You Do Not Know!
Revelation 3:17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
Blindness
Eyesight is a great blessing. Being able to see the clouds, the rain, the rainbows, the stars and all of God’s creation is exhilarating. Being able to see friends and loved ones and to notice the changes in their facial expressions as they change moods is indeed precious. Seeing your newborn children for the first time is a great privilege. Seeing loved ones for the last time who have died is something most of us remember and treasure. When we go on vacation, we always go to “see” something. Being without eyesight would greatly hinder our enjoyment of the blessings of God in this life.
However, many people do not have the privilege of eyesight. Some are born blind and they never got to see the things I have mentioned. Some became blind through accidents or illness. They did see but now they don’t. However, whether a person was born blind or became blind, one thing is certain. Both know that they are blind.
Spiritual blindness often seems to be different. When people are spiritually blind, they do not know what they are missing. Usually, they don’t even know that they are blind.
Why are We blind?
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 tells us, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” Satan is the god of this world. He is the one who has caused the blindness. When it comes to our relationship with the Lord, we are born blind and then Satan does his best to keep us blind. Some people understand that they are blind and do seek the Lord because of it, but many people who are spiritually blind do not know it. In fact many of them think they are fairly intelligent when it comes to spiritual things. That is why the spiritualy blind person who comes to faith in Christ often says, “I see, I see.” Some say, “Why didn’t I see that before.” Others say, “Now I understand!.”
The man who was born blind in John 9 is a picture of one who is born blind spiritually. When the Lord opened his eyes, and he was challenged by the religious leaders as to who had opened his eyes he said, "Whether He (the Lord) is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see (John 9:25)."
John Newton considered his salvation to be an eye-opening experience. He penned the words, “I once was blind, but now I see, was lost but now am found.”
What about the Church?
There are churches that goe through the motions of worshiping the Lord. However, some of these churches do not know their true spiritual condition. See Revelation 3: 14-22. A church is supposed to be a temple or dwelling place for the Lord. But the Laodicean church mentioned above has the Lord on the outside trying to get in. There is no true fellowship with the Lord on the part of most in this church, but the Lord does say that if any individual will open to door to this church He will come in and have fellowship with that person. But the sad thing about this church is that they do not know their true spiritual condition. They do not know that they are blind. They think that they see. They do not know that they are poor. They think they are rich. Since they are naked and need to be clothed in white garments which would speak of the imputed righteousness of Christ, I suspect most in this church are not even saved. This church is a congregation that is all about ME instead of all about HIM.
What about Me?
I often ask myself if I am blind as to spiritual truth and just don’t know it. I could go through a laundry list of things that I once thought were basic Christian principles and beliefs that are no longer considered basic. Is that because I have always been blind or is that because the church has become blind to basic Christian principles? Blindness that we do not know about, is the worst kind of blindness. I pray that the Lord spares me from this kind of blindness.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of July 30, 2017