The Blindness of Unbelief

The Blindness of Unbelief

“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:3–4,)

Paul explains that the gospel is veiled only to those who are perishing, because the ruler of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of Christ's glory.

Before the veil was lifted from your own eyes, you were in the same condition as the person who today mocks the gospel, dismisses the church, or spits contempt at the truth. Spiritual blindness is not primarily an intellectual problem -- it is a supernatural one.

Satan works actively to keep Christ looking unattractive, irrelevant, and unconvincing. This means that when someone rejects the gospel, the appropriate response is not frustration or contempt but compassion and intercession. You are not arguing with a person who simply needs better information. You are praying for a person who needs divine intervention. The same God who opened your eyes can open theirs. He has done it before. He will do it again. Do not mistake resistance for impossibility.

Reflection Questions:
* How does understanding spiritual blindness change the way you respond when someone rejects the gospel?
* Who in your life are you tempted to write off as unreachable? How does this passage challenge that assumption?

Practical Application: 
Make a short list of two or three people you know who are spiritually blind to the gospel. Commit to praying specifically for them each morning this week, asking God to sovereignly remove the veil from their eyes.