From “How to become a Christian”: Chapter 1 – Some important points at the outset
However, it will not be easy. The Devil is real. So are the demons who serve him. They will do everything they can to confuse you and to blind your eyes spiritually. They want to prevent you reading this book at all. If they can’t prevent that, then they will try to stop you from understanding it.
3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV)
Also, our own human intellect by itself won’t enable us to see the truth about God or spiritual things. Without God’s help, the gospel will seem like foolishness to you and will make no sense:
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
Ask God to help you to see the truth
Pause for a moment and ask God to help you to understand this book and to know whether it is true or not. Without God’s help nobody can ever understand the Bible. He has to open your eyes first or you will be blind. Therefore ask Him right now to help you to understand this. That is the kind of prayer He loves to answer quickly:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
James 1:5 (NIV)
So, why not pray broadly along these lines:
“LORD, please help me as I read this book, and especially the passages from the Bible, to know whether it is true. Please open my eyes and my mind to see the truth and to be able to see and abandon any wrong beliefs that I currently have.“
I hope that after reading this first book, you will have enough relevant information to be able to make an informed choice about Jesus Christ and whether to believe in Him and follow Him. I hope you will then start to study the whole Bible for yourself.
