Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- 1 Corinthians 2:12-14
I was recently watching a non-Christian orator on YouTube expounding to his theatre-filled audience of several hundred about the legitimacy of Jesus Christ. He wasn't arguing that Jesus didn't exist, but that, according to him, Jesus wasn't equal with God. Which He is.
This anti-christian key-note speaker had memorised scripture far better than most Christians and rolled off verse after verse supporting his viewpoint. I listened to him deliver about twenty cherry-picked scriptures perfectly and convincingly, including chapter and verse. My mind went to the Apostle Paul before his conversion. The same flawed but fire-breathing eloquence.
To the novice, he would have sounded compelling, with his unrelenting hammering of one-sided argument. But there is a limit to the persuasiveness of an unsaved person when addressing Biblical matters. They have yet to experience God. The best they can do is master other peoples' material to bolster their position and presentation. But the missing element is that they have not been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. They have not asked Jesus into their lives and therefore have no relationship with the trinity. Yet, they declare so authoritatively. He spoke like a professor about things of which he knew nothing.
John 14:7 records Jesus saying, "If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:"
This religious speaker followed his own god, but not the living God. He knew not the Son, and for this reason, neither did he know the Father. He knew of them, and therein lies the chasm of difference.
Only after we are baptised in the Holy Spirit can we begin to discern or understand things of the Spirit. We can see both sides because we have been on both sides. The unsaved are not so. They can understand and even empathise with natural or worldly issues but have little grasp of the spiritual nature, as they have not yet opened that door of the spiritual realm upon which Christ is knocking.
Revelation 3:20 says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
Consequently, in a debate, they are deficient, regardless of how proficient they sound. This gentleman had so far denied a relationship with the Lord.
In contrast to this Christ-critic, 1 John 1:1-3 shows the graceful speech of those who know the Lord. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
When we obtain a full relationship with the Lord, having given our hearts over, we cannot say anything negative about Jesus because He has just saved and renewed our life! It would be like a heart rejecting the body that surrounds it—an impossibility.
For whatever reason, all anti-christian spokespeople deny the Lord in their hearts. Some endured religious-based trauma as children, were raised in non-christian religions, or simply built up pride. It really doesn't matter. Imagine the change in their lives once they invite the power of the Holy Spirit in. Visualise the difference, the cleansing of their heart, the healing of their troubles, the freedom of mind they receive once the Lord touches them.
Don't fear the anti-christian orators, as they lack what you have, the Holy Spirit. They speak from outside the family of God, whereas you are a part of that family. They have no intimacy with the real Father, which is a tragedy. These orators need our prayer. Prayer changes things in the spiritual realm, where our real enemies dwell. We see the power in the conversion of the Apostle Paul. At one time, a brutal and fearless anti-christian mouthing death to all followers of Jesus. By the end of his life, God had him build more churches than any other disciple and write fourteen books of the New Testament. What irony. What a Saviour!
Today's prayer:Dear Lord, I have often wondered about anti-christian spokespeople and even condemned them in my mind. But, I must confess, I rarely pray for them. Instead, in my pride and lack of faith, I have thought they were too far gone for You to transform. Please help me extend my love for them and pray for their conversion.
Photo by Victor