God Is Love. The World Hates.

Love is of God and an indication of Him. Hate is of the world and an indication of it.

Think on those things when you watch television news, read your newspaper or browse the internet. What are you witnessing? Is it love or is it hate?

If you’re unable to discern the difference, then consider this. “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, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

It’s called the Noetic Effects of Sin. Sin separates us from God. Willful and purposeful sin is denial of God and open rebellion against Him. The apostate is rewarded with being blinded by the god of this earth to the things of God. Blinded to His truth, love, and righteousness. Understand this. Just like how the devil could do nothing to Job without God first permitting it, the same applies to the reprobate and the “god of this world”, the devil. Once someone willingly detaches from God and rebels, God then allows the devil to act upon that sinner in a manner God sees fit.

Separated from God and blinded to His truth, the world takes on a new and different hue. Hate, lust, envy, and desire are now the rudder that guides the person and their humanity. Sin is not only justified but normalized. Perception of the physical, spiritual, and conceptual alters. The ability to discern changes.

Being detached from God and suffering under the Noetic Effects of Sin impedes our cognitive abilities. This effect’s our, “reasoning, problem solving, planning, abstract thinking, complex idea comprehension, and learning from experience” (Gottfredson, 1997).

Since the fall, man has been under the influence of Satan and sin. Man has not been aware of this dynamic nor the scope and severity of it. God, via the Holy Ghost, mingles with our spirit to open our eyes to truth. One way to look at it is that the righteousness of God counterbalances the dipped scale of sin and counter acts, rather nullifies sins effects.

Because of the influences of the Holy Spirit and the ability to now see and perceive the truth, man now has the adequate abilities of choice and will. Choice being reason and desire. Will being the drive and power to support that choice and to make it a reality. This could not happen before the influx of the Holy Spirit. Before then, all man could do was to choose the bad for that was the only thing within his field of vision.

The Holy Spirit filled man now sees clearly, because now he sees all.

Bill Hitchcock