Spiritual understanding may be granted only when a true heart turns toward God, when a true heart reaches for God. So for those who are lost we can only introduce the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. The complexity of the Gospel is lost to them…
I heard a sermon today on the radio that I found such an eye opening interpretation of the message. He talked about how the Scripture tells us that God has to be the one to open the eyes to understanding. When we speak the truth to those who have not been enlightened by God, to them the information sounds like nonsense. The enemy has blinded the mind.
The Enemies Arguments
Blinded The Mind
Offensive Dismissal
All of a sudden things made more sense. I remember there have been those in my life who would dismiss what I had to say about Faith and God in a way that was almost offensive. In addition, there were those who were openly offensive suggesting that the entire idea was stupid and fanatical, or a primitive need to explain things we could not. That faith was a concept for the less intelligent who could not or would not grasp the intellectual realities.
Credibility Attacked
They would tell me stories of others who rose from the dead or those who allegedly had raised the dead. Suggesting that Jesus was just one more of them. They would blaspheme, attack my beliefs with a cold smugness and laugh in the face of the message. It was clearly a hostility toward the message of salvation.
Scriptural Manipulation
Also there were those who would try to use my faith against me to further their political opinions by quoting Bible passages out of context. Or a non believer trying to tell me that I am a hypocrite because I do not agree with them. Further stating my Bible agrees with their position but I do not. Using my faith as a weapon against me in their argument.
I now understand that their opinions have been manipulated by the enemy. The enemy has blinded the mind to the truth as I can see it. This changes my perception of how to respond to them. Perhaps I must be more tolerant and I must respond with compassion and love rather than in anger…
2 Corinthians 4:4-6 (KJV)
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Mark 4:11-12 (KJV)
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
A Different Perspective
Blinded The Mind
The Perspective
In the sermon he said imagine that you can not see. Put your hands over your eyes and block out all the light. Imagine the feelings as you can not see anything. Not that you are not seeing right now, or not that you are seeing just a little, but that you can not see. There is no way to see because you are blind without any light at all. Standing in darkness.
In that case you rely on what you have learned up to this point. What you have been able to determine from where ever you have learned it to process the world around you. How have your opinions been formed?
Conflicting Information
Ultimately you rely on your own experiences. If those experiences are limited to lets say a specific data set, all of your opinions rely only on that data set. But imagine new data is then introduced that is contrary to what you learned in the original data set how would you respond to new information? How would you process that new data?
Now consider that God must lead you to understanding. That no matter what is said to you, no matter in what manner it is said to you, if you can not understand it by design, it will sound like nonsense in an understanding shaped by the world, and the enemy. He has blinded the mind.
If all your life you have been taught to believe, for example, that anything that is blue is poison. You believed it, never questioned it, relied upon that data in forming your opinions about how blue interacted with your life. Then suddenly someone comes along and says blue is wonderful it is yellow that is poison. Well that would rock your world.
1 John 4:4-6 (KJV)
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
John 12:40 (KJV)
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
Only God Can Lift the Blindness
Blinded The Mind
The enemy is focused on keeping the unbeliever blinded from Spiritual truths. He has blinded the mind. The enemy wants belief as the world believes. He wants focus on self, forsaking all else. Until God turns his eyes to you, until God lifts the blindness from your spiritual eyes, you can not really see…Not all the explanation in the world will give you spiritual sight. God alone chooses you, to give you spiritual sight. Think about that for a moment…
Loved Ones
If you are like me and have people you love who you have been talking to, talking and talking to, battling the influence of the world and wondering why there is no response, this is profound. I had an “Ah Ha” moment.
The calling is to witness. Introduction of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. But only God can save. Wow takes a lot of the pressure off doesn’t it? Tasked with making the introduction but not tasked with making people come to God. He is chosen and he chooses his flock…
We are the Chosen
Let’s think about that for a moment. He chose us specifically and opened our eyes. He knows who we are. And decided to mold us, shape us into who we have become in service to him. If we are saved he looked at us and reached out. Brought us to him. We are special and loved. Meant to worship his great name…He shapes our purpose and we walk the path that he is putting before us. No need for fear or worry, only unconditional faith. We belong to him.
But We Must Choose
With the opening of our eyes we are given a choice. Some of us will reject the spirit, for what reasons I can not imagine, but some will. To those we can only feel sorrow. If God has chosen you and chosen to open your eyes to the truth of this world, and the next, how could you reject that? I am perplexed at the notion but we know that some people refuse to be saved even when they have had a glimpse of the truth.
Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Acts 1:8 (KJV)
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The Mind is the Stronghold
The battleground of the mind is the stronghold. God communicates his word through the mind. The Bible is the written word of God. The enemy fights to keep us veiled from the truth, he wants us to blindly follow our pleasures and desires without thought to ultimate consequence. He has blinded the mind. The enemy wants to stop us from thinking and reasoning keeping us focused on self, our emotion. It is through the mind that the Gospel can break through and offer us reason and purpose beyond self.
God’s Wonderful Gift
When we turn to God and we reach for him God sees us. When God chooses us he opens our mind to the truth through his Gospel. With time he opens our eyes through the Holy Spirit and we become Spiritually aware. A wonderful gift…
The New Understanding
Blinded The Mind
Lead By Example
Setting an example as a true believer. Standards are higher. Yes, we can get caught up in things of the world. Walking in the world. It’s hard not to be affected. But we are tasked with keeping our mind and heart in the Spirit.
Keep Sharing the Message
We are responsible for the introduction through the Great Commission. We must witness, introduce God to the masses. Make the Bible a household word, make the Bible available to all, take a stand against those who would curtail the effectiveness of communication through the mind. Fight to overcome all the obstacles the enemy continues to put in place, all the distractions that are so tempting to remove the mind in favor of the flesh and desire. Make the truth known to all so that they can have the opportunity to be chosen by God. That my friends is our responsibility…
Be Tolerant and Be Kind
We must understand that those who are not yet a believer are fighting an uphill battle to understanding. The enemy has blinded the mind and is trying to make sure that they do not understand so he does not lose them in favor of salvation. So as they resist with their ridiculous arguments do not dismay be patient, be tolerant and be kind. It is our responsibility to share the message but remember, it is God who will save them…
Isaiah 42:16-18 (KJV)
16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
18 Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
For the Love of God,
Sparks
