Why Unbelievers Can’t See It

By David Ettinger

A Major Frustration
We try to share our beliefs with them, but they politely disagree or outright mock us. This is a major frustration to “we” believers when sharing the Gospel with “them,” unbelievers.

Socially, many of “them” fall right in line with what our culture is shilling: the unconditional acceptance the LGBT community, living together as a test-run for marriage, the blind acceptance of evolution and unequivocal denial of Biblical creation, and the firm belief that our world is only getting better.

We just can’t understand this. When we tell them about Heaven and Hell and what it takes to be delivered from Hell and how easy it is, they deride us. Don’t they want to be saved? Doesn’t their reason prove how logical we are being? Why can’t they see it?

The Reason in a Nutshell
If you find yourself agitated over such matters, I direct you to the apostle Paul, who provides the perfect answer for why unbelievers don’t get it. In 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, he writes:

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 that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

The church of Corinth was being inundated with false teachers, many of whom were altering the Gospel message in order to make it more palatable to unbelievers. The undiscerning Corinthians noted how much more appealing the “softer” message of the false teachers was compared with Paul’s “harder” version.

In defending the true Gospel, Paul noted that it was not the “hardness” of it that repelled them, but something much deeper. Paul explained that faith in Christ is not a matter of reasoning; it is God-ordained. Paul pointed out that no matter how clearly he presented the Gospel, it could not be comprehended by those “perishing.” Biblically, the word “perish” does not refer to physical death, but spiritual – that is, eternal separation from God.

The “perishing” are those who willfully reject the clear and saving message of the Gospel. Furthermore, when the “perishing” reject the Gospel, Satan, “the god of this age,” swoops in to “seal the deal.” It’s as if Satan is saying, “Excellent. This is exactly what I want to see, but I want to make sure they don’t have any second thoughts.”

With the authority over the unsaved world granted him by God, Satan “blinds the minds” of those who have rejected Christ. Therefore, no matter how clear and sensible a Gospel presentation may be, the mind of the “perishing” is closed to it. Though not a pleasant reality, at least this gives believers some insight into why the unsaved world is so unreceptive of our message.

So Why Share the Gospel?
Perhaps the simplest answer is, “We share the Gospel because we don’t know who is perishing and who is not.” This may seem a bit elementary, but I believe it is the truth. Believers cannot get into the business of determining who is “savable” and who is not. This is for God to decide.

Also, you must remember that it was not your own logic or reasoning skills which brought you to salvation in Christ. At one time, you were veiled to the Gospel; your mind was blinded and the light of the Gospel could not enter in. It was the Lord who took away the veil (2 Corinthians 3:16) and made it possible for you to see the light. If not for the Lord removing the veil from your heart, you too would be perishing.

This was certainly the case with me. I was raised in a liberal Jewish family, became an atheist at age 18, ridiculed the message of the Cross, and was finally saved at age 28. During my unsaved days, the Gospel made no sense to me whatsoever; when God lifted the veil, it made all the sense in the world.

Two Takeaways
First, never regard anyone as unworthy of hearing the Gospel. If you have an opportunity to share, assume that God has created the opportunity. Don’t forget, you have no ability to “win” anyone to Christ; only God can do that. Your job is to proclaim and let God do the rest.

Second, try not to get frustrated or discouraged by an unbeliever’s inability to either understand or accept what you are saying. Don’t forget, that individual is veiled to the Gospel, Satan has further blinded his mind, and the light has been hidden from him. However, it’s entirely possible that God has chosen this given day to reveal His light to him, and has chosen you as His instrument for enlightenment.

So keep forging away; there’s no telling when God will choose to reveal himself to one who can’t see it!

Tagged: Atheism, doctrine, Loving God, Satan, Sharing the Gospel, The Gospel, theology, Unbelief

Posted in: Apologetics, Application, Bible study, Bible teaching, Christ's Deity, Christianity, Commentary, Culture, Devotional, doctrine, Editorial/Blog, New Testament, Personal testimony, Sharing the Gospel, Struggling with Faith, The Gospel, theology