Home

Meditations

Prayer List

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, Romans 1:21-22

Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Ephesians 4:18-19

The blindness of the heart alienates us from God. It makes Him a stranger to us. The heart is the seat of emotions – thoughts and feelings. Blindness of the heart is when you can hear the good things of God and not feel a thing. Your heart is not moved or touched by anything that God or his people say or do. As you sit in church and ignore the presence and working of God, you become more and more ignorant. While the Word of God is preached and the Holy Ghost is working, you use your mental faculties for vain, frivolous, and foolish thoughts, (vain in your imaginations) and become alienated from God – because of your ignorance of him. While you are doing this you are professing yourself to be wise – wiser than the preacher, and everyone else in this church or any other. God says such people are fools.

This blindness of the heart is not the work of God, but the result of indulgence in sin. It isn’t something God does to you – it is something you do to yourself. As you indulge in sin the lights go out. The first time is always the hardest – when that barrier is broken it is always easier to do it the second time, and even easier each time after that.

It isn’t that the sinner has no ability to feel, but that his understanding is darkened by his sin. His intellect is darkened and therefore he doesn’t understand. A person who indulges in low vices will weaken his mental powers. Indulgence in sin destroys the intellect as well as the body. It isn’t very far down this road that such people do not appreciate any beauty of nature, any moral standard, a poem, or anything that is pure and pleasant, high or holy. Depravity is the result of sin – not the cause of it. God did not create man, and He still doesn’t create men, who are depraved. Men are depraved because they have “turned aside” and walked into darkness in an attempt to satisfy their selfishness. They end up being “lewd fellows of the baser sort” referred to in Acts 17:5.

This truth is so obvious in the pagan world: the deadened mind, the perverted moral sense, the incapacity for profound or protracted thought. Where darkness reigns for many years the society degenerates back to the level of animals – and even worse than animals. In societies where sin and darkness reigns without the restraint of the influence of the Gospel, there is no physical progress toward improving their living conditions or standard of living. This is why a missionary to these kinds of people has to start schools and create an intellect before the Gospel will make an impression on them. They usually have no written language, or ability to read, or any concept of such things. This is all the result of sin – God didn’t create man in such a state as this!

You wonder how people can live and die without any regard for God? The answer is because their understanding is darkened. They are unmoved by any appeal to repent and turn to God. The lights have gone out and their heart is blind. They sit in darkness. They feel nothing because their foolish heart has been darkened. There is no light there and they cannot see the things of God you speak of. People usually die in this state and how tragic a thing to happen! When we see loved ones, and others walking in darkness, and fellowshipping with darkness, we should fear and tremble for them. We should immediately begin to petition heaven for them with a real concern and burden before their understanding becomes so darkened that there is no hope. I have talked to more than one person on their deathbed that walked in darkness their entire life. I have found that they die in darkness, also. There is no light there. You can read Scriptures, reason with them, pray for them, but it is almost always to no avail because “their foolish mind is darkened.” If they can’t be moved by the light while they have all their faculties, they are far less likely to be reached when the body and mind has failed them and they are at death’s door.

Walk in the light!

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

The way to enlighten the understanding is to purify the heart. This simply means that the affections of the heart are changed. Therefore, the Word of God says …

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light. Luke 11:35-36

If a person’s heart is right toward God, he will soon start to think right, also. This is a common thing and one we have all seen – a foolish sinner, delivered from the lowest sin and darkness of understanding, who becomes a thinker and a reasonable and wise person. Wisdom and understanding are from the Lord, and are the result of walking in the light.

We must depart from the ways of darkness!

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Romans 13:12

But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:23

Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thess. 5:22

We must stop identifying ourselves with those who walk in darkness with the way we dress, the things we entertain ourselves with, and the crowd we run with. We must stop walking in the counsel of the ungodly through their TV programs, their music, and whatever other means they use to influence our thinking and steal the affections of our heart. Any person who fails to see the importance of separation from the world will never make it as a Christian. The way of the world is the way of darkness, and you cannot walk that direction without ending up in darkness yourself.

Jesus is the light!

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:76-79

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. John 1:5-9

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John 3:19-21

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. John 8:12-13

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46

Back to top