BIBLE STUDY: Spiritual Blindness

Summary

If we were to identify the number one enemy in every Christian’s life, it would be spiritual blindness to what Christ has done for us. This type of darkness is the foundational issue behind every problem in our lives. It is the greatest bondage a born-again believer can face. Being spiritually blind to the gospel of Grace can be compared to a physically blind person standing in a bright light but unable to see it. If we are spiritually blind, we will be subject to our natural senses to guide us through life. We will be controlled by our emotions, and our doubts and fears will muffle the voice of the Holy Spirit. Grace is the antidote for this blindness.

A. Grace brings healing, restoration, deliverance, knowledge, and spiritual insight.

In his message of preaching the gospel, healing the brokenhearted, restoring sight to the blind, and delivering the captives, Jesus said in the New Testament almost the same thing as Isaiah said in the Old Testament.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound (Isaiah 61:1).
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18, 19).
“The opening of the prison” is a Hebrew term meaning the opening of the eyes to those who are bound.
This phrase refers to a spiritual concept; it means opening up our understanding.
The gospel is the good news about God’s grace. Paul referred to the grace of Christ as not just any gospel, but the
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24).
I marvel that you are so soon removed form him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another. But there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ (Galatians 1:6, 7).
The captives referred to in Isaiah 61:1 and Luke 4:18 were bound by the law that said they were neither righteous nor accepted.
The gospel that was preached, the good tidings, was God’s grace. This allowed them to see the truth that they could not see before.
Grace is the antidote for the spiritual blindness that keeps us from seeing ourselves as righteous, accepted by God, and on our way to heaven.
We respond differently to the gospel when we cannot see or understand.
Obedience under the law and obedience under grace are two different things; we can still get confused over the two. We also may have trouble understanding faithfulness under grace.
Obedience under the law says that we must perform to get God to act on our behalf.
Obedience under grace is obedience to the faith. Jesus has already done what needed to be done, and we can believe it. This faith allows us to walk in obedience to his Spirit.
Under the law, we must first be faithful to God for him to be faithful to us. However, human faithfulness is inconsistent.
Under grace, God wants us to have faith in Jesus’ faithfulness.

B. Our level of spiritual knowledge determines how we respond to situations.

Therefore he sent horses, chariots, and a great host, and they came by night and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! What shall we do? And he answered, Fear not, for they that are with us are more than they that are with them. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha (2 Kings 6:14-17).
Elisha was not spiritually blind. He saw things his servant could not see at first, and understood things his servant could not comprehend.
When we are spiritually blind, we respond in fear. This was the way the servant initially
How we respond depends on our level of spiritual understanding. In all your getting, get understanding (Proverbs 4:7).
If we do not reach an understanding of grace, we will remain spiritually blind. If we try to lead others who are also spiritually blind, then we will all fall into a ditch (Matthew 15:14). This is why it is so important for the church to understand the true message of the gospel.
We cannot mix grace with the law or say we are sinners saved by grace. If we do, we will not make any progress. This is like trying to put new wine into an old wineskin (Matthew 9:17).
In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them who do not believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The devil does not want us to understand the word of God or experience his grace. Unbelievers as well as Christians are subject to his attacks.
Satan tries to tie us down to our past. The past is gone; we must invest in our future. Paul wrote that he forgot what was behind, and strained toward what lay ahead (Philippians 3:13, 14).
I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come (Ephesians 1:16-21).
Paul prayed that the church in Ephesus would receive widom and revelation specifically through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to free us from the prison of ignorance. God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
Grace is the truth that delivers people. The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17).