Ex 11:10, And Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land. 
The inherent reality of this spiritual warning should never be far from our hearts and minds. As will be reinforced, we are to be very diligent in the manner in which we keep our eyes and our thoughts and our goals set singly upon that which is open to and sensitive to the guidance and desire to continually hear and obey the Holy Spirit. 
We should want to go on in the Lord no matter what the cost in terms of this earthly life. We are encouraged in this us as we read how the Apostle Paul considered the full focus of his life and the value that he placed upon knowing Jesus Christ in a living and vibrant reality at all costs. Please turn to Phil 3:7-16. Phil 3:7-16, But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. 
	In the light of this earnest longing after the full measure of Our Lord Jesus Christ, let us turn in our Bibles to the Letter to the Romans, Chapter 9, verses 20-29. This is the great declaration to those who were not of the Jewish heritage and nationality that God, in the giving of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, has now opened the way of His salvation to all who will call upon Him. 
While there were many who were arguing that salvation was only for those who would embrace all the principles and traditions of the Jewish faith, the Apostle was encouraging those Gentiles in Rome and thereby Gentiles and Jews alike, in every corner of the globe, that God had always intended for His salvation to be available to any who would come to Him. Rom 9:20-29, On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea, "I will call those who were not My people, 'My people,' And her who was not beloved, 'beloved.'" "And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them,' you are not My people, 'There they shall be called sons of the living God." And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved; for the Lord will execute His word upon the earth, thoroughly and quickly." And just as Isaiah foretold, "Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, We would have become as Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah."   
	This was to show forth the truth that while the Jews clung mercilessly and hard-heartedly to their claim of exclusiveness to the will of God, God had opened His heart of love to all mankind, regardless of race or creed or nationality or gender or economic status. Anyone who would call out to Him for salvation through His Beloved Son would be saved. This thoroughly disgusted and riled the anger of the religious leaders of Israel.   
    	The Apostle had some very severe truths to relate to his readers who were being pummeled with the ideology that they were not truly saved if they did not become Jews. As we read in 2 Cor 3:14-16, concerning the manner in which the hearts of those scribes and Pharisees and rabbis were so deluded in their anxious and urgent goal to keep themselves at the forefront of power and influence, But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 
	It is in Christ that scripture finds its every fulfillment and life. What were only dead traditions and ritualistic endeavors of humanity to keep the law are revealed as completed and abolished in the perfect sacrifice of God’s Beloved Son. By the power of His death and resurrection, all the law is fulfilled and eternal life and truth is proclaimed, setting aside forever the need to try to earn salvation through human effort and ceremonial customs and traditions. 
	At the same time, the Apostle also warns us, the Gentile converts, that we have no place demeaning those of the Jewish heritage who were so caught up in those sacrifices and habits. We, as well, were and are guilty of doing those things which showed how hard our hearts were toward God in the futility of our minds and deeds. Please turn to Eph 4:17-25. Eph 4:17-25, This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. 
            No one has any place to judge another in terms of how holy or just or righteous we are apart from the person of Jesus Christ. The chosen nation of Israel was just as corrupt and defiled in their religiosity as the Gentile nations were in their futile speculations and abominable acts of impurity and greed and dishonor. None deserved anything but death, and yet God so loved us, each of us, that He paid that just and righteous price for you and for me on the cross. As a result, we are to now be soft in heart to Him and desire to honor Him and to please Him and to serve Him with all our being. 
Rom 3:21-26, But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 
	Who we now are in Christ is to be evident in the manner in which we live our lives by the guidance and the obedience that is wholly unto Him. We no longer live for ourselves; we live for His glory and for the honor of His name. That is why we must hold ourselves open and soft toward His every instruction. Col 3:12-15, And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 
	It is, sadly, very possible to harden our hearts against His Word of instruction and guidance. The more that we refuse to obey, the less distinct His voice will be in our hearts and minds. Please be very clear on this point! We are not discussing salvation. That is secure for eternity if we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God Who died for our sins. In that He is Our Savior. Rather we are discussing His Lordship in our lives whereby we honor Him in obeying and becoming the living witness of Who He is. 
	It is entirely possible to be saved for eternity and yet forfeit the living relationship of knowing the Lordship and the reality of the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit as our daily walk on this earth. There are many Christians, saved men and women, who do not know that the Kingdom of God is in place right this very instant, today! They simply bear each day, waiting for the great by and by rather than enjoying all that is ours right now in Jesus Christ!
	Heb 4:6-13 highlights this for us. Please turn to it. Heb 4:6-13, Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts." For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 
    	As the Redeemed of the Lord, as those who have been called out of this world by God, Himself, for His plans and His purposes to be accomplished in and through us, let us ever and always seek to hear His voice and obey instantly as He so instructs. There is nothing of greater value and joy and fulfillment in life than to know and to honor and to please The Lord God Almighty in this daily adventure with Him! This takes place as He so directs and gives us His strength and His wisdom and His patience and His endurance and His longsuffering and His forgiveness and His Holiness in His Only Begotten Son. 
	The entire Godhead is the source and the focal reality of why we are who we are on this earth! He created us, and He chose us, and He has given us a heart and a mind to know Him more and more as each day unfolds in the revelation of just how wonderful and awesome and glorious is the life that we are called to live in Him! This was ever His heart and needs to remain the integral life’s pulse of our heart of flesh.
	God declares this to us through the Prophet Ezekiel in Ezek 36:23-28. Please follow along and rejoice in what God has done for you and me in Jesus Christ. Ezek 36:23-28, "And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord," declares the Lord God, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. "And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. "And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. So be it with all thanksgiving to God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Amen.

This morning’s benediction is Ps 48:1+2. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King.  Amen.