Men Love Darkness

"…men loved darkness rather than light." John 3.19

Were men neutral-minded on matters of the truth, we might hope that we could convince them to receive the truth and trust the Lord Jesus Christ. But, men love darkness and hate light. Man, in his inborn nature is decidedly opposed to God's truth and will always reject it if left to himself. It is required that some change be made in him if he is to "receive the love of the truth." (2 Thessalonians 2.10)

A man cannot work this change in himself. A man cannot even change his attitude toward some food he hates. If for instance, he despises the taste of liver, no amount of persuasion on the part of a liver salesman will make the man like it. Nor can the man will himself to like liver. Before the man can ever like the taste of liver, something about the man, himself, must be changed. If this is true in such a minor matter as the taste of liver, how much more so in such monumental matters of the truth of God!

We, like the disciples, may ask, "Who, then, can be saved?" (Luke 18.26) The answer to us would be the same as to them, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." (v.27) Man's great depravity and hostility toward God is no hindrance to God, Himself; He has direct access to the heart of every man. Let us preach the gospel of the truth to every one who will listen without the least hope that we will be able to change their minds, but with great confidence that God CAN change their minds and will do so if and when it pleases Him.