Verse By Verse Devotional On 2 Corinthians By Pastor Jack #89

The Cruel Blinder (4:4)

4:3-5 "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case THE GOD OF THIS WORLD 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. 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake."

Verse four explains to us the situation the world is presently in. There is a power at work in this world blinding men in unbelief. It is Satan himself:

– “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel ”
-- "The whole world lies in the power of the evil one." (1John 5:19)
– In John 12:31 and 14:30 and 16:11, Jesus calls Satan "the ruler of this world."

Because of sin and because of Satan’s deception unbelievers actually prefer the darkness to the Light:

"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (John 3:19-20)

And yet this is not the end of the story. Sure, the world dwells in darkness, but the Light of God has come! If the darkness was ultimate, we would not have any hope or any reason to preach the gospel. But the fact is that the One who is in us is greater than he who is in the world! He has come "to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God." (Acts 26:18) "He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." (Col.1:13)

Sure, there is seed sown on the roadside which is snatched away by the birds (Satan). But some of the seed is falling in good soil and growing up to produce a good harvest for the Farmer. And what a privilege it is for those who have been given eyes to see!

"You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience... But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." (Eph.2:1-2, 4-5)

“Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.” (Matt.13:16)

I praise You, O my great God, that You have unblinded my eyes so I can see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Please help me to realize what a tremendous privilege it is to have eyes that see the glory of Christ. And please help me live with my eyes ever open to Him, that His light might stream into my life.