A Hidden Gospel

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV)

Definitions

The god of this age would be Satan himself.  He doesn’t care what lie we believe as long as we do not believe the truth.  A blind person is walking in darkness because they do not believe all that God has told us about His Son.  Light is always associated with truth and with Christ.  Darkness is always associated with Satan and his lies.  For example, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19 NKJV).”  We are born in darkness and the world is presently in the dark part or the night of this age.  (See Romans 13:12)

When Paul gave his testimony to King Agrippa, he told him that he had been commissioned to “to open their eyes (both Jews and Gentiles), in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.”  (See Acts 26:16-18)

The Song

We sing, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”  But do we sing it honestly?  I am amazed at the people who are confident that they are believers, who do not remember having their eyes (understanding) open to the truth of the Gospel.  

There was. a man in John 9 who was blind from birth.   His blindness was not because of his lifestyle.  He was born blind.  In my mind, he represents each one of us.  After he followed the Lord’s instructions and had his eyes opened, he knew more than the blind Pharisees that were criticizing the Lord.  They said the Lord was a sinner.  The blind man whose eyes were opened said (based on the teaching of the Pharisees), “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him (John 9:31 NKJV).”  This man didn’t know much but he did know that he was once blind but now he could see.  

Are the Blind leading the Blind?

We have a lot of different ways of preaching the Gospel today.  We try to do it without offending our audience but if we as Gospel preachers do not understand the importance of preaching that it is only the lost that are saved and that we are blind before we have our eyes (or our understanding) open to the truth of the Gospel, we are not being faithful to the Lord or to those who need to be saved.  The Gospel says that there is a place of eternal conscious punishment for those who have never had their eyes opened to believe all that the Bible says about them and then about Christ.   Once we understand and admit that we are sinners and blind by nature, then and then only, will we be able to understand the promise of God which says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him (Romans 5:8-9 NKJV).”

Conclusion

To be a believer, we have to believe all that God has said.  We cannot tell God how to save us, we need to let Him tell us how to be saved.  In my experience the moment a person agrees with God that they need to be saved, they are immediately able to believe God that Christ died to save them.  

I write on this issue because I want to be faithful to the Lord, to the Gospel message and to those that the Lord brings into my life.  I am always glad when someone tells me, “I know exactly what you are talking about!  I remember when I passed from death to life (John 5:24).”  I am also glad when someone who is struggling with salvation tells me, “Oh, I see, I see!”  They may not know much but they will be able to say, “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see (John 9:25 NKJV).”

I identify with this man who was born blind.  I hope each of my readers can do that as well.

Bruce Collins

Meditation for the week of March 2, 2025

If you would like further conversation about the issues in these meditations, contact me at collinsbd@yahoo.com and I will try to accommodate you with a virtual Bible Study.