DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ENLIIGHTENED UNDERSTANDING

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – ENLIGHTENED UNDERSTANDING

"But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:38-39)

Is it really possible to have a great understanding of the Bible and still miss God's message? How is this possible? The Pharisees did.

In the case of the Jews of Jesus' day, they had the knowledge of God's revelation through the Old Testament. God had spoken through Moses, through the prophets, and through the psalmists. The Jews memorized these Old Testament scriptures. They searched the Scriptures, and they all testified about the Lord Jesus. Yet they did not recognize Him or believe in Him when He came.

It is possible to have great knowledge of the Bible and still not have saving faith in the Lord Jesus. People may even know the Gospel in the New Testament, and still miss it. Why is that?

Jesus answers that question in verse 46: "If you believed Moses, you would believe me." The simple answer is that they did not believe the Scriptures. For whatever reason, they did not believe them even though they studied them.

The Apostle Paul approached this when he wrote that there was a covering over the eyes of their understanding. "Their minds were blinded. For until this day, the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

Even in the 21^st century, people can read the Bible and miss the truth because they don't believe what it says. God promised through the Prophet Jeremiah that "you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). May, as the Apostle prayed, the eyes of our understanding be enlightened, that we may know the hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe – who turn to Him and seek Him with all their heart (Ephesians 1:18-19).

Love, Dad