Penn Free Methodist Church

THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL

 

" … walking in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened,

being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them,

because of the blindness of their heart"    

(Ephesians 4:17-18)

 

It is a dangerous thing to be without Christ. To be a non-Christian is to be in an awful predicament. The apostle Paul in this text describes unbelievers as “walking in the vanity of their mind, being darkened in their understanding". Men in their pre-conversion natural state have minds utterly darkened to spiritual truth. Without Christ they have consciences which are horribly defiled. You never have to teach someone to reject God and the Lord Jesus Christ; you never have to teach someone to commit sin : the unconverted man, devoid of spiritual life, does so quite naturally. Sin just comes so easily. That is how darkened the understanding of fallen human beings really is. People are simply anti-God by nature.   

 

The Bible refers to the non-Christian, to the unconverted person as 'the natural man'. This expression refers to what he is by nature, without the renewing, regenerating work of the Holy Spirit within him. The unbeliever is just flesh; he has no spiritual life whatsoever. There is no spark of the divine in every man, for 'the natural man' is utterly separated from God.

 

The apostle Paul tells us, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him" (1Cor.2:14). So we learn there that the unconverted person has a natural antipathy to the things of God. Without Christ a man is therefore spiritually dead. He always rejects the Christian Gospel, and finds it foolish.  

 

God, however, intervenes in this desperate situation. He graciously takes the initiative to draw men to himself, working upon their hearts by the Holy Spirit, giving them the ability and the desire to seek after God. All men would forever remain in utter darkness, if God did not take this initiative. He may well be drawing you right now to come to faith in Christ. Remember that he is also able to cease drawing men, and to leave them in their unbelief. Therefore it is imperative that if you feel him drawing you, you respond whilst there is time : "To day if ye will hear (God's) voice, Harden not your hearts" (Heb.3:7-8).   

 

Paul tells us in our text that all men without Christ are "darkened in their understanding", which means that they lack the spiritual faculties to understand the truth about God. A veil lies upon their hearts. It is a veil which is satanic in origin, for the Devil is the great deceiver of men. So if you are dismissing Jesus Christ, and think that the Christian Gospel is of no interest to you, please be assured that you simply cannot trust your own judgement about such matters, for unbelievers, 'natural men', are "darkened in their understanding".

 

Many think that they are sophisticated, progressive, 21st century people. They believe in human rights, equality and liberal democracy and all the other politically correct notions of the day, but these things are no indicator of a man's true spiritual condition. They simply mean that a person is believing what everybody else does, and doing what the media tell them to.  

 

All, however, remain "darkened in their understanding", as long as they fail to realise the sinfulness of their hearts, and the depth of their alienation from God. To come to Christ is to escape from this darkness, but it is an enormous step to take, because it means being different from the crowd. The Lord Jesus Christ therefore warns us that those who follow him can never expect to be in a majority. He declares, "Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby" (Matt.7:13).   

 

The Bible also refers to man in his fallen, unbelieving state, full of sin and devoid of spiritual life, as being "carnal" (1Cor.3:1), and as "living after the flesh" (Rom.8:13). So the unbeliever is living 'carnally', which means that he is living according to the dictates of his flesh, according to his fallen nature which is corrupted by sin. He is without the Holy Spirit, living merely on the level of animal passion. So if a man does not believe in Christ, he has no spiritual life whatsoever. He is, as Paul says in our text, "alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in him".  

 

Paul likewise tells us in Romans, "The mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be" (Rom.8:7). So the non-Christian is in nothing less than a dangerous state of enmity against God. He is banished from God's presence. His sin forms a colossal barrier. His whole mind is in opposition to God and to his commandments. Therefore, whoever is not a Christian is actually God's enemy and outside of his kingdom. That is the stark reality. The tragedy is that people are so darkened in their understanding that they do not realise the seriousness, nor the depth of their enmity against God.  

 

The Bible also says concerning the desperate condition on non-believers, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Rom.1:22). Yet many people imagine exactly the opposite, that they are being progressive and sophisticated when they reject God, whereas God in fact is looking upon them as displaying an utter foolishness of heart. So no one should think themselves wise in rejecting Christ. Such action is no more than conforming to foolish worldly wisdom.   

 

When the first man, Adam, sinned, he was driven out of the Garden of Eden, which was thereafter guarded against his re-entry by a fiery sword. The way to the tree of life, symbolising communion with God and everlasting life, was blocked off. This barrier speaks to us of man's utter separation and alienation from God which is the subject of this text which we are considering.

 

We read in Isaiah, "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2). That is the predicament of all men without Christ today, banished from the presence of God, banished from paradise, "alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them".   

 

We see, therefore, how Scripture uses very unflattering language in describing unbelief. Furthermore, there is simply no need for anyone to remain in this awful condition. There is no need, because God graciously intervenes to rescue unbelievers from such a predicament. He does so by drawing men to himself, working upon their hearts and consciences by means of the Holy Spirit, and thereby giving to them the potential to believe. So God in his mercy sends his Spirit to move men's hearts and wills, so that they can begin to see their need, and so flee to Christ. He does not leave them in their wretched state without providing a remedy.   

 

Do you feel that you have been ignoring God for far too long? Are you worried about various sinful things that you have done in the past? Do you have a troubled conscience? Have you treated someone badly? Have you told lies? Have you been engaged in immoral behaviour of some kind? Do you lack peace of mind? Do you know that something is not right with your life? Then, this is God the Holy Spirit speaking to you, drawing you to come to Christ for mercy.

 

Remember, God is under no obligation to draw you to himself, but in his mercy he chooses to do so. So if you are truly worried about your spiritual condition, this means that God is causing some rays of light to break in upon your "darkened understanding". Therefore, you must take advantage of this, whilst there is time. You must come to Christ, who will turn no one away who comes with a truly humble heart. He graciously declares to fallen men in their darkened understanding, "I am the light of the world : "He that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). Coming to Christ is in fact the only remedy for the desperate and miserable condition of fallen men.   

 

So, if you are not a Christian, please do not be proud of your unbelief, for the Bible says that it is in fact a shameful ignorance, and an ignorance which is utterly unnecessary. We were all put upon this earth to believe in God, and he has revealed to us more than enough to enable men to know him, and to render all without excuse for not submitting to him. Unbelief, then, is the result of man's deliberate choice, for God has not made it difficult to believe in him.

 

Note how our text speaks of "the blindness of men's hearts". This refers to men's actions, their wilful rejection of God's advances to them. ‘Blindness’ can also be translated 'hardening'. Every unbeliever has purposely hardened himself against God's gracious drawing work. This means that the resulting spiritual ignorance is the unbeliever’s deliberate fault and personal choice. The Christian Gospel is therefore warning all people concerning their ongoing wilful rebellion :

 

"Today, if ye will hear (God's) voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb. 3:7-8).   

 

To those who heed the warning, the Lord Jesus Christ will be a gracious and a loving Saviour, freely forgiving all who come to Him with truly humble and repentant hearts.