16. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
Many Christians have the beliefs they do because they were exposed to church and/or the Bible as part of their upbringing. Parents or guardians taught them to pray with the familiar words “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…” Many grew up going to church most Sundays, while others were limited to attending on holidays. For others, it wasn’t church attendance at all; rather, they saw a Bible resting in their home every day. Regardless of how, the understanding of God and Jesus was planted in their minds.
But what about the heart? Why doesn’t childhood exposure alone make faith take root, and the
scriptures come alive for everyone? Why do most of us drift from God and deeper into a life of sin that typically begins in our teenage years? Why do we lose sight of God but still claim to believe in Him?
Because we are born rebellious toward God, we are born spiritually blind. Not until we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior can the Holy Spirit begin to lift the veil that separates us from God. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 3:16: “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.” Therefore, being taught to pray, going to church—no matter how often—or even seeing a Bible resting at home has little effect on building a relationship with God. In fact, merely professing with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and Savior has little effect when the heart remains distant. Jesus addressed this when He said in Matthew 15:8: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” A distant heart is as useless to God as a Bible resting in the home that is rarely read.
Without engagement, the Word cannot take root in your heart. And without the Word being rooted in your heart, the Holy Spirit cannot begin the work of regenerating your heart. While spiritual blindness remains, it is impossible to be born again.
We are all born spiritually blind, yet within us lies a spirit that, when awakened, runs counter to the flesh. In a way, natural maturity is meant to lead us toward spiritual maturity by contrasting the pain and suffering the world offers with the rest and peace described in the Word of God. When contrast becomes discernment, we know the Holy Spirit is bearing witness with our spirit—clearing the sin-obstacles that once separated us from God and drawing us closer to Him. Scriptures that once left you clueless regarding their modern relevancy now come alive, illustrated in every thought, decision, and outcome.
When the world is quieted, your heart is far less likely to be troubled or afraid (John 14:27). Instead of asking what Jesus would do, you begin to understand through Scripture why Jesus had compassion for the less fortunate and righteous indignation toward the proud. When He felt overwhelmed, He turned to prayer, because He knew that prayer opens the pathway to enlightenment and understanding. In His earthly walk, Jesus did not lean on human understanding, but on the wisdom of Father God in Heaven by submitting fully to Him (Proverbs 3:5-6). Perhaps the deepest spiritual clarity comes when we as believers understand that Jesus in the flesh showed us that we are not of this world, and that our understanding of all things in the world must come from spiritual illumination—a heavenly work through which we have access to the Father through the Son.
Amen.