is recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life because (John 3:16) God so loved the world.
What would have to take place to make God come to this dreadful decision? Let’s take a trip back to Egypt and listen in on Pharaoh. Pharaoh had many opportunities to obey and experience God’s Grace. But Pharaoh persistently (Exodus 8:32) hardened his heart. So, the day came for him (Exodus 9:22) when God hardened Pharaoh’s heart and there was no more time for repentance. Pharaoh’s name was eternally blotted out. Also, Esau found no place for repentance. (Hebrews 12:17) too late for tears. There was no more time and his name was blotted out, making repentance forever impossible. Nobody can play fast and loose with God – make a definite choice – no shilly-shally. He that is filthy (Revelation 22:11) will be filthy forever.
Eternal HELL will be filled with regret and agonizing remorse for their personal choices but no person in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15) will ever accuse God of injustice. They will see clearly how wrongly they used their free will choices while on earth and have only themselves to blame.
Warning! Do not (Hebrews 3:13) harden your heart against God. If you do you have courted disaster because the day will come when the Lord will harden your heart and blot out your name. Grace and mercy rejected becomes eternal judgment received. Do not harden your heart into a wicked heart of unbelieving and be drawn away from the Living God. When a person’s name is blotted out, repentance is forever impossible for that person. How can you know enough to fear the crocodile (Job 41:3-4) and not fear the crocodile’s Creator?
God is absolutely sovereign and is always in total control. We are safe and wise to trust in the perfection of God’s Sovereignty rather than to have a personal agenda. Judas had a personal agenda. He wanted Israel to be freed from Rome and when he didn’t get what he wanted, he betrayed Jesus (John 13:26-27) to His enemies. When Judas hanged himself (Matthew 27:5) I consider it was murder by Satan. The wicked men who crucified Jesus (John 19:16) together with Judas, were the implements God used to accomplish (Acts 2:23) the salvation plan which he had established before (Revelation 13:8) the foundation of the world. Death is wrapped in grave clothes which (John 20:6-7) are left behind in the tomb. Resurrection Life (Luke 24:1) is wrapped in sunrise. After Jesus rose from the dead, an angel (Matthew 28:2) rolled the stone away from the entrance to the tomb so others could see and know that the tomb was empty.
Personal opinions are not the head of the true church of Jesus Christ. If a church assembly is divided or split because of the personal opinions of some individuals, it is treachery against Jesus, Who, is the Supreme and only Head of His Church which He (Ephesians 5:23) purchased with His own Blood. After (Revelation chapter 3) the Church is not mentioned again until (Revelation 22:16-17) and is not heard during The Great Tribulation. During the Tribulation (Revelation 7:4) 144,000 Jews will preach (Matthew 24:14) the Gospel of the Kingdom of God throughout all the nations of the world. At that time (Jeremiah 51:13, Revelation 17:1) the false church, the harlot church will try to pass herself off as the True Church/Bride of Christ and will employ various strategies to deceive the nations of the world. BUT, (Revelation 17:4-6, Revelation 18:20, Revelation 19:7) Babylon will fall.
The Holy Spirit and the Bride/Christian church and the thirsty Tribulation believers will say (Revelation 22:16-17) COME - to the heavenly Bridegroom, the radiant Morning Star. Then the Bridegroom and the Bride/Church will have a great celebration (Revelation 19:9) in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. All believing Jews and those saved during the Tribulation from every nation and all who remained faithful to the Lord during that time will be the invited and honoured guests.
As I write these meditations, I am only a pen in the hand of the wonderful Holy Spirit as He dictates whatever He wants to be written.
Authority is God’s gift to us in response to our obedience. If we do what God says (Exodus 33:17) He will do what we say. To obey the Sovereign God is a privilege and then we are rewarded for utilizing our privilege. Don’t pray for it – obey for it!!