Our country faces the results of what is known as State Capture. We all know the names associated, who they worked for, what companies they owned, who owned them, which politicians are involved, etc. When you as a Christian do something “wrong” (all wrong is sin), who tells you it is wrong (sin)? Before you were a Christian and you did something wrong (sinned), who told you that was wrong (sin)? In both cases your conscience told you what you did was wrong (sin). As a follower of the Lord Jesus you know when you sin because the Holy Spirit within gives you no peace until you acknowledge your sin, confess, seek pardon and pursue repentance. Before you were a Christian your conscience informed you that your wrong doing (sinning) was wrong (sin). Yes the Holy Spirit played a part too, but largely God shapes one’s conscience in such a sensitive way that when you sin you know it … even as a non-Christian. The problem is that once a non-Christian pursues a wicked lifestyle, the conscience is reconditioned to the point where it no longer informs the person their wrong doing (sinning) is wrong (sin). Paul says that this is when God gives the person over to pursue their wicked ways! O so scary! Although the immediate context is sexual immorality, it includes all wickedness:
Ro 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
1) This is an example of the Divine messenger’s words to Daniel:
Da 12:10 but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand
For a better understanding of this depravity, we need to hear Paul’s words to the Church at Ephesus:
Eph 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
Where this applied to everyone, including us who are now Christian, it remains true of the “wicked” of Daniel 12:10. Spiritually dead people cannot understand and are only able to follow wicked ways. They will always find ways to buck the system; use the most innovative ways to present themselves as upright in society (like those involved with State Capture), yet do the most despicable deeds in the darkness. The spiritually dead have no conscience. Nothing is wrong until you get caught. You are innocent until proven guilty. Smarter ways are always available to postpone court cases or have cases squashed. Even though most of the State Capture report has been handed to the president, State Capture continues with state coffers still being raided by the unscrupulous who are spiritually dead. When God gives the wicked over, the magnitude of depravity progresses unabated. But then, as the text informs us in Daniel, the end will come when Jesus returns and He will conduct the Dreadful Judgment! It will be dreadful because each soul that has not been blood washed (cleansed) in the Royal, Sinless Blood of the Lamb of God will be banished to eternal damnation. Their eternity will be suffering, pain, anguish, terror and darkness because they will be separated from God and His mercy, grace and love! Now the Divine Messenger says … None of the wicked will understand … in hell they will truly understand their sin, rebellion and refusal to receive Christ as Lord and Savior!
2) However, the wise will understand! The wise are the lovers of God, the followers of Jesus, the intentional believers! To understand the prophecy and to understand the implications and outworking of it can only be possible once God in grace saves the dead soul, bringing it to spiritual life through Jesus Christ.
Eph 2:4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
The worst, hardest heart … because of God’s election is made … alive with Christ even when … dead in transgressions. That is the wonder working power of the Cross. The miracle is not just that the dead man, Jesus, stood up and walked … but that He is able to take the terminally dead, repulsive, grossly wicked soul and make it spiritually alive! This is the greatest miracle next to the open Tomb! Each person who has been born again is spiritual alive. Literally we are dead people, alive and walking! Now the following is true of us … but those who are wise will understand. Spiritually alive people understand the gospel and it’s outworking as well as the prophecy of Jesus’ return … and what will happen to the living and the dead … the “made alive” and the “spiritually dead”. Daniel 12:10 is not only a deep, deep verse, it is a confrontational verse as well for each time we deal with such a verse we need to do some introspection. We need to evaluate where we are spiritually. We need to ask ourselves confrontational questions … so …
(1) Are you busy with the pursuit of personal holiness? You cannot neglect “understanding”. You cannot ignore receiving wisdom (the wise). We are a few verses from the end of Daniel. We have dealt with extremely deep matters. We have insight and we have wisdom. As a result are you pursuing holiness before the Lord?
(2) Are you busy with the pursuit of intentional Christianity? More higher the level of personal holiness, the more intentional ought your Christianity to be! Personal holiness and intentional Christianity are two peas in a pod. They go together! You cannot have the one without having the other. You cannot say you are growing in holiness when your Christianity is not intentional.
(3) Are you busy with the pursuit of evangelism? Just because the wicked will not understand does not mean you must leave them in their sinful depravity! You and I were once part of them. Someone prayed for us and someone evangelized us. We need to do the same with the wicked!
Father, thank You for grace for without it we would be ruined eternally. You reached out and snatched us from the gates of hell. Do it to others, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.