“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” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

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I fully anticipated, when I published To What Have Our Own Hearts Been Hardened: Part One, earlier this evening, that it might generate a variety of responses, and I could see the emergence of two equally polarized camps. Those who immediately take my words as an affront for their support of abortion, and those who jump right onto the problem of homelessness, within the context of how people become homeless, and the issue of accountability, and the like. Both pretty typical of this hyperpolitical time we live, even among professing Christians.

Sadly, both of these camps will walk away missing the point of the post, which speaks to the very lesson God was trying to make evident to me through his correction this morning. “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” (2 Corinthians 4:4). I shudder to think of anyone, knowingly or unknowingly, being among the ranks of unbelievers, or those whom have believed in vain (1 Corinthians 15:1-2), as I have no doubt they run the theological and ideological gamut. And now I find myself with a fresh appreciation of what Paul was writing about in Romans 8:5-8: “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”

I am going to close this two-part post with words from the Prophet Isaiah: “It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it” (44:15). Of such people, Isaiah goes on to say, “They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand” (44:18). I encourage everyone to go back and read the whole chapter. Powerful stuff, indeed!

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