^“35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the Light with you. Walk while you have the Light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes.

³⁶ While you have the Light, believe in the Light, that you may be the Children of Light. These things spoke Jesus, and departed, and did hide Himself from them.

³⁷ But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on Him:

³⁸ That the saying of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the Arm of the Lord been revealed?

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again,

⁴⁰ He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

⁴¹ These things said Isaiah, when he saw His Glory, and spoke of Him.

⁴² Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

⁴³ For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” John 12:35-43

There are many in the church today who have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified as the answer for that which troubles them yet they reject His Answer because they love the praise of men more than the praise of God.  The weight of the conviction of the Holy Spirit as the Cross of Christ is lifted up as the Source and the Means by which the power of sin is broken and the powers of darkness pushed back is ignored for fear of being cast out of the synagogue.  The Light being with them (Jesus Christ is the Light), they are being called out from among the religious.  Those whose hearts have been judicially hardened, eyes have been blinded and their understanding of the Truth removed; the unprofitable servants whose talent was removed in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), are used of satan to praise those who walk in the Light of the Gospel in order to keep them among their religious sect.

When the Cross of Christ is lifted up among the people for the answer in which they seek, we are compelled to a decision.  We either decide to believe and walk in the Light or we decide to not believe and stay among the religious.  Ultimately we too will loose the Light we have been given due to unbelief.  Ultimately, just as the others, we will be sent a strong delusion if we choose not to come out from among them and be ye separated from those chasing after the latest doctrine being presented to the people as biblical doctrine.

^“10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be
Saved.

¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹² That they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

If we reject the Cross of Christ being lifted up to both the sinner AND the Saints as the means by which we live a victorious Christian life, we will be sent a strong delusion and be judicially blinded ourselves.

“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are Saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18

At Calvary’s Cross Jesus broke the power of sin in the Believer’s life.  This power of sin I speak of does not necessarily constitute one’s own sin but the powers of darkness which come against the Believer. Be not mistaken, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God.  Jesus Christ came to save us FROM sin, not IN sin.  Whenever we fall short, we have a faithful God Who is just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness upon proper confession and repentance.

^“7 But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us.

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” 1 John 1:7-10

The Cross of Christ saves us from all unrighteousness when our faith is placed in Him.  Who Jesus is and what He has done for whosoever continues in their belief, gives the Holy Spirit latitude to place God’s Hedge of protection around us and superintend that hedge when the storms begin to form.  It is God’s Hedge of protection, not ours.

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

The Lord is calling His People out.  Those who still hear the knock on the door. If you hear His Calling, come out from among them.  If you have come out from among them, pray for those who cannot hear; those who have rejected the Cross of Christ for daily living for God and have went the way of the world for their victory.  Theirs is the worst type of bondage because they cannot see their own chains.  Seeing they see not.

-Donna Clark Warren