Have you ever tried to explain something to another person, something that seemed so obvious to you but the only response you received was, “I don’t get it”?
Maybe it’s a genre of music you’re fond of and can’t understand why other people don’t love it as you do. Or some exotic type of food that makes you salivate every time you think of it, while other people tell you, “No way I’m going to try eating that!” Or your political persuasion – you try to explain your point of view to someone on the opposite side of the spectrum and the best you get is a glazed look.
It can be hard to comprehend why folks don’t share our enthusiasm, but it shouldn’t be surprising. Imagine you receive a book as a gift. But it’s written in a foreign language, and you can’t read a word of it. The person who gave you the book thinks it’s a treasure, but for you it makes no sense at all. Unless you take the time to learn the language. Then one day it’s like your eyes are opened for the first time; you understand why the friend thought it was so special.
There’s a parallel to this in the realm of faith. Over the years I’ve gone through several evangelism training programs. Perhaps you have, too. During the sessions, the approaches and explanations presented make perfect sense. But when trying to use them in a spiritual discussion with a nonbeliever, they don’t always work as well. The biblical truths we’re so eager to share seem like jibberish to the other person. Why?
We could suggest a variety of explanations, but one primary reason is that apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in them, it’s like trying to describe the color purple to someone who’s been blind since birth. The Bible says as much: “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).
One-time atheist turned defender of the faith, C.S. Lewis, affirmed this in one of his best-known quotes: "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." Coming to faith in Christ truly is eye-opening.
Depending on what “expert” is talking, we’re told the United States is in a post-Christian or post-modern era. These have similar meanings – the Judeo-Christian foundation our society once had has eroded, and there’s considerable doubt it can be restored. But that doesn’t mean we should shy away from telling others about Jesus Christ, what He has done, and what He’s doing in our lives.
Members of the non-believing world around us are more than eager to speak about their skepticism. Why should we be prohibited from expressing what we believe? An adage warns us never to argue about politics and religion, and often that’s good advice. We’re not going to win people to Christ through a heated argument. But as a wise preacher has observed, “Once you have seen the truth, you can’t unsee the truth.”
Last year I had cataract surgery. However, unlike most patients – including my wife – who have the procedure and no longer need eyeglasses for distance purposes, my procedure left me near-sighted. I still require eyeglasses for driving, watching a movie or attending a sporting event.
People who are far-sighted have no problem seeing things at a distance clearly, but to read things up close they need corrective lenses or “readers.” Even though something is right in front of them, like a book or a food label. Far-sighted or near, being able to see properly is a matter of having the right lenses.
When God brings someone into our lives who doesn’t know Him and seems resistant to even a casual discussion about Him, our recourse isn’t to persuade harder or argue louder. The apostle Paul wrote about this in his second letter to the church in ancient Corinth:
“…by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 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…. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of the darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:2-6).
Whenever anyone comes to know Christ as Savior and Lord, it’s a miraculous work of God. Including ourselves. Because as the passage says, the “god of this age” (Satan) had blinded our minds so we couldn’t see the truth. As was the case for zealous, Christian-persecuting Saul before he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and became Paul, a key leader of the early Church.
Think of it this way: Someone who is blind physically can’t start seeing simply by deciding, ‘I’m tired of being blind.’ In some way the blindness must be removed. Sadly, there are many who don’t even realize how desperately they need Christ. Only by God’s grace and mercy can they receive new spiritual “lenses” to see and receive the truth that seems so clear for those of us who believe.
May we pray diligently for the Lord to open their hearts, eyes and minds. And also pray along with Paul, “…that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make know the mystery of the gospel…. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:19-20).
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