I just never really understood or fully comprehended what he was talking about...until that prayer got answered, for me, and my ‘eyes were opened’.
Can I just tell you up front...we don’t figure out anything on our own when it comes to understanding this bible and the mysteries of God’s kingdom. Oh, we can study and memorize and quote scripture all day long. We can immerse ourself in language school and study the ancient languages to ‘better grasp’ what the original text had to say. You can have more degrees than a thermometer in theology and still...’not get it’.
Jesus told a group of studious rabbis that despite them studying scripture diligently in search of true life, they would never experience life until they first came to Him. (John 5:39-40). Their problem was they were ‘not willing’...to ‘come to Him’. (Matt. 23:37)
And until we come to Him with all our hearts...this gospel is veiled and our minds are blinded by the god of this age. (2 Cor. 4:3-4; 3:16). That...is where so many have fallen short and missed out, I truly believe.
I am often compelled to point out that dialogue in Luke 8 where after Jesus spoke to the public on the Parable of the Sower, He then gathered in private with His disciples. They asked Him about that story wanting clarification. It was a nice story but they were clueless as to what its meaning was. Hence, the reason they asked Jesus for an explanation. (9)
Look what He tells them there...”To you...(disciples) it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest (those on the outside)..it is given in parables that ‘seeing, they may not see and hearing they may not understand”. (10). Then He explained the parable to them fully. (11-15)
Let me say it again...we don’t ‘figure out anything’ when it comes to the kingdom of God.
Do you remember when Jesus asked them who they thought He really was and Peter pipes up: “Thou art the Christ...the Son of the Living God!” (Matt. 16:16). And what was Jesus’s response?
“Blessed are you , Simon...for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (17)
That word ‘reveal’ in the Greek means to ‘uncover, bring to light’ or ‘take the lid/cover off’. It’s the same word used in Luke 10:21 where Jesus was rejoicing there with His 70 disciples and then thanked the Father for “hiding these things from the wise and the prudent and ‘revealing’ these truths to the babes.” And did Jesus say that God actually ‘hides these things from wise and intellectual people?” Hmmmm
If God...does not ‘take the lid off our eyes’...we will never, ever see nor understand these mysteries. That actually comes from the Greek word -mysteria- which implies ‘secret’ or ‘mystery’.
God is the one who ‘reveals’ these things to us...NOT...our human intellect nor our ability to figure things out. And He only reveals these mysteries to those who come to Him with their whole heart; and yes...He will indeed test your heart to see if you are truly...’all in’. (Deut. 8:2; 1 Thess. 2:4). If you need just one or two more verses to confirm this, jot down Luke 24:32 and 45.
So once more, let me repeat Paul’s statement saying “IF this gospel is hid, it is hid to them who are perishing/lost’. (2 Cor. 4:3)
I know...puzzling, is it not? Seems that if God wanted the whole world to be saved, (Which He does- John 3:16; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:4), then why ‘hide’ or allow this message to be ‘veiled’?
And I don’t know that I have a good answer for you on that...I’m sorry. All I can do is point you to what I read in the bible and share it with you. And 2 Cor. 3:16 is another good one that promises us that when anyone turns to the Lord, the ‘veil is removed’. That’s...when the word becomes a living word. Not before.
I should also clarify, once again, that ‘coming’ or ‘turning to the Lord’ requires it be done with all your heart. Jesus made that rather clear to the rich, young ruler in Matt. 19 who was soooo close...yet fell short. There was something he was holding on to and not quite ready to let go of in order to fully follow Jesus. That disqualified Him from receiving eternal life which is what he came seeking.
Not coming to Jesus with a whole heart will disqualify you and me as well...if we fail to surrender our lives to Him totally. I know that does not set well with many people who have sat securely on church pews for years walking in a form of godliness while continuing to hold on to things God has begged/commanded them to turn from. But all I know to do is tell you what the bible says. It is, after all...His words, and not mine.
The remaining portion of this post is nothing but scripture straight out of our bibles. I would like to encourage you to spend some time going over them, maybe even print them off to review. But before you do, just pray a simple prayer and ask God to ‘open the eyes of your understanding’. For some of you, this might be a pivotal and significant morning. I’m praying for you. :- )
Jesus: I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the. vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (4)
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered and ‘they’ gather them and throw them into the fire. And they are burned.(6)
By this My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit, so you will be My disciples. (8)
IF you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.(10)
These things I have spoken to you that My joy may remain in you , and that your joy may be full.(11)
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (12)
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8) [laid down His life]
Greater love has no one than this – than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends IF you do whatever I command you. (John 15:13-14)
This is love of God- that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3)
This is how we know that we know Him – IF we keep His commandments. (1 John 2:3)
He who says, “I know Him”, and does not keep His commandments is a liar. (1 John 2:4)
Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in Him. By this we know that we are in Him.(5). He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (6)
Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. (1 John 3:6)
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. (3:8)
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him and he cannot sin , because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9)
IF...we sin willfully...after we have received the knowledge of the truth- [what does the truth do? Jn. 8:32,35] there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. (Heb. 10:26-27)
Did you not know that friendship with the world make one an enemy of God? (James 4:4)
Do not love the world or the things in the world. IF anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is no in Him. For all that is in the word – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Rom. 8:1). To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. The carnal mind is hostile towards God; it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Rom. 8:6-7)
You nor I can ever come close to fulfilling the great commandment to love as Christ loved us without having His nature in us. And that cannot happen until we ‘die’ to ourselves so that He can produce that fruit in nature IN us. That only comes with abiding in Him.
Now, ‘wash-rinse-repeat’. One more time...go through these verses...and have a blessed day.
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