“UN-BLINDED BY THE LIGHT”

            John 9:39–41 ³⁹Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” ⁴⁰Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” ⁴¹Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

            I get it if I keep myself in the dark then I can deny what is true and make up my own truth.  What works even better is if the truth is kept hidden then those in the dark will be trapped in the dark and force fed an untruth to be seen as a truth.  Christ came for the unbeliever and the sinner.  That is, Christ came for the unbeliever who was blind of their actions and situation with God to make them believers and a repentant sinner.  A repentant sinner is one who believes in Christ and knows and admits to their sin.  These believers who now are repentant sinners are no longer blind of their actions and situation with God, now Christ has made them see.  

            We know we are sinners because we know of God’s law and how it works.  It is not that we have found a way to not break the law; that is impossible because we have a sinful nature.  But we are not bound by the laws demands.  We are still expected to work at trying to follow the law, and we are also to feel the guilt the law brings; these demands are still intact.  However, we are no longer bound by the effects of the law.  For those still blinded and not knowing their sin; they, like the Pharisees will be judged by the law.  Therefore those who will be judged by the law will have to follow the law perfectly.  Only the blinded see themselves without sin and keep themselves in the darkness.

            Romans 2:12 ¹² For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

            Those of us who read and study God’s scripture know that the law does not save us though the law is still very important to follow.  The law is there to help us grow in the likeness of Christ not that we should judge others by it, but we use the law to govern our own lives. 

            Most people love to use the law thinking this is the sword of God that we should swing at each other.  But these actions show us that we are blinded from the truth of God’s word, and this

 

blindness is caused by being in the dark.  That is, those in the dark don’t know the light of God’s Holy and good Word.

            Ephesians 5:8–14 ⁸for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹²For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

            Christ came to heal us from our blindness and He uses the Holy Spirit and God’s Word in today’s world to accomplish that healing.  But like anyone whose comfort place has been in the dark, finds the word of God hard on the eyes and on their will that fights to keep them in the darkness. 

            Though God wants to see all of us actively in the study of His word, He also realizes that just because you go to church or attend a bible study, doesn’t mean you are not still blinded by the darkness.  Just because one has read some of the scriptures doesn’t mean one has studied and digested God’s word’s and wants for us.  God in all of His true glory and His hopes for us wishes to expose His truth to us through the light of Christ.

            Ephesians 5:13–14 ¹³But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

            Christ makes himself visible to us through the Holy Word of God, and not only does He reveal Himself but also reveals and makes visible the light that He shines on us.  Truly if you attend a bible study you have nothing to boast about unless you are boasting about God’s works.

            Romans 3:27-28 ²⁷ Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

            The light that we have been given by Christ is our faith, and this faith is in the works of our Lord and Savior.  We were clothed in the light of Christ when He brought us out of our guilt that the law demands.  Through Christ we are guiltless in the visibility of God the Father because we are clothed in the light of Christ.

           

Christ died on that cross holding on to each of our sins as they were nailed to His hands.  Christ died on the cross carrying our sins when they were nailed to His feet.  Christ died with our sins and then our sins pierced His side to show Christ fulfilled the needs and demands of the law for all.

            Christ died for our sins, and then being raised from the death that sin and the law gives Christ showed us a glimpse of the life to come for all who believe.  We are now un-blinded by the light, the light of Christ.  The light of Christ made this visible to all; that we will have eternal life and an eternal relationship with Him forever and ever. Amen.