JOHN 9:10 I once was blind, but now I see.......10"How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded.11He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." 12"Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don’t know," he said.13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see." The skip on to vs 24A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God," they said. "We know this man is a sinner." 25He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.....especially for this man in JOHN 9.....Blind from birth and now his eyes were opened! If you’ll look there in vs 32 you’ll see that that had NEVER happened before! The Pharisees could not believe that one born blind was now able to see simply because Jesus touched him.
I want to talk to you this morning about how you were made to see. Oh, I don’t mean that you were born into physical blindness...I’m talking about spiritual blindness....and we were ALL born into that. Ever since Adam and Eve brought sin into this world, everyone who has ever been born was born into sin. That is the reason that it is necessary to be "born-again". You can say it like this; if you have been born twice, you will only die once...if you have been born only once, you will surely die twice...the second death of eternal judgement.
As a matter of fact, that’s what the Pharisees told this man, isn’t it? In vs 34 they said "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out. And you and I also were "steeped in sin" at birth. Let’s read on and see what happened to this man....vs 35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 6"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." 37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." 38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.
I want you to notice that this man confessed with his mouth that he believed; then he worshipped him, so we can safely say that he believed in his heart...it would be pretty hard to worship something you don’t believe in! But what I want to talk about today is how YOUR eyes have been opened....when you believed in Jesus.....even though we were all born into sin, we found Him and one touch from Him and now we see...(I once was lost, but now I’m found....was blind but now I see....)
Now this man, being blind from birth had a lot to overcome, didn’t he? I’m sure he fumbled and stumbled around, trying to live in this world. I’m pretty sure that is difficult for someone that can’t see even today, muchless back then. Listen, if you are like me, before you found Christ everything was difficult. I was just groping around, trying to find my way in a world that really could care less about MY needs. Praise God, I finally found Him...and He touched me, and opened my eyes....and I’m so glad He did!
Now I go into every situation with my eyes wide open....remember, Jesus doesn’t take away your ability to see clearly...but sometimes, christians, WE close our eyes and don’t WANT to see, don’t we? And that’s what we’re going to "look" at today...self inflicted spiritual blindness.
I used to work with an older man that I considered pretty wise. I would say "look, can’t you see this?" and he would always say "I see more than I care to already!" In other words, he didn’t really care to see things as they really are, just wanted to see things as he wanted them to be. It still didn’t change the truth, though....even if we shut our eyes tight and pretend that we can’t see, the truth will always be the truth!
You who have been enlightened are responsible to see. That sounds like it doesn’t make sense, but there are a lot of christians who don’t really WANT to see.Let’s finish this text...vs 39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." 40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"41Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Christian,YOU CAN SEE! And since you can see, you are responsible for the truth. So, what is truth? Look at JOHN 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. So WHO can know the truth? How can we see the truth? JOHN 14:17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I once was blind.....NOW YOU SEE!
Turn to 1 JOHN 1:6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Basically, that means OPEN YOUR EYES! When we talk about "walking in the light", what does that mean to you? Have you ever been in a pitch black room with absolutely no light in it? It is as if you are blind! We are called to walk in the light....to see everything clearly! Don’t keep closing your eyes to the truth! Well, surely Pastor, you don’t expect me not to ever make a mistake....let’s finish that text in 1 JOHN 1:8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Of course, we strive for perfection.....but sometimes we stumble like a blind man....but we get up, open our eyes so we can see a little better so as NOT to stumble, and ask God to forgive us....thru the blood of Jesus Christ. 1 JOHN 2:1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
How do we know if we know Him? By keeping His commandments. Look back at vs 4....Wow! Today, christian, I would like for you to ask yourself if the truth is in you....or if you keep closing your eyes, acting blind so as to avoid being responsible for having had your eyes opened. IF you do love Him, you will keep His commandments. That’s what the Word says....Do you love Him?
