2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV): And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
As Paul wrote in his first letter to Corinth, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV) Many Christians are perplexed when they present the gospel, including many arguments that seem, to them, to be undeniable, only to see that their clever presentation and their well-reasoned arguments have no effect on their target. It makes them start to doubt the reasonableness of their faith, especially when the other person starts to present their own rational-sounding reasons for NOT believing.
But the things of the Spirit can only be spiritually discerned. Only those who have open eyes can see beyond the surface, past the “rational” arguments for the faith, and into the very heart of God. There are many people around whose eyes are already open, and who are actively searching for the truth. They are the low-hanging fruit in the harvest; the ones who will leap at the opportunity to come into the kingdom. Always look for these they are all around, and it is a huge tragedy for the kingdom of God when, after God has opened their eyes to their need for salvation, and has placed a hunger in their hearts for spiritual life, no Christian is willing to speak God’s words of life and hope to them, and to harvest them. Often they end up in cults, whose members are trained to speak to their searching hearts, and who are much better at using available opportunities that God’s own people. (I say this to our shame!)
So how can we successfully present the gospel to those who are perishing? To those whose minds have been blinded by the god of this age? Passionate, patient and persistent prayer and unconditional love are the right tools for the job. Many Christians vastly underestimate the power of prayer on the heart and soul of a nonbeliever. Remember: God does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Those who passionately pray for those they love who have been blinded by the enemy, those who demonstrate God’s own unconditional love to them, will find themselves partnering with God in opening blind eyes and softening hardened hearts, so that the seeds of the gospel will find fertile ground in which to take root. And no one is too hardened or too far gone for God to work this miracle in their heart! Remember that Jesus healed a man who had been BORN blind – who had never once seen light!
But we must keep praying and keep loving all the way until the moment when that person opens their heart to receive eternal life. Never give up – as long as there is life there is hope. And don’t pray “soft” prayers, or occasional prayers which are always ineffective. Pray as if that person’s very soul, their eternal destiny is at stake, because it is!
The correct diagnosis is the first step to finding a solution. Understanding that people who resist the gospel, or those who set themselves actively against it, do so because they have been blinded by satan, opens the opportunity to effectively strike at the heart of the problem. Prayer for open eyes and a soft, responsive heart, and God’s own unconditional love, patiently and persistently applied, are the two tools that can being God’s light into the darkest of souls.
Father, thank You for these powerful tools. Open our own eyes to see the opportunities for harvest that we are so prone to overlook, and give us great boldness in speaking Your word into those hearts that are white for the harvest. For the rest, help us to love them so powerfully that we do stay persistent in aiming Your love and our persistent prayers right at their blinded hearts, so that your light can shine in them, too. Amen.