4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
lest the light of the gospel
The non-Christian is not left in the dark by himself. God sends the “light of the gospel” by which he can see the truth. Satan blocks that “light” with other philosophical, religious, and moral options of culture.
of the glory of Christ,
The gospel sheds the light of Christ’s glory to the world. It is the story of His unique person, wondrous works, and unparalleled teaching. Satan explains away the glory of Christ.
who is the image of God,
Christ is the image of God (Co 1:15). Christians are to reflect this image to the world (Ro 8:29). The real identity of the Christian is his identification with Christ; that is, one who has seen the glory of Christ for himself. Christ is the exact representation of the Father. To comprehend Christ is to understand God. His divine nature has essential oneness with the Father. This is the climax of verses 1-6.
Jesus Christ, as the image of God, carries the idea that He accurately represents the invisible God (Jn 1:18; Co 1:15). He has the embodiment of divine attributes.
should shine on them.
“Shine on them” is illumination, the process of enlightening whereby the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin and need for Christ. Satan casts darkness over the minds of the lost, creating spiritual blindness. This prevents them from seeing the glory of Christ, the radiant center of the universe (He 1:3).
PRINCIPLE:
Satan is in the business of blinding people to the glory of Christ’s gospel.
APPLICATION:
Non-Christians are not able to see the illumination of the glory of Christ in the gospel. They minimize the message about Him by volitional rejection. They cannot see the uniqueness of His person as the image of God (Jn 1:18; Co 1:15).
The sun does not cease to be the sun because the blind cannot see it. Rejection of the gospel is proof of negative volition toward God.
A person cannot become a Christian without a definite decision. That decision determines his or her eternal destiny.
If you wish to become a Christian, this link shows you how: https://versebyversecommentary.com/articles/doctrine/how-to-become-a-christian-2/
