The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Corinthians 4:3,
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
There exists a darkness in this world that blinds the minds of unbelievers. This helps us understand the reluctance for many to listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ when we attempt to share it with them. As we share the gospel we often find that many think we are insulting, offensive, crazy lunatics (I have to laugh at the ways Hollywood so often characterizes Christians), lame or whatever.
The only possible way to penetrate that darkness is to share the gospel message as effectively as we can. As we do, we may find the person who we are sharing it with will respond. Unfortunately few will. In his sermon on the mount Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14.
In the previous verse, 2 Corinthians 4:2, Paul says, "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing." As Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:10, "They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved."
I used to think that as long as a person was alive, he or she always had an opportunity to respond to the gospel. I have had to modify that thinking a bit. I now have to recognize that in addition to that blindness we read of in 2 Corinthians 4:3, God can and does harden the hearts of some who reject him. The walking dead. In writing about future events, Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."
During the days of Jesus' life on earth we are told that there were those who would not believe in him even though he had performed many signs right in front of them. To explain it, John quotes Isaiah 6:10, "He [the Lord] has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them." They would not believe in him so God hardened their hearts so they could not possibly believe in him. They were condemned to eternal death while still living in this life.
In Romans 9:18 Paul says, "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." Since John tells us, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God", John 1:12, we know that God has mercy on those who respond to the gospel, who embrace Jesus Christ in faith. But for those who reject him, he just may harden their hearts at some point while still in this life.
So, both the god of this age, and also God Almighty make that blindness and darkness impossible for unbelievers to see the supernatural things we see. They cannot possibly understand the gospel message, the things of heaven or God's truth. They are blinded to it. However, it is their own fault, as Jesus taught Nicodemus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.
Possibly this is where the phrase comes from: "It's their own damn fault." It is the sinner who is culpable for the blindness he is sealed and exists in. And while our hearts may break over the plight of the lost, it is a cold hard truth, but truth nonetheless.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
There exists a darkness in this world that blinds the minds of unbelievers. This helps us understand the reluctance for many to listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ when we attempt to share it with them. As we share the gospel we often find that many think we are insulting, offensive, crazy lunatics (I have to laugh at the ways Hollywood so often characterizes Christians), lame or whatever.
The only possible way to penetrate that darkness is to share the gospel message as effectively as we can. As we do, we may find the person who we are sharing it with will respond. Unfortunately few will. In his sermon on the mount Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14.
In the previous verse, 2 Corinthians 4:2, Paul says, "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing." As Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:10, "They perish because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved."
I used to think that as long as a person was alive, he or she always had an opportunity to respond to the gospel. I have had to modify that thinking a bit. I now have to recognize that in addition to that blindness we read of in 2 Corinthians 4:3, God can and does harden the hearts of some who reject him. The walking dead. In writing about future events, Paul says in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."
During the days of Jesus' life on earth we are told that there were those who would not believe in him even though he had performed many signs right in front of them. To explain it, John quotes Isaiah 6:10, "He [the Lord] has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them." They would not believe in him so God hardened their hearts so they could not possibly believe in him. They were condemned to eternal death while still living in this life.
In Romans 9:18 Paul says, "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." Since John tells us, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God", John 1:12, we know that God has mercy on those who respond to the gospel, who embrace Jesus Christ in faith. But for those who reject him, he just may harden their hearts at some point while still in this life.
So, both the god of this age, and also God Almighty make that blindness and darkness impossible for unbelievers to see the supernatural things we see. They cannot possibly understand the gospel message, the things of heaven or God's truth. They are blinded to it. However, it is their own fault, as Jesus taught Nicodemus, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20.
Possibly this is where the phrase comes from: "It's their own damn fault." It is the sinner who is culpable for the blindness he is sealed and exists in. And while our hearts may break over the plight of the lost, it is a cold hard truth, but truth nonetheless.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment