ARTICLES FROM THE PERSUADER
VOLUME 1 (1987-1993)
THE LORD DOES THE OPENING
Luke 24:13-35
In this message, I want to look at four things that the Lord opened for these two disciples. Even though these two disciples were saved, the truth of this message can apply to the lost. No one lost or saved can receive any thing unless the Lord opens it up to them. John 3:27, "John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven."
1. Opened the Scripture (vs 25-27)
The Lord expounded to these disciples things in the Old Testament (Moses and all the prophets) concerning Himself. The Old Testament is saturated with truth concerning the Lord Jesus. Jesus reminded the Pharisees that they missed Him in the Old Testament and in so doing they missed eternal life. John 5:39-40, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."
It is the Spirit's job to open the scripture to man because the natural man can not understand it without His help. I Cor. 2:14, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." I Cor. 2:9-10, "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." John 16:13, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." I Thess. 1:5, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake." The Spirit of God uses human instrumentality to do this. Rom. 10:13-15, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Acts 8:30-31, 35, "And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus."
Contrary to what many believe, the Spirit of God opens the scripture to the lost that they might be saved. Psalm 25:8, "Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way." John 6:44-45, 37, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." These disciples even confessed in verse 32 that Jesus opened the scriptures to them.
2. Opened their eyes (vs 30-31).
Satan, who is the god of this world, tries to blind the lost to keep them from being saved. II Cor. 4:3-4, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom 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." He also blinds the saints by tradition and deception to keep them from growing in grace and that is the reason Paul prayed for the saint's eyes to be opened (enlightened) in Eph. 1:18, "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," Sin also blinds. Isa. 59:2, 9-10, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men." The Lord must open one's eyes (spiritually) if they ever see anything. He opened these two disciples eyes in Luke 24:30-31.
3. Opened their hearts (vs 32).
Verse 32 states "their heart burned within" indicating a work of the Lord within. Every lost man has a closed (blinded) heart. Eph. 4:18, "Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart." Many say to the lost sinner, "Just open your heart and let Jesus come in." No man can open his heart, only the Lord can do that. Acts 16:14 gives proof that the Lord opened Lydia's heart: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." Even though it is true the sinner must be willing for the Lord to come in, only the Lord can open one's heart so that he may be saved.
In fact, the Lord does not want to live in your dirty heart anyway. He wants to give you a new one and only He can do that. Ezk. 36:26, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Say it however you want, but the final conclusion is that "Salvation is of the Lord!"
4. Opened their mouths (vs 33-35).
You could not have kept these two quiet about their encounter with the Lord. Every one who has been saved has their mouth opened to tell others what the Lord has done for them (as the Spirit leads). They will testify thus fulfilling the great commission. Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." They will rejoice because their names are written in heaven. Luke 10:20, "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." They will sing, not only in the heart, but songs will come out of their mouth. Psalm 40:1-3, "I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."
If you have been saved or ever get saved, you will admit, the Lord does the opening. The writer of the song entitled "Open My Eyes, That I May See" knew the truth of this message as he penned:
Open my eyes, that I may see,
Glimpses of truth Thou hath for me;
Open my ears, that I may hear,
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere.
Open my heart, and let me prepare,
Love with Thy children thus to share.
Our prayer ought to be: "Lord, open the Scriptures to me; open my eyes that I might see clearly; open my heart to receive You and all that You have for me; and open my mouth that I may tell others what You have done for me."
May we get hold of this truth: "The Lord does the opening!!
THE PERSUADER - June-July, 1992