How can we ensure our hearts are not "calloused" as warned in Acts 28:26? The Warning: Hearts Can Grow Calloused “ ‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” ’ ” (Acts 28:26) Why Callouses Form - Repeatedly resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51) - Harboring unrepented sin (Hebrews 3:12–13) - Neglecting Scripture and prayer (Matthew 13:15) - Allowing worldly voices to drown out God’s truth (1 John 2:15–17) Symptoms of a Calloused Heart - Dullness toward God’s Word—reading without conviction (James 1:22) - Coldness in worship—going through motions, lacking awe (Isaiah 29:13) - Indifference to sin—no grief when disobeying (Ephesians 4:18–19) - Lack of compassion—shrinking mercy toward others (1 John 3:17) God’s Tools for Softening - The Word: “For the word of God is living and active… it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). - The Spirit: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). - The Cross: remembering Christ’s sacrifice keeps humility alive (1 Peter 2:24). - Fellowship: believers spur one another on to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24–25). Daily Practices to Guard Tenderness • Guard the intake – Fill the mind with what is true, honorable, just, pure (Philippians 4:8). – Limit influences that deaden sensitivity to sin. • Confess quickly – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9). – Keep short accounts; lingering guilt hardens. • Delight in Scripture – Hide His Word in the heart (Psalm 119:11). – Read slowly, asking the Spirit to expose and correct (2 Timothy 3:16). • Walk in step with the Spirit – “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). – Yield to His promptings throughout the day. • Practice grateful worship – Enter His gates with thanksgiving (Psalm 100:4). – Gratitude softens and enlarges the heart. Holding the Line Together - Encourage one another daily so that none is hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13). - Share testimonies of God’s faithfulness; they remind hearts to stay tender (Psalm 66:16). - Submit to loving accountability; it protects against blind spots (Proverbs 27:17). Living the Promise A soft heart sees, hears, and responds. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Staying tender keeps the soul alive to His voice, ready for every good work He prepares. |
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