SCRIPTURE READING: De 21:18-21.
1. What is stubbornness?
A. Stubbornness is “having or showing dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on
something, especially in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so” (NAOD).
B. In spite of the evidence for change, a stubborn person’s battle cry is, “No I won’t and you can’t make me!”
C. Synonyms for stubborn include doggedly insistent, intransigent, pigheaded, obstinate, headstrong, willful,
obdurate, intractable, strong-willed, hardheaded and stiff-necked.
D. “But shouldn’t we be stubborn about some things? For example, shouldn’t we stubbornly refuse to do
wrong?” Righteously determined yes, sinfully stubborn no. Righteous determination is willing to change
but refuses to do so when an objective examination of the evidence proves that a change is not
warranted, whereas sinful stubbornness is unwilling to change and refuses to do so even when an objective examination of the evidence proves that a change is warranted.
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