Jesus said that those “who do not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” One translation reads ‘the wrath of God hangs over them continually’.
Please note...this was a statement made by Jesus. I often hear where plenty of people out there who would not really consider themselves as ‘believers’ but still will point to and acknowledge things Jesus said and did for their own purpose and reasons. It usually has to do with not judging or citing various sins that Jesus ‘never mentions’ in the gospels that other church people like to elevate as the ultimate sin.
Jesus makes it clear here...if you are not a ‘believer’, there is this thing called ‘the wrath of God’ that abides...remains...and ‘hangs on you continually’. And here’s the kicker...most folks are unaware of this.
Have you ever been talking to a person and all of a sudden their eyes grow wide open and a look of concern comes over them...followed by the command of ‘Don’t Move!”. Then they grab a paper or magazine or whatever is handy and take a swing at your shoulder perhaps and swat away an ugly wasp or hairy spider that was resting there in which you were oblivious to? And when you see it...you shudder and feel a great depth of appreciation for that person who removed that potential threat.
Ok...let’s ask the Holy Spirit now to slip on some ‘spiritual lenses’ and view this through God’s eyes. If we are blind to certain things, that means we don’t ‘see it’. So let’s talk about the condition we all were in at one point, and many still remain in this condition today; including many church folks.
This whole world was/is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
We were the very people that the prophets of old spoke of who ‘sat in darkness’ and even ‘great darkness’ as Isaiah 60: 2 described. But he also prophesied that we should ‘arise for our light has come’. (60:1). So when we read in Matt. 4:16 that these people “who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned”, it is safe to say we are talking about Jesus being that ‘light’.
Luke 1:78-79 tells us that the ‘Dayspring from on high has visited us to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death’.
Would you please underline the last part of vs. 79 there...where He comes to ‘guide our feet into the way of peace.”
Why would we need to be ‘guided’? Jesus answers that in John 12- “he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going.” (35)
So why were we all in darkness? Because the ‘god of this world’ (Satan) had blinded the minds of the unbelievers and those who perish from seeing the light of the gospel of Christ.
We were ‘dead in our sins’ for all had sinned and we were born in sin and therefore with a curse of death upon us. (Rom. 5:12; Psalms 51:5; Rom. 3:23)
Eph. 2:1-3 makes it clear of our condition...how we were dead. And not only ‘dead’, but we were controlled by the spirits of this world that operated in and through our fleshly, sinful nature. That was...and is...how they gain access into our lives to control, manipulate, and deceive us...and keep us blinded. Hence, the reason the very first thing that Jesus comes to do is lead us to put to death this old nature.
I mean, everything about this gospel points to this. Look why Jesus told Paul He was sending him to the Gentiles to preach this gospel...so that ‘their eyes can be opened in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18)
It is the powers of darkness, that Paul writes about in Eph. 6, that are what ‘hang continually on us working death and destruction in us. That is exactly what the wrath of God is...as I mentioned yesterday in my post citing Psalm 78:49. Destroying angels...demons...unclean spirits that harass, torment, deceive...not to mention ‘steal, kill, and destroy’. (John 10:10)
Instead of ugly wasp and hairy spiders sitting on your shoulder, think in terms of ‘spirits of hatred...greed...pride...lust...perversions...anger...fear...resentment...etc residing IN you. That passage in Eph. 2:2...where does it state this ‘prince of the air’ currently works or resides? IN us.
And what did Jesus come to do? To set captives free...to heal and deliver all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38) and to lead us out of darkness. But if He is going to lead, what might it be good for us to do? Maybe...follow Him, perhaps?
Jesus said that ‘My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.” (John 10:27)
Are you following Him? Do you know His voice? Did you know that the one way we can determine who the children of God are is by those who are ‘being led by His Spirit’. (Rom. 8:14)
Paul wrote to Timothy telling him that “the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons’. (1 Tim. 4:1). This is what Paul also warned us of in 2 Cor. 11:2-4...how we might be duped in to believing ‘other gospels, receiving ‘another spirit’ and even ‘following another Jesus’. And who would be the culprit of this? Why...Satan who can disguise himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14). Satan is a counterfeit ‘light’.
Jesus is the True Light. (John 8:12)
We read that “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it”. (John 1:5). Yet He “was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” (1:9)
You see...we were totally enveloped in darkness, held captive by a spiritual enemy who had control and dominion over us because of our sins. People who are not FOLLOWING Jesus...are demonized and crawling with ‘unseen spiritual germs’, or spirits as the bible refers to it. Not spiders and wasp, but unclean spirits. And the only way any of us can be totally set free is to completely surrender our hearts and wills to Jesus and allow Him to lead us out of captivity and to walk in freedom and peace which only He can provide. But this promise is only to those who turn to Him with their whole heart.
He did not come to condemn you or me or any of us. He came to set us free and that we might be ‘saved’. Saved from what? The wrath of God that was on us...and remains on us unless we repent and follow Him. (Rom. 5:9; John 3:36) Now- Please go read and mark John 3:17-20.
That passage I cited from Matt 4:16...how we were sitting in darkness and here comes the “Light’...preaching – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (17). And His words of instruction that come on the heels of that? “Follow Me.” (19).
What did Jesus tell those folks in Luke 13:1-5...”Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”. Why is that? Because the wrath of God is already on us all and it is what works death and destruction and torment in us. And unless we have turned to Him with our whole heart, we are blinded to this. Our minds have been blinded with blinders or a ‘veil’. But here’s the promise...when anyone ‘turns to Him, the veil is removed’. (2 Cor. 3:16)
Can you imagine what that scene was like on the day when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead? He commanded for the stone to be moved away. Whispers of warnings that Lazarus’s body had begun to decay already and would be ‘stinking’. (John 11:39). Yet...the stone was moved and light shone in the darkness and Jesus cried out “Lazarus, come forth!”.
“The hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” -Jesus (John 5:25)
When Lazarus heard that voice...and the light crept into the darkness of that stinky tomb, Lazarus came forth. Yet...we read there where he was still bound with grave clothes and needed to be ‘loosed’. (John 11:44).
Friends...this is where I believe so many of God’s wandering sheep have found themselves...still walking around in grave clothes because they were not taught what it means to ‘follow and obey’ to that we might be truly set free and walk in that place of peace and protection and freedom where the ‘wicked one no longer touches us’. (1 John 5:18). I fear that the majority did like those 9 lepers did who had a great moment with Jesus who spoke healing in to their lives...but then they all ran off. All but one...who turned back and...came to Jesus. (Luke 17:11-19)
So much more I could write here now...please, come back tomorrow.
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