Topical Bible: The Call of God: Rejection of, Leads to Delusion

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The concept of rejecting the call of God and the subsequent descent into delusion is a theme that resonates throughout the Scriptures. This entry explores the biblical basis for understanding how turning away from God's call can lead to spiritual and moral confusion.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible presents numerous instances where individuals or groups reject God's call, resulting in a state of delusion. This delusion is often characterized by a departure from truth and an embrace of falsehood. The Apostle Paul addresses this in his second letter to the Thessalonians: "For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Here, Paul warns that a deliberate rejection of truth opens the door to deception.

Old Testament Examples

In the Old Testament, the Israelites frequently illustrate the consequences of rejecting God's call. Despite witnessing God's mighty works, they often turned to idolatry and false prophets. In Isaiah 66:4, God declares, "So I will choose their punishments, and I will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered; when I spoke, they did not listen. They did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight" . This passage highlights the direct link between ignoring God's call and the resulting judgment and delusion.

New Testament Insights

The New Testament continues this theme, emphasizing the spiritual blindness that follows the rejection of God's truth. In Romans 1:21-22, Paul writes, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools" . This passage underscores the self-deception that ensues when individuals turn away from acknowledging God.

The Role of the Heart

The Bible frequently associates the rejection of God's call with the condition of the heart. In Hebrews 3:12-13, believers are warned, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness" . A hardened heart, resistant to God's voice, becomes susceptible to delusion.

Consequences of Delusion

The delusion that follows the rejection of God's call is not merely intellectual but affects the entire being. It leads to moral decay, spiritual blindness, and ultimately, separation from God. In Ephesians 4:17-18, Paul admonishes, "So I tell you this, and testify to it in the Lord: You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts" .

Call to Heed God's Voice

The Scriptures consistently urge believers to heed God's call to avoid the pitfalls of delusion. In Proverbs 1:24-31, wisdom personified warns of the consequences of ignoring her call: "Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, because you neglected all my counsel and wanted none of my correction, in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you" . This passage serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of responding to God's voice.

Conclusion

The biblical narrative is clear: rejecting the call of God leads to a state of delusion, marked by spiritual blindness and moral confusion. The Scriptures call believers to remain vigilant, to listen, and to respond to God's voice, thereby avoiding the perilous path of delusion.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 66:4
I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears on them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear: but they did evil before my eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Thessalonians 2:10,11
And with all delusion of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Doctrine of Christ.
... And now we shall call to our remembrance other passages ... are coming upon this age
according to God's Word! With the rejection of the doctrine of Christ this age ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/the doctrine of christ.htm

Exposition of Chap. Iii. (ii. 28-32. )
... was much more intimately connected with a total apostasy and rejection, than was ...
not depend upon any human cause, but solely upon the call of God"upon His ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/exposition of chap iii ii.htm

The Gospel of Matthew
... He brings out clearly the future rejection of Israel ... of Hebrew words, as: "They shall
call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us," 1 ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the gospel of matthew.htm

"Is the Spirit of the Lord Straitened?"
... He can still call some Saul of Tarsus without a Bible and ... Spirit shall not always
strive with man," saith the Eternal God; and continual rejection will, at ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/is the spirit of the.htm

On the Councils, Or, the Faith of the Easterns.
... We shall not call God Father for having a creature ... other than God is born of God,
and who ... particular perversions, and countenance no opportunity for delusion. ...
/.../the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/on the councils or the.htm

Later English Reformers.
... call for him when you will, he is ever at home ... character of men, had led many to
a virtual rejection of the ... is impossible:' but we see a promise of God to give ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /14 later english reformers.htm

Later English Reformers
... He is never out of his diocese; call for him when you ... of men, had led many to a virtual
rejection of the ... is impossible;' but we see a promise of God to give ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 14 later english reformers.htm

Of Faith. The Definition of It. Its Peculiar Properties.
... many fall away from the common faith (I call it common ... For as in that rejection of
the Jews there still ... confidence, and so abused the goodness of God to their ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 2 of faith the.htm

The Unity of the Divine Essence in Three Persons Taught, in ...
... the passage of Joel, "Whosoever shall call upon the ... being the special property of
God alone, and yet ... in the ordinary way of salutation, his rejection of false ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 13 the unity of.htm

Book vii. This is the Seventh Book of Our Treatise against the ...
... 2. We call to mind that in the preceding books the ... of being led by means of truth
into a rejection of truth ... we cannot, as true believers, assert that God is One ...
/.../hilary/the life and writings of st hilary of poitiers/book vii this is the.htm