Sinners Are Blind By Default

Sinners are blind by default. That is not a degrogarory remark. It's a sad one. When you are talking to a  person who is not a Christian you are talking to someone who is categorically BLIND. They cannot "see" (perceive or understand) ANYTHING regarding ANY message of the gospel. I can say that because I too, long ago, was blind to the things pertaining to GOD and ETERNAL LIFE. Borrowing those famous lyrics from the song Amazing Grace'

"Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, WAS BLIND but now I see."

How do you explain the sun to someone who can't see? If no one has ever seen the sun, then they don't know what you're talking about. All they know is darkness, and so even their assessment of the darkness, to them, it makes more sense than your confession of the Light. Regarding this conversation (as one with sight) I need to be patient. I need to have empathy. I also need to be prayerful because it means I am actually participating with God in helping and leading the blind to see.  2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "The god of this world (Satan) has blined the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of Christ WHO IS THE IMAGE OF GOD." So when I speak or you speak the gospel to your family, your cousins, your friends, whoever, and YOU don't understand why they don't get what is easily and clearly is understood (seen) by you, it's because they have been blinded by an unforseen enemy (the god of this world!) The enemy is keeping them from SEEING/UNDERSTANDING Jesus/WORD/gospel. REMEMBER John 1:4 testifes Jesus WAS THE WORD MADE FLESH. 

Paul says, 2 Corinthians 4:5.. "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as LORD, with ourselves as your servants for HIS sake." I hear so often (from the blind), "Don't tell me what to do." But we, as those with sight who were once in those same shoes, aren't trying to usurp authority over you, or tell you how to live your life. We are simply passing along the WORD OF LIFE (Jesus), His teachings as a helpful guide, as a  map if you will, hoping it will bring peace to you the way it did for us. IT'S NEVER ABOUT CONTROL OR POINTING FINGERS (who am I to judge when I was once blind), it's just sharing good news of how to find your way to see the Light and let you see a path before you you never knew existed.

When we speak the WORD of knowledge and direction, we're not speaking law, condemnation, or guilt. Hell or consequences are never brought up unless it's a part of what happens WHEN YOU REJECT JESUS. As I've said before, the bottom line is, it's not the sins that condemn you in the end, I've committed many, some too embarassing to bring out into the open, but I've been excused of them, cleared of them, washed clean of them! How? 

Did I do them? Yep. Does Jesus know about them? Yep. Every detail? Yep. And so have you .. we all have a transgression list, some miles long. So what's the difference between me and an unbeliever? NOT THE SIN, it's unbelief! If you stand in unbelief, you're condemned already says John 3:18, "but whoever does not believe is condemned already because they have not believed in the son of GOD" and followed up by two other verses backing is John 16: 8-9 AND Mark 16:16. I would encourage anyone to open a Bible and look at just those passages. Trusting in Jesus leads to salvation w/o judgment or condemnation. Jesus died ONCE on a cross  for the sins of the world (yours included), but He cannot make you belief it. Your sins are washed away, nailed to the cross, now believe it to be saved. He made a way, He's the door. Go through Him.

Making Jesus the centerpiece, sharing His Word is, a Christians call. It comes easy! It's like this: Say you are on the 22 mile hiking trail on one of the most dangerous trails known to man.. the Kalalau Trail in Hawaii. Another hiker, a complete stranger passes you and turns "off the path" headed in the direction of Crawlers Ledge. You see this hiker making a wrong turn because you've done it before too.  He's headed for an area notoriously narrow, a crumbly section that leaves no room for error. So many die there. Though this guy is a stranger to you, and you don't even know his name, still, don't you feel an urgency or at least a nudge to yell out something to the effect of, "Hey, hey you. You're off the path and headed for Crawlers edge. You're in danger. Don't go that way-you're liable to slip off and die. Can you see the warning signs everywhere? Did you not see them? I would avoid THAT PATH and turn to the safest one. Let me point  it out for you." Would you not offer a betterway? A safee way?? 

Though he's a compete stranger, wouldn't you speak up? That's the Christian to the unbeliever. I've seen the danger. I've been in danger. I was on the wrong path too but someone called to me, "You're on the wrong path, turn around" even pointed me lovingly in the right direction. I listened, took the right path and was saved from possible (spiritual) death.

2 Corinthians 4:6 "For God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness" (from Genesis 1:3) has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Simply, the very LIGHT at the beginning of creation is comparable to the spiritual awakening GOD performs inside A BELIEVER, replacing inner darkness (blindness) with TRUTH! The same creative Omnipotent power required to speak the physical universe into existence is required to save the human soul and there is only ONE who fits that bill .. Jesus Christ. No one else ever died for you, cared about you, or loves you like the One calling out you're heading the wrong way. Remember, Paul warned that Satan (the god of this world/planet) on which we live has blinded THE MINDS of unbelievers so that they just can't see the truth. As a believer whose eyes have been restored to see truth is now telling you the divine antidote is JESUS who shatters that satanic blindnesses by giving spiritual perception, allowing a person to truly know and recognize God's supreme worth and beauty. HIS SAVING GRACE!

Sharing the gospel is the means by which God gives people the abilty TO SEE HIM. So sight, seeing, breaking through blindness, is a gift and a grace that comes by giving and sharing the gospel of Truth. God wants to use believers to bring light into the world because He channels His goodness through us as instruments in a darkpace. And as long as I have breath I'll keep lifting the veil from the eyes of those I perceive as taking the same path I did.

Until He Comes,

-Pat-