Written ~ 11-05-2023
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
1 “Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the Word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.
3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
Today I woke up to a beautiful Sunday morning, as I gaze out my office window, I’m greeted with clear blue skies and a stillness in the air, not even one small leaf is moving. I am reminded at how important it is to be still before the Lord. When our minds are clouded, or our thoughts are zipping around every which way, it makes it difficult sometimes to just stop and absorb the Scripture verses staring back at you from the opened Bible set before you. But it’s time to let the Lord speak. It’s time for you to surrender all those things obscuring your train of thought and be still. The verses for today have a lot packed into them and I don’t want to miss a thing! So let’s bow our hearts before the Lord and ask Him to draw out new meaning to the Word of God today. If you’re ready… let’s dive in!
When I look at what Paul is trying to convey in the first two verses, it has me thinking about how you and I approach the Scriptures. As believers we know the Scriptures to be the truth, straight from the heart of our All-Powerful Living God. We have the Holy Spirit living within us, to teach us, guide us and bring understanding. In verses one and two, Paul is bringing up the fact that some non-believers think that by listening to the preaching and teaching of the Gospel Message is somehow a trick, a coercion to get people to believe in something too incredible to fathom. But I absolutely love Paul’s stance, “…we never give up… we tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this…”
Look at 2 Corinthians 3:14 (paraphrase is mine),
“…the people’s minds were hardened… a veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ…”
Think about a “veil” for a moment… when do you most commonly see a veil being used today? A couple of ways come to my mind, one being a bride walking down the aisle to greet her groom, a veil covers her face. She can still hear and see what is going on, but there is something blocking the full vision. Another way is when someone is grieving, you might see a woman wearing a veil over her face to hide her grief. This veil keeps her oppressed, she can’t look past her heartbreak. But what if we think about a spiritual veil, this isn’t just covering the face, it is a covering, an obscurity over the heart and mind. Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-4,
3 If the Good News we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.
4 Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.
They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.
They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
Paul knows he is preaching the truth through the Gospel message, but he also knows that some cannot hear the message because they have been blinded by the god of this world.
“…they are perishing …they are blinded… they are unable to see… they don’t understand…”
The next time you are bowing your heart before the Lord and presenting your request of Salvation for your loved ones who are caught behind this veil, ask the Savior to remove the veil that blocks their understanding. Christ has conquered Satan, He has full and complete authority over those who are blinded. When Christ was on that cross, dying for our sins, when He cried out and breathed His last breath, yielded His spirit back to the Father, this is what happened…
Matthew 27:50-51a (WEB),
50 “Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
51 Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom…”
The veil of the temple, the one placed before the Holy of Holies, was torn in two. So even though Satan tries to veil the hearts and minds of non-believers, Christ has already torn that veil in two. Everyone has access to the throne of God by what Christ Jesus did on that cross. (To learn more about the veil placed before the Holy of Holies, study the Book of Exodus.)
The non-believer is unable to see the Glorious Light of the Good News! They can’t understand that the Glorious Light is Jesus Christ the Son of God. That’s why the Gospel Message is preached. As Christians we are excited about this Good News, it has brought new life to our very souls and we can’t help but want everyone to share in this Good News.
2 Corinthians 4:5-6,
5 You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
God has made this Light shine in our hearts… it isn’t a trick or coercion as some may try to think, we genuinely love the Lord Jesus Christ with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our strength and with all our soul. Once, long ago, the only way to the Father was through the “old way.” 2 Corinthians 3:7a, “The old way, with laws etched in stone…” But now we have a “new way” and it’s through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 3:8-9, “Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!”
1 “Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. 2 We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the Word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.” 2 Corinthians 4:1-2
My prayer will always be for the non-believer that the veil be removed from their hearts and minds. My prayer will also be for the believer that their Light will shine brightly and for the Gospel message to be taught and preached without hesitancy.
Come to know Jesus if you haven’t yet made that commitment. Have that veil removed from your heart. Pray this prayer of Salvation…
Dear Jesus, You know my heart, all the things I have done and said. Please forgive me for my unbelief. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You came to earth to die on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead to give me freedom from sin and death. By faith through believing in Who You Are, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life, cleanse this heart of mine, white as snow. Help me not to doubt any longer and breathe life into me, fill me with Your light. Thank You Jesus! Amen.
If you solemnly prayed this prayer, tell at least one person, so they can share in your joy!! I rejoice with you! All the angels in Heaven rejoice with you! For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
It is very important to me that those who might be reading these journal pages of mine and don’t yet know the Lord Jesus Christ, that you make that decision. Today. Your heart and mind may not understand everything you have been reading, but if you open your heart to the truth of who Jesus is, you will be saved from sin and death. By the Power of the Holy Spirit you will be amazed at how quickly after giving your heart to the Lord your eyes and ears will be opened to the truth.
~AMEN~