Weekly Devotional 5-19-14 Living in Darkness and Willful Denial
Years ago, while living in California, my wife and I toured Boyden Caverns located in the Kings Canyon Sequoia National Park; what an experience! Our guide led us to the back of the cavern and after warning us, he turned off the lights. A darkness that cannot be described quickly filled the area in which we stood. It was literally so intense that we could not see our hands in front of our eyes. I remember brushing my nose as I reached up, but no sight of hand. It was that dark. I recalled that experience this morning while in conversation with a friend. I was led to think how such a physical darkness pictures the spiritual darkness that overwhelms the soul of the natural man, the man without the illumination of God the Holy Spirit. We were discussing a movie that has recently been released titled, “Transcendence.” From our conversation I gathered that it is about a scientist who experiments with the transfer of personality from one person to another and ultimately to a machine.
My friend proffered that such attempts have been and are being conducted in the real world and he wondered if I thought such a thing were possible. I readily replied, absolutely not, explaining that each person is body, soul, and spirit. I thought it best to end our conversation at that point since my friend and I are on different pages in the book of spiritual matters.
Our conversation, however, has caused me to once again think about the darkness that permeates the human soul, the soul of those who are as yet a natural man. Jesus told Nicodemus that a man must be reborn spiritually to see (understand) or enter into the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-8). The Apostle Paul was led to write, “9Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 10But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.13These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:9-14 NKJV ).
In willful denial, man in his natural state will imagine many things, some good and some bad. The good things of course include the advances made in the medical field, the industrial fields, modes of travel and etc. The bad things are reflected in man believing that he is a god unto himself, that he is flesh only, the master of his own destiny and the only limitations he has are those he has placed upon himself or those of his fellow man. Such thinking has led to wars, aborting of the unborn, euthanasia, the cloning of animals as man looks toward human cloning, the search of outer space for life and the aforementioned assumption that man will someday be able to transfer his personality to another or to some machine in an attempt to live forever. All of these things of course stem from the denial that God exists.
The Apostle John, declares that on a certain day those who deny and reject God now will face Him in judgment. He wrote, “11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).
Foolish thinking now will on that day end in serious judgment. It need not be so. That same John informs us, “4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. 9If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:4-12 NKJV).
Verse 12 says it all, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life”
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power, The Work of God on Behalf of Man