Paul wrote, "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them which do not believe, lest the GLORIOUS Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them" 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4.
The God of this world blinds people to Paul's glorious Gospel through religion. I have found that it is much easier to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ that are not religious. The hardest people to reach are those that have been indoctrinated into a religion for a number of years. I believe that many of them are what I call, "Religious reprobates". The ones that accepted Jesus as their savior in the New Testament were not the religious Pharisees, they were tax collectors, thieves, prostitutes, etc.
The religious find the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be offensive, because it is not about them. The Gospel is about Jesus Christ and his work of redemption. We had no part in it. We are like spectators watching this marvelous event unfold in the pages of the Bible. It is almost like watching a football game. Our team "humanity" verses Satan and the world. The ball is thrown, our substitute (Jesus) catches the ball runs through the opposing team and makes a touch down and wins the game. We jump up and scream "We have won!" It is as simple as that. Our team won. The big question is whose team are you on?
The "good news" of the Gospel is that Jesus has victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil and has thrown the gates of heaven wide open, so that, "Whosoever that shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:13. We don't have to defeat sin, death and the devil because Jesus already has. We who are saved rest in that fact. "We have entered into HIS rest" Hebrews 4:10. The religious have not entered into his rest. They are busy, busy, busy, trying to be good enough to be saved. It is not possible to be good enough to be saved. Paul said, "There is none righteous, no, not one" Romans 3:10. If anyone is to be saved salvation must come to them totally and completely outside of themselves. Thank God that it has in the person of Jesus Christ.
The God of this world blinds people to Paul's glorious Gospel through religion. I have found that it is much easier to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ that are not religious. The hardest people to reach are those that have been indoctrinated into a religion for a number of years. I believe that many of them are what I call, "Religious reprobates". The ones that accepted Jesus as their savior in the New Testament were not the religious Pharisees, they were tax collectors, thieves, prostitutes, etc.
The religious find the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be offensive, because it is not about them. The Gospel is about Jesus Christ and his work of redemption. We had no part in it. We are like spectators watching this marvelous event unfold in the pages of the Bible. It is almost like watching a football game. Our team "humanity" verses Satan and the world. The ball is thrown, our substitute (Jesus) catches the ball runs through the opposing team and makes a touch down and wins the game. We jump up and scream "We have won!" It is as simple as that. Our team won. The big question is whose team are you on?
The "good news" of the Gospel is that Jesus has victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil and has thrown the gates of heaven wide open, so that, "Whosoever that shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:13. We don't have to defeat sin, death and the devil because Jesus already has. We who are saved rest in that fact. "We have entered into HIS rest" Hebrews 4:10. The religious have not entered into his rest. They are busy, busy, busy, trying to be good enough to be saved. It is not possible to be good enough to be saved. Paul said, "There is none righteous, no, not one" Romans 3:10. If anyone is to be saved salvation must come to them totally and completely outside of themselves. Thank God that it has in the person of Jesus Christ.
