The Gospel of the Devil! Believe It Not (2) — Ian Paisley

The Gospel Hidden from Those Who Do Not Believe

You'll find an authorized version of the Holy Scriptures in front of you in the future. Pick it up and turn to the New Testament, to 2 Corinthians chapter 4, the 4th chapter of Paul's 2nd epistle to the Church of Corinth.

2 Corinthians chapter 4. Not handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid that are lost.

In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, enter them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants, for Jesus' sake.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God, of us.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not cast down. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

For we which live are always delivered unto death, for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then, death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believe, and therefore have I spoken, we also believe and therefore speak.

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

For we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. And God will stamp with his own divine seed of blessing this reading from the everlasting word that came directly.

God bless his holy word. Open your Bible at the 4th chapter of 2nd Corinthians. But if our gospel be hidden, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ be hidden. It is hidden to them that are lonely. People have the gospel hidden from them.

The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not. Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ as the image of God should shine unto you. There are some things in these two texts of scripture we would do very well to ponder.

The False God and the Devil's Strategy

First of all, we have a revelation of the false God. Verse 4. In whom the God, the revelation of the false God. We have the revelation of the false God. But we have the work, the tactic, the strategy of the false God.

To blind the minds that believe not. To hide the light of the people of the false God. And the image of the false God made crystal clear. You will find that that is the word that makes the sun rise in the night.

He is the disciple of the vision of this world by the false God. The son of the devil. The devil is a mighty force. He is a real person. He once was the most wonderful cherubim that shadowed God's everlasting throne.

He was different from all others because God made him different. Read Isaiah. Read the book of Ezekiel. And you'll find out the mystery of this person who is now through us in the false God of the world.

He does not have all power. But he has mighty power. He is not, he's not everywhere present. He can only be present at a certain place just like a human being. He is limited. He's not only not omnipotent and not omnipresent.

But he's not omniscient. He's not all wise. In fact any wisdom he had is now twisted by his twisted personality. And his twisting in sin against God. But he is the God of this world. He's very busy. He works to do something.

Look at verse 4. The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not. Please note the tense of that sentence. It doesn't say he will blind. He has accomplished it. He has blinded the minds of them that believe not.

The Gospel as the Power of Deliverance

If you're in this meeting tonight and you are an unenlightened soul. You walk the path. You go down the broad road. Every step takes you farther from heaven and nearer to hell. And you don't know it. The mind that believes not.

You're in a blinded state. Can God help you? Can God help you? Joining the church, Orthodox and doctrine can't help you. There's only one person who can help you. And that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the only one who can dispel the darkness of the false God.

The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not. If our gospel is in it. Think of that. That the devil has the power. The greatest message. The greatest truth. From their chains.

The message is the light of the glorious. For God who commanded the light. And in that dark. Was a great feat. And all was in intense darkness. God shed light. Of every man and woman in this house tonight.

Who are saved by. And what does it shine to give the light. Of the knowledge of the glory of God. In the face. Have you ever wondered. Why that word. Is in the bible. That scripture. Could have read. Many other ways.

Couldn't it? The knowledge of the glory of God. In the person. Knowledge of the glory of God. In the word. Of Jesus Christ. The gospel of the glory of God. In the face. Why is that? Have you ever asked yourself.

Creation, Light, and the Face of Christ

There is a code. Because he is coding. He is coding. From. The miracle of creation. In Genesis 1. Go back. To Genesis 1. And when you go back. To Genesis chapter 1. You will read this. You will read that the earth.

Was without form and void. And darkness was upon. The face. Of the deep. And the spirit of God. Moved upon. The face. And then God said. Let there be light. And there. Was light. And the light of course.

Was Christ. If you study the early chapters. Of the book of Genesis. You will be struck. With the many times. The word. Face. Occurred. Back there in that first chapter. We read of the great face lift.

Lifting it from the depths. Of chaos. To that great creation. That he himself pronounced. Was very good. There is a greater face. Than the face. And that is the face. Of our Lord. The scriptures. You will find many.

Given in the scriptures. About the face. And a concordance. When you go home. And look at the many times. We read. Of the face. Upon the people. Of his mouth. That spoke words. So simple. One in this meeting.

Who is saved by grace. That cannot say. You turn over with me. To the last book. Of the Bible. Is a wonderful book. Let me tell you something. That I saw this weekend. I saw that the first. Had no mention.

Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation

And the last trembles. But the name of him. Is a faithful witness. In verse 5 of chapter 1. He is the first begotten. Of the dead. Verse 5 of chapter 1. He is the prince. Of the kings of the earth. In verse 6.

He has made us. Kings and priests. Unto God. And his father. Everybody is going to see him. And the last. The ungodly. Who never saw him. As every eye see. And we come down. A little farther. And we read.

Of his feet. And his hairs. Were white like wool. As white as snow. And his eyes were. As a flame. And turn with me over. In the book of Revelation. And you will get. Another vision. Of the Lord. How different.

The Final Judgment and the Wrath to Come

It is. White throne. 20th chapter of the book of the Revelation. Verse 11. And him that sat on it. Going to flee away. On the judgment day. And there will be no place. Found for you. Upon the earth. Place.

In the aerial heavens. For they will be wrapped up. As a scroll. And the only place for the damned soul. That will be in yours. That is what the God. Of this world. Wants to keep you. From considering.

He wants to hide. From you the fact. That by the gospel of Christ. You can be gloriously. Seen. And delivered. From the wrath. That is. To come. So Paul says. We preach not ourselves. Jesus the Lord. Tells your servants.

Suffering, Redemption, and the Call to Faith

And he goes on to tell. About his experience. He is troubled. But not distressed. He is perplexed. He is not in despair. He is persecuted. But he is not forsaken. Always bearing about. In the body. The dying.

You see the death of Christ. Is our life. From his wounds. There flows precious. The life of the flesh. Is in the blood. And everything you need. Sinner. To save your soul. And bring you to heaven. Is found in Christ.

He can conquer. The devil. And he can bring you. Into the light. I pray God. That tonight. He will bring you dear sinner. Into the light. That you leave the fake God. Of this world. The devil. Turn away from the blight.

Who is the son of rightly father. We pray. That thou would bless thy word. We pray. That thou would enlighten sinners. And we pray. That they may come. To the broad light. The glorious light. The immortality.

Of the gospel. Let them not perish. But let them be saved. By your grace. Bless us. As we remain to pray. And visit us. With thy power. For Jesus sake. May the grace. Of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the love of God.

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Remain. And abide with you all. Now and forever more. Amen. We will have a five minutes break. And then we will start. To remember the boxes. At the door. Those boxes are for your gifts.

For our churches. In the south of Ireland. And also in the rest. Of the United Kingdom. Remember that missionary offering. In those boxes. As you leave tonight. And God bless you. Let as many as can stay.

For this time of prayer. Amen.