COMING OUT OF THE DARKNESS
Psalms 107:10,11 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom, prisoners suffering in iron chains, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.
Jesus tells us that the road that leads to heaven is narrow and few find it’s way, but the road that leads to hell is wide and smooth and many choose its way. It is not that God is trying to make it hard to go to heaven to be with him for all eternity. Just the opposite is true! Jesus’ salvation is so easy a child can do it. It is not a matter of the mind, but he heart. Jesus paid the price for our forgiveness, but it is up to us to receive it. His grace and mercy offered to us is greater that any sin we could ever do. In fact where sin abounds, God’s grace and mercy abounds even more. The only reason people will go to hell is because they have hardened their heart against Jesus. Jesus even warned John the Baptist about this very thing when he said in Luke 7:23, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
People reject God’s free gift of forgiveness and eternal life for many reasons. None of they of course are valid in the reality of eternity. What can we give in exchange of our soul, or what can we become so hard hearted about as to spend eternity in hell, rather than eternity in heaven? It is true that very sad things happen in this life, but why let that affect how we will spend eternity?
We don’t know why Satan and the powers of darkness hate the Heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus so much, but they certainly do. They would sooner go to hell than seek forgiveness and humble themselves before the Lord. Because of his we know that God has kept the fallen angels in darkness bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (Jude 1:6) I believe this darkness is understanding. While they may see what is going on, they can not bring it into their understanding to come to salvation. It is not a matter of God not wanting them, or that Jesus’ atonement is incapable of saving them. The problem lies within them as it does all who commit the unforgivable sin of rejecting the Holy Spirit’s call to repentance. The only sin that Jesus will not forgive is the one that is in the proud heart that refuses to repent. When Jesus confronted the demoniac in Mark 5:1-20, we see the demons beg Jesus to not torture them or send them out of the area, but they never asked for forgiveness.
They would sooner stay in their sin of rebellion that turn from their sinfulness and humble themselves before Jesus and find forgiveness.
Even though the world has seen a great light in Jesus, it is still in darkness. They are in darkness and in chains of bondage, because they have hardened their hearts towards Jesus just like the demons doomed for hell. There is hope for them. Through our prayers for them and the victorious life we live in Jesus, even they can find salvation. Try not to judge them, but pray for them that they will have eyes to see and ears to hear the good news of Jesus salvation.
Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for helping us to come out of the darkness and into the light of Jesus. Please help people all over the world to become Christians and lover of Jesus. Jesus deserves to have a beautiful bride and a glorious kingdom. We ask this in Jesus name.
