Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever scratched your head stupefied by WHY someone just doesn’t seem to understand what they are reading or hearing? On the other hand, have you had the great joy of being eyewitness to the moment when someone understands something for the first time? Do you remember how their eyes widen, their mouth opens, they are amazed that ‘they get it’, they finally understand? That is often the experience of a schoolteacher and that joy keeps them showing up for school each new day! It’s also the great joy of parenting, isn’t it?
Did you know this wonderful moment is also a big part of discipleship, of helping people understand spiritual truth, especially helping them meet Jesus! The apostle Paul, of course, experienced that ‘aha moment’ many times in many places as he carried the wonderful ‘good news’, the ‘gospel’ of Jesus Christ to cities and towns across the Roman empire in the mid first century.
In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul wrote about that delightful experience with these words: “Their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord Jesus, the veil is taken away.” (2 Cor. 3:14-16) Oh my, this is so hugely important, so significant for our entire world!
You have probably had the experience of reading something and having NO understanding of what you just read, right? Oh, you understand each word, but you did not understand the meaning of the sentences, the paragraphs you read. That is especially true for many people today when we’re reading about complex technology or reading legal documents. The sad truth is, many people claim they do NOT understand the BIBLE when they read it! And they are right!
Paul says they need help! That is a major reason we produce “Walking with Jesus” the way we do with visual charts and era accurate images or videos. It’s why I work so hard to try and explain the Bible clearly and I invite you INTO the experience of what the Bible is describing. But our greatest need is for the Holy Spirit to open our minds and teach us God’s truth!
Paul is making a very important statement here in 2 Corinthians 3. God’s Word, the Bible, is unlike ANY other book. Why? Because the Bible’s author is GOD Himself!! 2 Peter 1:20,21 makes it clear the human Biblical authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit of God to write exactly the words they wrote! 2 Timothy 3:14-17 makes it clear God’s truth, the Bible, is intended by God to be instructive, clarifying, correcting, rebuking, convicting and helpful for any person to know God and understand God’s truth! But we all have a natural problem in trying to understand God and His Word!! Do you agree and do you understand WHY we can’t understand God’s truths without God’s help?
But did you notice Paul is talking about a veil over the minds of those who read the Scriptures of the Old Covenant and just don’t get it? That’s because the first covenant God established with His people at Mount Sinai (Ex 24:8) is finally fulfilled in the New Covenant of Jesus Christ and HIS atonement death and resurrection! (John 3:16; 14:6) And it requires the help of the Holy Spirit for us to understand HOW Jesus the Messiah fulfills that old first covenant!
And those Jews who refuse to see Jesus as their Jewish Messiah, and all others who refuse to see Jesus as their Savior, simply won’t understand the deliverance and eternal life God offers them in Jesus! The veil remains!!
Paul wrote about this in his first letter to his Christian friends in Corinth: “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God…The person WITHOUT the Spirit of God does not accept the things which come from God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned ONLY through the Holy Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 2:11-14) Yes, it’s true.
The natural human mind, born with a sin nature, cannot comprehend God’s Holy Truth without God’s help! The Holy Spirit has to open our minds spiritually for us to understand God’s spiritual truth!
In fact, Paul was more specific about this in 2 Corinthians 4:4 when he wrote: “The god of the age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot comprehend the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Jesus Christ, who is the image of God.”
Oh my, this shows us there is actually a dark kingdom strategy at work, from the time we are little babies, trying to prevent us from hearing or reading God’s truth with any understanding at all! Why?
Jesus explained it this way: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows ME will not walk in darkness… If you hold to My teachings, you are my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!” (John 8:12,31,32)
Oh my, how all this is so amazing and it calls us to ask three essential questions:
1. Has the Holy Spirit of God helped you see Jesus Christ as God’s sent Savior for the world and have you embraced that truth for you? Is Jesus your Savior?
2. Has the Holy Spirit removed the veil so you can understand all the glorious truth about Jesus and the wonderful new life God invites you to live in relationship with Him through Jesus?
3. Has the blindness of your mind been removed by the Holy Spirit and has the spiritual confusion of the dark kingdom been broken in your mind? Has Jesus’ truth set you free, and do you have an almost insatiable thirst to keep learning God’s truth as taught to you by the Holy Spirit?
If NO is your answer to ANY of those three questions, then ASK Boldly!
* ASK God the Holy Spirit to do His miraculous, mind opening, veil removing, dark kingdom blindness breaking work in your heart and mind.
* ASK Jesus to defeat every scheme of the dark kingdom trying to prevent you from knowing Jesus and understanding His truth!
* And then open your Bible and carefully, slowly begin reading Psalm 119 because every verse will excite you about the power of the truth of God’s Word applied by the Holy Spirit into your heart and mind! It will change your life!
Oh my, so much for us to think about today and the ‘lessons learned’ further study questions and notes will be VERY helpful to you! And a great celebration worship song will refresh your soul, and I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:14-16.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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