IMPERCEPTIBLE REALITY

Some people have great sight, and they are more perceptive than others. There have been astoundingly brilliant scientists, doctors, leaders, prophets, and teachers in this world since Adam, but none of them have seen or understood all there is. This is true even for the geniuses who have scored over the 98th percentile and belong to the Mensa organization. Despite one’s intelligence quotient, vast mysteries remain to everyone. Countless things in this universe and beyond are still unidentified and indiscernible.

If someone actually believed they were so knowledgeable or wise enough to distinguish all which is real, I think they could be compared to a blind man who held one grain of sand in the palm of his hand, thinking he knew exactly what the immense beaches throughout the world were like, even though he never stepped foot on one. Or they could be compared to someone who never tasted a piece of fruit except for a single grape, thinking he knew the flavor of all fruit.

Throughout the course of time, we’ve experienced ever-increasing knowledge, found astonishing answers about our world, and observed remarkable things. We’ve explored our cosmos, accumulated considerable information, developed mind-boggling technology, discovered great things pertaining to our body, soul and spirit, and most importantly, received miraculous revelation through the Word of God. Yet, we see less than the tip of the iceberg. In our impaired vision, we can only barely see the meaningfulness of who God is or what He has accomplished - unbelievers and Christians included.

On the extreme side, those who claim to be atheists may unbendingly say “There is no god.” In making that statement, they are indicating that they know everything, and that there cannot be anything greater than what they think they know. But human intelligence is insufficient, and the Bible teaches us that we should not depend on it alone.

Even those of us who dogmatically embrace our beliefs in God and the Cross of Christ, may find the spiritual world bewildering and are often unconscious of its certainty. One instance of this is that we rarely even consider the authenticity of the angels that are all around us, right now.

A.W. Tozer epitomized the problem. “Our trouble is that we have established bad thought habits. We habitually think of the visible world as real and doubt the reality of any other.” We miss what is eternal and invisible because we’ve become over-stimulated, distracted and desensitized by what we can see, hear, taste, touch and smell. That which is eternal and invisible is often disregarded. The importance of the invisible spiritual world is unrealized by many, even though we have all been warned to “fix our eyes” on those unseen things that are eternal.

Albert Einstein said, “One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.”

The Bible is the best resource of wisdom and revelation so that we may know God and gain understanding. The Word intensifies our relationship to the Lord, establishes our faith, exposes our enemy and strengthens our heart and mind, so that we may grasp those mysteries which are otherwise imperceptible to us.

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little (Isaiah 28:10 NKJV).

With determination and commitment, we can strengthen our “eyesight” as we abide in Jesus and study the Word. Still, it’s important to guard our appetite and fascination for the supernatural which doesn’t pertain to a genuine thirst to know and worship God.

Remember, Simon, the sorcerer, who tried to buy divine ability after watching the apostles ministering in the power of God. Simon’s motivation was not acceptable, and there continues to be those illusionists, like Simon, who bewitch weak-minded individuals by doing the incredible.

The apostle Paul exemplified the only acceptable reason for pursuing spirituality in Ephesians 1:17. It is “so that you may know him better.” The ambition to be spiritual must come from the desire to fully know Christ. Paul also gave us a clue with the following words.

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV).

Clearly, we need the Holy Spirit to be made aware of the spiritual kingdom all around us. Receiving Christ as Savior begins the journey of spiritual acuity. There is an exciting spiritual “frontier” to be discovered by every born-again Christian, and there will always be something to learn and see. Our Heavenly Father continually has something to reveal - if we are willing to look and listen.