email

Blinded

Sight is an amazing facility. With it we are able to navigate through the world by perceiving what is illuminated by light. The bible uses the illustration of light and sight frequently to convey an understanding of spiritual truth. Most are familiar to some degree of the difficulty experienced by the blind. Even the use of secondary perceptions such as touch, sound, and even smell can only provide a poor approximation of what can be seen.

Spiritual blindness is often experienced with little or no understanding of the condition (Rev 3:17). It might not be surprising that those who have never had spiritual “sight” would not be aware of its absence. The Laodiceans were rebuked because they allowed their prosperity to lull them into a sort of walking slumber in which they did not notice or feel the need for the “sight” they were lacking.

One would expect that those who reject or are uninterested in God would have no particular desire to obtain spiritual “sight”. However, they perhaps are unaware that there is an extra difficulty in obtaining such “sight” (2 Cor 4:4). Satan does not want any of those he controls to be aware of their captive state. He blinds their minds and thus they are unable to see reality with the true light that comes from God. They are open to accept most anything as true. Lying to the blind would be a cruel trick. However, one would not expect better from the “father of lies” (Jn 8:44).

There is a type of self-blindness that comes from seeing one’s own expectations as truth. The question by the disciples at the time of Jesus’s ascension is reflective of an assumption that the promised kingdom would be a gift and be the restoration of the historical prominence of the time of king David and Solomon. They could not “see” that only a faithful remnant would receive the new covenant and enter the kingdom.

Christians also are subject to blindness. Perhaps the most common for us is what might be called “arrested development”. Paul writes the Corinthians that he is unable to explain more things to them because of their immaturity (1 Cor 3:1-3). We live at a time without Apostles, prophets, or others receiving direct revelations from God. We do have the bible, but we have to deal with the thousand and one various interpretations people make regarding it. It can seem daunting to find a nugget or two of truth in an avalanche of opinion and conflicting declarations.

Christians today have two big advantages. The first is the word of God (2 Tim 3:16) and the second is the indwelling Spirit of truth. If we immerse ourselves in God’s word, we can slowly grow in truth and find that the Spirit can help us draw closer to what is true and move away from what is false or of the flesh (1 Cor 2:14).

Information about Christianity and the Christian life.