It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; it is by the rejection of this light that the eyes are blinded and the heart hardened. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God's word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when one ray of light is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul. Thus it had been with 323 these Jewish leaders. They were convinced that a divine power attended Christ, but in order to resist the truth, they attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan. In doing this they deliberately chose deception; they yielded themselves to Satan, and henceforth they were controlled by his power.

Det er ikke Gud, som forblinder menneskers øjne eller forhærder deres hjerter. Han sender dem lys til at rette deres vildfarelser og lede dem ind på den sikre vej. Det er ved at forkaste dette lys, at øjnene forblindes og hjertet forhærdes. Tit sker dette gradvis og næsten umærkeligt. Lyset kommer til sjælen ved Guds ord, ved hans tjenere eller ved Åndens direkte påvirkning; men hvis man viser ligegyldighed over for een stråle af lys, sker der en delvis lammelse af den åndelige opfattelsesevne, og det bliver vanskeligere at opfatte den næste åbenbaring af lys. Derfor bliver mørket dybere, indtil det bliver nat i sjælen. Sådan var det gået jødefolkets ledere. De var klare over, at der hvilede en guddomskraft over Kristus, men for at stå sandheden imod tillagde de Satan Helligåndens værk. Ved at gøre dette valgte de forsætligt bedraget, de overgav sig til Satan og var fra nu af beherskede af hans magt.