“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).
“The god of this world” is Satan, who has “blinded the minds” of unbelievers to prevent them from trusting Jesus Christ who died, was buried and rose from the dead and now seated at God’s right hand in heaven. We live in a world of narcotics, alcoholism, immorality, corruption, rebellion, and lawlessness. This means that man is spiritually dead “in the trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1).However, the good news of God’s Salvation continues to be proclaimed so that people can find joy, peace, hope, fulfillment, and purpose in living a godly life.
“In our physical universe,” writes William MacDonald, “the sun is always shining. We do not always see it, but the reason for that is that something has come between the sun and us. So it is with the gospel. The light of the gospel is always shining. God is always seeking to shine into the hearts of men. But Satan puts various barriers between unbelievers and God. It may be the cloud of pride, or of rebellion, or of self-righteousness, or any one of a hundred other things. But all of this serve effectively to hinder the light of the gospel from shining in. Satan simply does not want men to be saved.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary p. 1833).
The fact is that God in His great love, mercy, and grace is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Bible also tells us “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16,17). This means that God has already made ample provision for man to be right with Him by trusting, believing, and receiving Jesus Christ as his Savior. This involves not only the consent of the mind, but also an act of the heart and will.
God makes it abundantly clear that men “are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity” (Ephesians 4:18,19).
Life is filled with choices and we have to make choices every day. This means we can choose what suits us best. Sometimes we make good choices and sometimes we make bad choices. God has given man the will to choose right from wrong and good from evil. Hence, it is entirely up to the individual to decide.
When Moses preached to the children of Israel while preparing them to enter the Promised Land, he asked them to choose God’s offer of life. He said “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). Moses also told the people that choosing life, would mean “loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days” (Deuteronomy 30:20).
Just as the people had to make that crucial choice then, the challenge is also before each of us today. God is asking people to “choose life and live” in order to be able to love God, obey His Word, cling to Him and live for Him every day that he spares our lives. There is such great and wonderful blessings in knowing God. The Bible tells us of the “blessed man” whose “delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm1:2,3).
If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, why not take a few moments to do that right now. There’s no time like the present time. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and may be too late. Admit to God you are a sinner, repent of your sins, and ask Jesus into your heart. Jesus Christ died on the Cross and shed His blood for your forgiveness. The Bible says “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). May God help you to make this important decision.