Calloused Consciences and Hardened Hearts

1 Timothy 4:1-2

1 Now the Spirit says clearly that in the last times some people will abandon the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teachings of demons,

2 and the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences have been burned by a hot iron.

The phrase “burned with a hot iron” refers to a conscience that has become hardened and insensitive to moral truth. It’s a metaphor for a condition where a person’s ability to discern right from wrong is severely diminished due to repeated exposure to falsehood and sin. Often, it is demonstrated in an apathetic response to a situation that normally should cause a visceral reaction.

The most general meaning of the hard heart is a heart that lacks ordinary feelings of tenderness and compassion. An example is the lack of natural empathy for the suffering of the people in Western Asia due to the persecution of the Zionist entity and other inhumane terrorists minded factions in that region. Another example is the conscious-less devotion to slaughter of hundreds of thousands of otherwise innocent men, women, and children for the sake the greedy/selfish ambitions of the elite ruling classes of world societies in other regions of the world.

Such behavior is sociopathic in nature. ‘Sociopathic’ is a term often used interchangeably with ‘antisocial personality disorder’ referring to a pattern of behavior characterized by a disregard for the rights and feelings of others, a lack of empathy, and manipulative or deceitful tendencies.

In the Holy Bible, the term ‘heart’ is often used to signify the core of a person’s personality, producing the characteristics we ordinarily ascribe to the ‘mind’.

Those who have developed a calloused mind and conscious exhibit a hardened heart. The most common meaning for “hardness of heart” is a heart that cannot be touched and moved and made to feel natural tender emotions (empathy or sympathy) toward suffering. Their figurative hearts have become like a stone; it can’t feel what it ought to feel.

The term ‘hard-hearted is plainly meant to suggest an unaffected heart, or a heart not easy to be moved with virtuous affections. It is similar to a rock; insensible, unintelligent, unmoved, and hard to be impressed.

Its easy to identify the most outrageous manifestations of hard-hearted behavior. But, there are those who manifest sociopathic, callous-minded, hard-heartedness in more passive ways that often go unnoticed. I am referring in this case to what is called ‘bystander apathy’.

‘Bystander apathy’ is a social psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present. Essentially, the more bystanders there are, the less likely any one of them is to intervene in an emergency or situation requiring assistance.

In some instances a person may worry about how they will be perceived by others if they intervene. They might fear embarrassment or negative judgment if they interrupt a situation or if their attempt to help is unsuccessful. Intervention may cause them some kind of loss such as peer acceptance or some kind of material loss.

Such a person may stand apathetically on the sidelines as it were, observing horrific things they know are wrong for the sake of continuing to being part of a group. Whatever the reason, this is also a demonstration of a hard heart and a calloused mind. If they were in the same situation as the people they are apathetically watching from a distance, they would undoubtedly want someone to help them.

Instead of empathy, a callous-minded person will often display their apathy. There have been plenty of scientific surveys on this subject. When people are asked whether they would spontaneously assist a person in an emergency situation, almost everyone will reply positively “Certainly!”. Although we all imagine ourselves heroes, the fact is that many people refrain from helping in real life, especially when they place a high value on the of the reaction other people around them. Status for them becomes the overarching concern. What a shame it is to allow someone to languish in pain or even die for such selfish concerns! And yet, this thinking and behavior is far too common in the world we live in.

The apostle Paul in his Second letter to the disciple Timothy, fore told that many would have a hard heart in the Last Days.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Notice verse three. Paul foretold that there would be a loss of ‘natural affection’ in the Last Days. In addition to the waning of expressions of filial love within the family unit, there has also been the waning of fellow feeling for our fellow human beings. Instead of having some sort of empathy for people we see daily being murdered by bombs,firearms, and starvation in Palestine, most of the world turns its head away and focuses on often mundane, unimportant matters. They seem to be quite fine ignoring these things as a man-made famine is killing people on a daily basis.

Probably the most heinous of all are those who claim to be God-fearing Christians who support this genocide. They have no compunction whatsoever in supporting the slaughter of innocent human beings. And what is even worse, they have convinced themselves that they are doing God’s will. Their minds are seared as if with a branding iron; they have no conscience and their hearts have become stone. To attribute their conduct to the Eternal God is blasphemy of the worse order and they will be judged adversely for it.

The apostle Paul’s statement found at 1 Timothy Chapter 4 Verses 1 and 2 were not directed toward people who do not claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Let’s reread this passage:

1 Timothy 4:1-2

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

Paul is speaking about some who would abandon true faith and turn toward what he called “doctrines of devils”.

Devilish false prophets and teachers have led many to believe falsely (1) that they are Christians and, (2) that supporting Zionism is the will of God. So these people delight in the murder of innocent people, grabbing other peoples land with smiles on their faces. And there are others among them that have not been misled, but are doing what they are doing with full understanding.

The man Titus was a close companion of the apostle Paul. When writing to Titus concerning the proper qualification for church leaders, Paul warned fellow Christians of his day not to be seduced into believing teachings contrary to the Gospel.

Titus 1:7-15

7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.

12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

In Titus 1:14, the phrase “Jewish fables” refers to teachings or stories that deviate from the truth of the gospel and promote unbiblical doctrines. These fables are contrasted with the truth of God’s word and are associated with those who turn away from it. Many of such fables arise from rabbinical teachings found in the Jewish Talmudic writings.

The teaching that there exist two Covenants between God and mankind is one of such Jewish fables that Christian even in the 1st century came to believe and promote. But such belief is counter to the Gospel teachings.

Jesus’ clearly has stated:

John 14:6

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”.

Jesus presents himself as the sole way path to God the Father. This is the Gospel teaching.

The apostle Peter preached this same Gospel he received from Jesus.

Acts 4:8

8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders:

9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man—by what means he was healed—

10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing here before you healthy.

11 This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders,which has become the cornerstone.

12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.”

Because many have believed in what the apostle Paul called “Jewish fables” they have abandoned true faith based solely on the Gospel message. As a result, their consciences have been seared into a unsensitive state and they wholeheartedly support inhumane behavior while convinced they are doing God’s will.

There is only one Covenant and only one Mediator of that Covenant.

1 Timothy 2:5

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Many, perhaps the majority, of those who support the mass murder occurring in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria are people the apostle Paul described at 1 Timothy 4: 1 and 2. They call themselves ‘Christian Evangelicals’ or ‘Christian Zionist” inferring that they subscribe to Christian beliefs and ethics. But their actions demonstrate that if they ever truly were Christian believers, they have “abandoned the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teachings of demons,”. As a result, their consciences have become calloused as if seared with a branding iron and their hearts have become hard lacking any natural human feeling.

Others too show a numbness toward the suffering they can see occurring with their own eyes. Their consciences are as numb as the scar tissue that develops when a person suffers a severe burn wound. These show no empathetic concern as they turn their attention toward mundane and unimportant interest. Both of these groups manifest sociopathic tendencies.

As Christian believers the question for us individually is whether or not we will allow ourselves to fall into these two categories or will we hold fast to the Gospel as written in Holy Scripture.

Will we as individuals demonstrate a hard-hearted attitude and a calloused conscience that reflects a falling out of grace with God?

Paul’s remarks referred to here, were specifically directed to the Christian church. But non believers also have show a callousness of mind and a hardness of heart concerning the troubling circumstances outlined in this brief discussion. These also, can benefit by reflecting on themselves and their individual attitudes and behaviors.