Never Perceiving

Never Understanding? Isaiah 6:9-10 Introduction There are a great number of competing perspectives on the truth. My father used to say, "I'd tell the truth 10 different ways before I would lie about it." And a statement like that makes us wonder if it is possible to do that. We know, for certain, that there is only one true - truth, but we wonder if our perspective could obscure our perception of the truth... If we talk about theology for a few minutes: * Future Kingdom: It is possible to read the Bible and come to the conclusion that the Kingdom of God will be established on this earth, which has been purged of evil and restored to the state of the Garden of Eden. It is also possible to believe that this universe and all that is in it will be evaporated and that God is creating an entirely new heaven and earth for his future kingdom. * Life Choices: It is possible to examine the providence of God and come to the conclusion that freewill does not exist, that somehow God has micro designed every moment of life and controls it all from his operations office in heaven. It is equally possible to believe that God has ultimate control over the events of life without believing that he exerts dominance over human beings and that we each have the opportunity, but also the responsibility, to choose. If we believe the former proposition, we come to the ultimate conclusion that God has created some people for destruction and others for eternal reward, this is the ultimate predestination. If we believe the latter, however, we believe that each person is a free moral agent and must come to a judgment on his/her own. And, if we believe the former, we negate the value of witnessing, of testifying about the goodness of God, and about evangelism in any shape manner or form. If God has chosen you, you cannot be un-chosen, and if God has not chosen you, your fate is equally sealed. If we believe the latter, we might be tempted to believe that we must be saved again and again after we sin or launch into some moral/spiritual failure. * Eschatology: It is possible to read the text of scripture and believe that the church will be taken out of the world before the great tribulation arrives. But, it is also possible to read the same texts and come to the conclusion that the next arrival of Jesus will be the very last day of life on this planet, judgment comes with him. Perspective: What is it that makes the difference? Well, in large part it starts with our preconceived notions of scripture. We read scripture looking for clues that will reinforce our own perspective. And, by the same token, we ignore those facts or clues or statements which would contradict our prior understanding. And just like the oscillating window, if we would only change our perspective just a little bit, the illusion is ruined, the whole truth wins out. Remarkably, some of this is by the design of God. He has veiled the minds of some and opened the eyes of others. This is not a strike against God, however, because God cannot do anything evil. And in part, individuals have caused this veil for themselves because they simply refuse to see or to believe. There are a great many people in our world who search for truth. And they willingly admit that they will read the great texts of any religion, every religion, except the Bible, in search of truth. In this case, they have chosen to block the truth and so God gives them over to their desires (Romans 1:21, 24, 26, 28). Pharaoh: We find this in the scripture, when God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. Now, he did this so that he could continue to demonstrate his power and authority over the Egyptian gods. But he did not subvert the will of Pharaoh, he simply took his already hard heart and permitted him to move further and further from the truth, thus hardening his resolve against releasing the Hebrew slaves. Listen to what the prophet Isaiah was told to do: Isaiah 6:9-10 He said, "Go and tell this people: "Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." And, Jesus quoted Isaiah as he informed the disciples about his teaching in the form of parables. Matthew 13:11-13 (Jesus) replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to the people in parables:..." But, Peter understood that the real blindness that people experience is not God-imposed, it is self-imposed, echoing a proverb that is repeated often, "There is none so blind, as those who will not see." 2 Peter 3:3-5 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. Conclusion When we encounter a person who has a different perspective on scripture, on politics, on science, we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. Chances are, there are layers and layers of preconceptions, misperceptions, and illusions that have led them to the place, the beliefs, the convictions that they now hold. It is unlikely that we will be able to convince them simply by the volume of our objections. Instead, we should be willing to do something uncommon: give acceptance of where they are. We will have difficulty reaching people that we cannot love. We will have difficulty convincing them if we are filled with hate or anger. We will have difficulty winning them if we approach them with condemnation and hostility, while attacking their reality. Still, we can gently challenge them with a sight adjustment to their perspective. Perhaps, that little nudge, by someone who has not judged them will allow them to see the truth more clearly and come to a knowledge of God and who he really is. 1