This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief. As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. (Ephesians 3:1-6 MSG)

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I had been a christian for about 20 years before discovering certain basic foundational truths that set me free from religious bondage. What has never ceased to amaze me is that these truths were there all those 20 years but I just did not see them and the fact that they were not taught in the majority of christian circles did not help my cause. I have since discovered that the mystery of "Christ in us the hope of glory" of which Paul spoke is not readily apparent to everyone. My purpose in this series is to explore the factors that close or open us up to such life changing revelations.

[I]. Very often people who are religous, exhibit traits consistent with a learning disability called Dyxlexia, which can be defined as:

"a learning disorder, marked by impairment of the ability to recognize and comprehend written words."

Compare that to the following quotes from the bible

1. "…when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand…"These people will listen and listen, but never understand. They will look and look, but never see." (Matthew 13:13-14 CEV)

2. "These..always want to learn something new, but they never can discover the truth." (2 Timothy 3:7 CEV)

[II]. There are definite parallels between these conditions. The text being read is seen with the physical eye but by the time it is interpreted by the brain, the meaning the writer intended to convey is not understood. This problem did not go away even when the Word became flesh.

1. "In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone."

(John 1:1-4 CEV)

2. "The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him all the kindness and all the truth of God have come down to us." (John 1:14 CEV)

3. "The Word was in the world, but no one knew him, though God had made the world with his Word. He came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him." (John 1:10-11 CEV)

4. "John told them, "I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don't know. Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals." ..John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:26-29 CEV)

5. "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want." (John 5:39-40 MSG)

[III]. So we see then that it is easy to miss what is obvious to one person is not so obvious to the other. What then are the consequences of this condition?

1. "The reason I use parables in talking to them is that they look, but do not see, and they listen, but do not hear or understand. So the prophecy of Isaiah applies to them: 'This people will listen and listen, but not understand; they will look and look, but not see, because their minds are dull, and they have stopped up their ears and have closed their eyes. Otherwise, their eyes would see, their ears would hear, their minds would understand, and they would turn to me, says God, and I would heal them.'.."Listen, then, and learn.." (Matthew 13:13-18 GNB)

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Blindness that glasses won't improve

Deafness that a hearing aid won’t help

Dullness of the mind that fish oils won't aid

There is no cure for those who will, not to know

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Why do they forfeit the truth?

Because they think they know?

Or consider the truth too costly?

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What will they have to give up?

Deceitful riches?

The temporal praise of men?

The right, to be right?

A lifeless destiny?

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Will they rather pay the price of missing out on?

The true riches of His grace ?

The only way to be reconciled to God?

The truth that will set them free?

The only Life that lasts for all eternity?

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Which did you choose?

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Every Blessing

Breadoflife

(To be continued..)

click here to read part 2

To view others instalments in the series, click here