Open Mind

An example in the Bible of people who were close-minded is found in Matthew 13:15 which reads, "For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them" (see also Acts 28:27). This verse shows that everybody, especially religious people, need to be careful they keep an open mind with respect to God’s truth if they expect it to make them free from sin (John 8:32). The question might be raised, "How do I keep an open mind?" A few points are suggested following:

1. Always practice what we believe to be right, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17). Two of the most famous cases of religious change found in the Bible involve men who did what they thought was right even when they were doing wrong: Cornelius (Acts 10:1-2) and Paul (Acts 23:1, 26:9-11). Let’s all practice what we preach!

2. Have a humble attitude. Proverbs 11:2 reads, "When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom." I Cor 10:12 reads, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Certainly the man who thinks he is too good to learn any more is right.

3. Study God’s word daily like those of Berea as recorded in Acts 17:11. Do we really think we can learn anything from a book that we don’t spend any time studying?

4. Be willing to receive instruction. Proverbs 1:7 reads, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 8:33 reads, "Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not." So the Bible says that the wise man is the man that hears instruction, while the foolish man is the man that despises instruction.

It is so easy to think the other guy is the close-minded one. The other guy is probably thinking the same thing about us. Let’s all examine ourselves (II Corinthians 13:5) and make sure we are not being "willingly ignorant" (II Peter 3:5) of God’s revealed truths. II Thess 2:10-12 sums it up – "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be condemned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

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