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[Talon]

Hello folks. Just as background, this is a recurring discussion we had in Bible class going to school (Christian school from K-4 through graduation) and also among friends in church.

Now, we can get embroiled in a theological history discussion about the veracity of, say, the existence of a "Judas" and so forth - I understand that. But let's take the Bible as Christian tradition at its face value in this exercise.

So we have the story of Moses in Egypt with the ten plagues, and Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to show amnesty to the Jewish people in the face of all the horrors in his land.

[Exodus 8:15]
But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

[Exodus 8:19]
But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.

We also have the Judas' betrayal of Christ, which Jesus acknowledges and allows. Judas' betrayal was necessary in order to fulfill Jesus' sacrifice - and fulfill the promise of the Messiah.

[Matthew 26:25]
Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

[John 6:64]
Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.

[John 13:27]
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

How do reconcile the actions/fates of Pharaoh and Judas Iscariot when it would appear that they were used in God's designs?

Did Judas have a choice in committing his treason against Jesus Christ?

This leads us to the passage of Romans 9, where Paul specifically addresses these concerns. Here, Paul writes to his brothers and sisters in the church of Rome as they suffer great persecution.

[Romans 9:14-21]
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”

But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

This passage has always troubled me for a number of reasons. First of all, the purpose of the creation of man is seen as an exercise in free will. That separates us from the heavenly creations who are bound to serve God. So the thing that differentiates is free will outright. At the same time, because we are made in his image, we reason and behave according to his designs. This is the basis for western philosophical thought - the idea that our morals and beliefs align with our creator.

Now, of course God is God and can do fuckall if he wants to. There's a passage that I can't find anymore (I want to say it's in Philippians) where it's pretty much stated that God will no longer personally intervene in humanity, so good happens as it does and bad happens as it does.

Now this brings me back to my primary question: What does this say for the souls of Pharaoh and Judas Iscariot? If their hearts were hardened and they sinned by design, are they held responsible for their sins when they had no hope for salvation?

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Does Satan have free will?
If he doesn't, didn't God basically create Satan so that he would fall and end up tempting Adam and Eve?

That kinda makes the original sin bogus.

If you then take into account that the Lord is omnipotent and omniscient, then didn't he create Adam and Eve with the fore-knowledge of his creations ending up crossing him?

If that's the case, if he had the foreknowledge of them going against his word, he would have known about this before he even created them (as he is omniscient, and not bound by time) yet still gone on and created them in the fashion that would have led them to commit the original sin.

 

[krioto]

You know, it's just a story - it wasn't meant to be taken literally

 

[Randolph Freelander]

You know the phrase "the devil made me do it" when he did no such thing, you decided for yourself exactly what you would do? This is the same turn of phrase.

The principals here were responsible for their own decisions, made based upon their beliefs, pride, and whatever convictions or motives they had. That God would know of their decisions and still use those to further His overall objectives does not mean they were not free to choose another course in life.

 

[DanteFox]

I'll just skip right to the end here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molinism

 

[Talon]

I'll just skip right to the end here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molinism

You've just reawakened memories of the worst lecture of my life.

 

[Chaplain]

So we have the story of Moses in Egypt with the ten plagues, and Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to show amnesty to the Jewish people in the face of all the horrors in his land.

Here is an explination on Pharaoh. The key to understanding what God did is by understanding there are two Hebrew words for hardened:

Commentary on Exodus

It is important to know, in order to properly understand, that there are two Hebrew words involved in the one word, “hardened.” They are both translated “hardened” into English, but the one Hebrew word infers “a stubbornness, an act of rebellion;” and that is the word that is used for the Pharaoh. He hardened his heart in stubborn rebellion against God.

The other Hebrew word indicates, “to make firm,” like you would put a piece of clay in the fire to harden the clay to make it firm, to harden it; and that is the Hebrew word employed for what God did to Pharaoh. So the Pharaoh stubbornly rebelled against God, hardened his heart against God, and then God came along and firmed up his position.

A lot of people, you see, have difficulty with this when it says, “And God hardened the heart of Pharaoh;” and then He whacked him one for a hard heart. They say, “Well man, if God hardened his heart, then why would God punish him? You know, I mean, it doesn’t seem fair that God would harden the guy’s heart and then, you know, beat him for having a hard heart.”

So the Hebrew word employed for “hardened” here is, God “made firm.” In other words, the Pharaoh had set his heart, hardened his heart against God; and God just came along and said, “Okay, if that’s the position you want;” and He strengthened him in that position.

Now, that is an awesome thing that we need to realize: that God often will just strengthen us in that position that we have taken. And if you want to take a position against God, it is really a tragedy when God just says, “Okay, if that’s what you want, I’ll just strengthen you in that position that you have taken.” And such was the case of Pharaoh: he hardened his heart against God, God came along and stiffened, or made hard, the position that he had taken and chosen.

God does the same thing with people who choose to reject Him. Paul talks about that in Romans chapter 1 if you are interested. It talks about people choosing to believe lies, and God handing them over to those lies.

We also have the Judas' betrayal of Christ, which Jesus acknowledges and allows. Judas' betrayal was necessary in order to fulfill Jesus' sacrifice - and fulfill the promise of the Messiah.

Judas willingly allowed Satan to enter him. Satan didn't force his way in. God knew Judas would do the evil he would do, just like everyone else on the planet, and used Judas' evil actions to accomplish his will.

How do reconcile the actions/fates of Pharaoh and Judas Iscariot when it would appear that they were used in God's designs?

Did Judas have a choice in committing his treason against Jesus Christ?

God says each of us has a choice to let Him be the master of our lives, or to let sin make us slaves:

God, "You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you." Genesis 4

This leads us to the passage of Romans 9, where Paul specifically addresses these concerns. Here, Paul writes to his brothers and sisters in the church of Rome as they suffer great persecution.

This passage has always troubled me for a number of reasons. First of all, the purpose of the creation of man is seen as an exercise in free will. That separates us from the heavenly creations who are bound to serve God. So the thing that differentiates is free will outright. At the same time, because we are made in his image, we reason and behave according to his designs. This is the basis for western philosophical thought - the idea that our morals and beliefs align with our creator.

You must remember the context of Romans 9 (as well as Romans 10, and 11) is in regards to the Nation of Israel. That is the context. Paul uses Pharaoh as an example as someone who rejected God, and God using Pharaoh to accomplish His will.

We each have a choice in life. To be used by God to accomplish His will. He can use us when we are against Him or for Him. I prefer to be used by Him when I am a loving relationship with him. I do not want to be against Him, and in reality, aligning myself with Satan. Jesus said each of us is either with God or with Satan. His enemy or Satan's enemy. God's will will be accomplished regardless what side we are on though.

Now this brings me back to my primary question: What does this say for the souls of Pharaoh and Judas Iscariot? If their hearts were hardened and they sinned by design, are they held responsible for their sins when they had no hope for salvation?

I think Jesus answer your question:

"And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants." John 3

Jesus says it all comes down to choice. We either continue to do evil, or we surrender to God, and live for good. Had Judas and Pharaoh repented and asked God for help, God would have helped them and they would be in Heaven. They decided not to live for love, but for hate, and are suffering for all of eternity because they decided to align themselves with evil.

 

[Mariolee]

I've always had trouble reconciling free will within Christianity and reality. Because as far as I understand, choices are made because of things that have affected you in the past or something that was brought up earlier, etc etc. Basically, nothing you do is really "you", but a culmination of things that happened to you that brought you to that specific moment of choice, but there was no choice since that was what you were going to do the whole time.

My layman understanding of quantum physics (to clarify, that would be no knowledge of it) and the free will thing above has me also questioning the possibility of alternate universes spurred by every choice we make, seeing as how if there was always just ONE way it could've gone, and each of the alternate universes started the same way, then none of the alternate universes would be different...does that make any lick of sense?

 

[bonesmccoy]

I've always had trouble reconciling free will within Christianity and reality.

Which branch of Christianity?

 

[GhaleonQ]

Eh, it's late and I don't have time to type up Kierkegaard from my Complete Writings or cite Luther properly, but this is close to my view: http://woauthority.blogspot.com/2007/01/luthers-two-theodicies.html

Now this brings me back to my primary question: What does this say for the souls of Pharaoh and Judas Iscariot? If their hearts were hardened and they sinned by design, are they held responsible for their sins when they had no hope for salvation?

The trick is that they will be damned (hell doesn't exist yet, and I don't think Judas is going there) based on their inherent sinfulness not any particular sin. The only damning sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, if you believe that's the correct reading of that verse.

It's not like Jehovah led the pharoah to a trapdoor to permanent damnation, and it's not like Judas actually killed the messiah.

Basically, no sin is a damning sin, or, rather, all sins are damning sins.

 

[Talon]

The trick is that they will be damned (hell doesn't exist yet, and I don't think Judas is going there) based on their inherent sinfulness not any particular sin. The only damning sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, if you believe that's the correct reading of that verse.

It's not like Jehovah led the pharoah to a trapdoor to permanent damnation, and it's not like Judas actually killed the messiah.

Basically, no sin is a damning sin, or, rather, all sins are damning sins.

Sure - murder is the same as a lie (depending on who you ask - not a Catholic). But the two seemingly had no choice in their sin.

And, yes, I'm ignoring the fact that we're in two different "eras" so to speak because there's no way to account for it.

Jesus says it all comes down to choice. We either continue to do evil, or we surrender to God, and live for good. Had Judas and Pharaoh repented and asked God for help, God would have helped them and they would be in Heaven. They decided not to live for love, but for hate, and are suffering for all of eternity because they decided to align themselves with evil.

Well, again, this depends on what denomination you believe in, but neither really had a chance. Pharaoh was killed in the Red Sea and Judas took his own life out of guilt - for a crime that he's seemingly coerced, or worse, fated to commit.

 

[SquiddyCracker]

I've always had trouble reconciling free will within Christianity and reality. Because as far as I understand, choices are made because of things that have affected you in the past or something that was brought up earlier, etc etc. Basically, nothing you do is really "you", but a culmination of things that happened to you that brought you to that specific moment of choice, but there was no choice since that was what you were going to do the whole time.

My layman understanding of quantum physics (to clarify, that would be no knowledge of it) and the free will thing above has me also questioning the possibility of alternate universes spurred by every choice we make, seeing as how if there was always just ONE way it could've gone, and each of the alternate universes started the same way, then none of the alternate universes would be different...does that make any lick of sense?

Mixing science and religion is not a very good idea.
You'd either re-interpret religion to fit the current data (which is fine), or re-interpret the scientific data to fit the religion (which is subverting the scientific process and the reason we have people pushing for creationism as science in US schools).

 

[Talon]

Mixing science and religion is not a very good idea.
You'd either re-interpret religion to fit the current data (which is fine), or re-interpret the scientific data to fit the religion (which is subverting the scientific process and the reason we have people pushing for creationism as science in US schools).

Or you can be reasonable and divorce the two, like many, many religious people do.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that Creation and Evolution are mutually exclusive.

 

[GhaleonQ]

Sure - murder is the same as a lie (depending on who you ask - not a Catholic). But the two seemingly had no choice in their sin.

That's not the way choice works according to Lutherans and Calvinists/Reformed. Read the link more closely or look up Concerning Bound Choice/On The Bondage Of The Will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Bondage_of_the_Will#Content_of_Luther.27s_response

Except in the existential sense, you don't choose to sin or not sin. You can only choose sin unless you can (to simplify difficult concepts for a moment) allow the Holy Spirit to allign your will with His. Sin is the default; sin is what the pharoah and Judas would always do. They had abandoned God at certain moments. "Hardening the heart" is a mere amplification of the pharoah's existing will. Having Judas do the pivotal betrayal was mere circumstance to his default setting.

 

[Talon]

That's not the way choice works according to Lutherans and Calvinists/Reformed. Read the link more closely or look up Concerning Bound Choice/On The Bondage Of The Will.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Bondage_of_the_Will#Content_of_Luther.27s_response

Except in the existential sense, you don't choose to sin or not sin. You can only choose sin unless you can (to simplify difficult concepts for a moment) allow the Holy Spirit to allign your will with His. Sin is the default; sin is what the pharoah and Judas would always do. They had abandoned God at certain moments. "Hardening the heart" is a mere amplification of the pharoah's existing will. Having Judas do the pivotal betrayal was mere circumstance to his default setting.

I find a certain amount of humor in the fact that some or all of us are going to be very wrong.

Or you can be a generalist like I am and think a peaceful God wouldn't be so narrow.

 

[GhaleonQ]

Or you can be a generalist like I am and think a peaceful God wouldn't be so narrow.

*laughs* True, true. There's a reason that this is "theology" and not "creeds." Jaroslav Pelikan, a Lutheran-turned-Orthodox you might like (and 1 of the century's best theologians) did a wonderful book on creeds that really brings out how they have to balance important theological concepts and anyone-could-grasp-it feelings. "And sits at the right of the Father" is a pretty complex idea, but if you just look at the words, it's also incredibly basic.

EVERYONE has to believe that stuff.

 

[Chaplain]

Well, again, this depends on what denomination you believe in, but neither really had a chance. Pharaoh was killed in the Red Sea and Judas took his own life out of guilt - for a crime that he's seemingly coerced, or worse, fated to commit.

Biblically, I do not agree. What matters is not what a denomination teaches but what God's word declares (especially when man made ideas contradict God's Word). God has declared that everyone has a choice to be saved or remain under His wrath. God would be a liar if Pharaoh and Judas did not have a choice to do what is right. He would not be fair in judging them if they couldn't stop the evil they were committing. This would also mean that God created Pharaoh and Judas just so that they could be thrown into the Lake of Fire. This goes against God's character and what He has declared through His Son.

Jesus, “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him (choice). But anyone who does not believe in him (choice) has already been judged for not believing (choice) in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light (choice), for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it (choice) for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right (choice) come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” John 3

 

[Raist]

Here is an explination on Pharaoh. The key to understanding what God did is by understanding there are two Hebrew words for hardened:

Is 4:21 a mistranslation as well?

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.

I mean you have to completely change the whole sentence here for that argument to hold, not just a word.

 

[The Technomancer]

I'm going to try and stay out of this thread other then to say its a fascinating read.

 

[Talon]

Biblically, I do not agree. What matters is not what a denomination teaches but what God's word declares (especially when man made ideas contradict God's Word). God has declared that everyone has a choice to be saved or remain under His wrath. God would be a liar if Pharaoh and Judas did not have a choice to do what is right. He would not be fair in judging them if they couldn't stop the evil they were committing. This would also mean that God created Pharaoh and Judas just so that they could be thrown into the Lake of Fire. This goes against God's character and what He has declared through His Son.

Jesus, “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him (choice). But anyone who does not believe in him (choice) has already been judged for not believing (choice) in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light (choice), for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it (choice) for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right (choice) come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” John 3

Which is the whole rub, right? I feel like there's a constant circuitous debate between "Yes, we have free will" and "God is omniscient."

Which is why Romans 9 is not the most comforting passage.

Peter > Paul

 

[BowieZ]

Noone has a choice. There is no free will.

We are all shackled by luck, fate, genetics, our surroundings, everything presses us in one irreversible direction: onward.

And we have no say in the matter.

But thank God it feels like we do!

 

[DonasaurusRex]

Hello folks. Just as background, this is a recurring discussion we had in Bible class going to school (Christian school from K-4 through graduation) and also among friends in church.

Now, we can get embroiled in a theological history discussion about the veracity of, say, the existence of a "Judas" and so forth - I understand that. But let's take the Bible as Christian tradition at its face value in this exercise.

So we have the story of Moses in Egypt with the ten plagues, and Pharaoh's stubborn refusal to show amnesty to the Jewish people in the face of all the horrors in his land.


We also have the Judas' betrayal of Christ, which Jesus acknowledges and allows. Judas' betrayal was necessary in order to fulfill Jesus' sacrifice - and fulfill the promise of the Messiah.



How do reconcile the actions/fates of Pharaoh and Judas Iscariot when it would appear that they were used in God's designs?

Did Judas have a choice in committing his treason against Jesus Christ?

This leads us to the passage of Romans 9, where Paul specifically addresses these concerns. Here, Paul writes to his brothers and sisters in the church of Rome as they suffer great persecution.

This passage has always troubled me for a number of reasons. First of all, the purpose of the creation of man is seen as an exercise in free will. That separates us from the heavenly creations who are bound to serve God. So the thing that differentiates is free will outright. At the same time, because we are made in his image, we reason and behave according to his designs. This is the basis for western philosophical thought - the idea that our morals and beliefs align with our creator.

Now, of course God is God and can do fuckall if he wants to. There's a passage that I can't find anymore (I want to say it's in Philippians) where it's pretty much stated that God will no longer personally intervene in humanity, so good happens as it does and bad happens as it does.

Now this brings me back to my primary question: What does this say for the souls of Pharaoh and Judas Iscariot? If their hearts were hardened and they sinned by design, are they held responsible for their sins when they had no hope for salvation?

I dont know if i would say the rest of the heavenly creations are bound to serve him, because we know some of them left their places of authority.

Anyway, i dont know if Judas's heart was hardened i dont know what you mean by that, he chose to betray Jesus , but after Jesus basically told the Pharisee's and Sadducees that for their hypocrisy they would be cast out and the very people they judged would be called into glory is what sealed his fate. He did this in the temple and basically said im the authority on this aka im God. So even without Judas i see Jesus dying, he didnt leave Jerusalem for a far away land he went just outside the city after he did that. People asked where he was going and he basically said not to worry because surely a prophet cant die OUTSIDE of jerusalem. Which of course i find funny but he was alluding to the fact that the "Messiah" was going to die just like the prophets (he names Zachariah earlier), just like he explained in his parables. I dont think it hinges on Judas but he was the one. Now we focus on him because he's the one named but earlier on in the gospel you see many WERE disciples and turned away from the gospel, they just arent named.

With Pharaoh , its important to note that exodus indicates that, the Egypt that Jacobs family, thru Joseph, entered was very different than the one Moses lived in, and says that their was a Pharaoh/ruler that did not know the Israelites. So before the encounter with God it makes an effort to establish that the ruler at Moses's time did not see them as guests as was customary in the Patriarchal time. So in my opinion he already has his mind made up, these foreigners are my subjects.

 

[DonasaurusRex]

Noone has a choice. There is no free will.

We are all shackled by luck, fate, genetics, our surroundings, everything presses us in one irreversible direction: onward.

And we have no say in the matter.

But thank God it feels like we do!

you didnt really want to say that then.

 

[Chaplain]

Is 4:21 a mistranslation as well?

Good question. Before looking at Exodus 4:21, lets not forget that there are two Hebrew words involved in the one word, "hardened."

Hardened 1 - Pharaoh hardening his heart:

Both words are translated “hardened” into English, but one Hebrew word infers “a stubbornness, an act of rebellion;” and that is the word that is used for the Pharaoh. He hardened his heart in stubborn rebellion against God.

Hardened 2 - God hardening Pharaoh's heart:

The other Hebrew word indicates, “to make firm,” like you would put a piece of clay in the fire to harden the clay to make it firm, to harden it; and that is the Hebrew word employed for what God did to Pharaoh. So the Pharaoh stubbornly rebelled against God, hardened his heart against God, and then God came along and firmed up his position.

God knew Pharaoh would harden is heart (since He knows the future) in Exodus 4:21. The word for hardened in Exodus 4:21 is found in the explanation for Hardened #2.

I mean you have to completely change the whole sentence here for that argument to hold, not just a word.

Nothing needs to be changed because you now know what it means.

Which is the whole rub, right? I feel like there's a constant circuitous debate between "Yes, we have free will" and "God is omniscient."

There is a constant circuitous debate because humans like to argue. lol

Here is another good explanation:

Who really hardened Pharaoh's heart? We might say that it was both God and Pharaoh; but whenever God hardened Pharaoh's heart, He never did it against Pharaoh's will. Pharaoh never said, "Oh, I want to do what is good and right and I want to bless these people of Israel" and God answered, "No, for I will harden your heart against them!" When God hardened Pharaoh's heart, He allowed Pharaoh's heart to do what Pharaoh wanted to do - God was giving Pharaoh over to his sin (Romans 1:18-32).

"God does not harden men by putting evil into them, but by not giving them mercy." (Augustine)

Which is why Romans 9 is not the most comforting passage.

I use to view it like you currently do. Once I began studying God's Word in its context, things like this didn't confuse me anymore. Remember that Paul, in Romans 9, 10, and 11, is talking about the Jews (all of them) in the nation of Israel. That is the context.

 

[Raist]

Good question. Before looking at Exodus 4:21, lets not forget that there are two Hebrew words involved in the one word, "hardened."

Yes yes, I know about the juggling with the "harden" translation, this is exactly what you've posted above.

So tell me, where does the "but I will" come from? Ignore the "harden" part.

 

[Chaplain]

So tell me, where does the "but I will" come from? Ignore the "harden" part.

God will harden Pharaoh's heart because he already knows Pharaoh will harden his own heart when God sends Moses to him, to let the Jews go from slavery.

 

[Talon]

I use to view it like you currently do. Once I began studying God's Word in its context, things like this didn't confuse me anymore. Remember that Paul, in Romans 9, 10, and 11, is talking about the Jews (all of them) in the nation of Israel. That is the context.

I've read the bible all the way through three times, grown up in the church, went to a private Christian school, and studied with Doctors of Divinity who read Hebrew and we've gone over the Book using different translations of the same word. I've viewed it in context.

 

[Gamecocks625]

Very interesting OP. I'm not sure what a proper response is considering the vultures are likely circling this thread ready to crap all over it, but I'd say there is definitely a mystery there. How can God be in total control and yet we seemingly have a will to go and please as we see fit...and yet us doing as we see fit is all within God's control? It's a wild thought to consider and one that I'm totally content with.

 

[Chaplain]

I've read the bible all the way through three times, grown up in the church, went to a private Christian school, and studied with Doctors of Divinity. I've viewed it in context.

Good. That means you know that Paul is talking about all of the Jews in those chapters. You also know that Paul said that God used the Jew's rebellion of the Messiah to help us, gentiles, to come to know Jesus.

Paul used people like Pharaoh as an example to show that God uses humans own rebellion (their choice to do evil) to accomplish His will. This is seen from the beginning of the Bible to the end.

The Bible teaches God gives everyone freewill to choose life (Jesus) or death (sin and Satan). God also says he already knows who is going to reject Him, and who is going to receive a pardon for their sins. God then says the reason they reject Him is because they love self (sin) more than His Son.

 

[Chaplain]

For those that are interested:

Stream: Hard To Answer Bible Questions Answered

Download link (right click/save as)

Questions answered:

1. What is the unpardonable sin?
2. Are God and Jesus one in the same?
3. If all of our sins are forgiven, what is God going to judge us for when we die?
4. Will we know if our loved ones are in hell for eternity when we get to Heaven?
5. What type of affect does secular music have on Christians?
6. The closer we get to God, are we going to be attacked more?
7. What happens when a Christian dies?
8. Why is it so hard to witness to our friends about Jesus?
9. What do we need to do to walk with Jesus again (if we have not been walking with Him anymore)?
10. What do we do if we are full of anger?
11. How do we share Jesus with others without arguing?
12. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit?
13. What is the difference between the indwelling, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
14. Do I have to speak in tongues to be full of the Holy Spirit?
15. Can demons appear to people as angels?
16. What does the Bible say about bad language and cursing?
17. Does the Bible say anything about Children growing up in broken homes, and how to get strength through those trials?
18. How to stop slacking when it comes to daily devotions?
19. What to say to underage Christians that justify drinking?
20. Where was Jesus' soul during the 3 days that he was in the tomb?
21. If God knows all of our actions, then why does He give us freewill?
22. What to say to friends that have backslidden?
23. How do people become evil?
24. Why does Satan have to go to God before he can tempt a person?
25. How powerful is prayer?

 

[Raist]

God will harden Pharaoh's heart because he already knows Pharaoh will harden his own heart

Ah, I see. Makes perfect sense.