Episode# 16 Spiritual Blindness

Title: Spiritual Blindness

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:2-5

Memory Verse:4 "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the Glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them."

Paul's response to Accusations

Understanding Spiritual Blindness

Causes of Spiritual blindness

Veiled light-Glorious Gospel

Guarding against Spiritual Blindness

Reflection

Discipleship

References: Mathew Henry Commentary; Woman's Study Bible; Pulpit Commentary.

#Christianity

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome, welcome, welcome. To Breakfast with Jesus, Episode 16 Spiritual Blindness. Scripture coming from 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verses 2 to 5. Memory verse chapter verses 4. In whom the God of this world have blinded the minds of them which believe not. Least the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them. Paul responds to accusations. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Church, the Apostle Paul addressed the criticism and accusation made against him and his companions. These criticisms accuse them of spreading false teaching and acting with cunning or deceit. Paul firmly rejects these claims, making it clear that he and his fellow ministers do not walk in craftiness, nor do they distort the message of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead, Paul highlighted their commitment to sincerity, integrity, and truthfulness. He explains that their ability to remain steadfast and not lose heart is sustained by grace's mercies. This divine support enables them to preserve, to persevere, even in the face of opposition and misunderstanding. Paul further explains that those who are making accusations against them are themselves spiritually blind. According to him, the glorious gospel is hidden, avail to those who are perishing, those who cannot see or comprehend its truth. Their inability to perceive the gospel stem from their spiritual blindness, not from any fault or deception on the part of Paul or his companion. Therefore, we will look at the meaning of spiritual blindness, the cause of spiritual blindness, and the veiled light. Understanding spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness refers to a state where individuals, though exposed to the word of God, are unable to grasp or comprehend its true meaning. As stated in verse 4a, the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbeliever. This means that those who do not believe are unable to see or understand the light and truth of the gospel message. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you cannot understand the gospel message. For those experiencing spiritual blindness, the teachings of Yahweh appear foolishness and meaningless. They may hear the message of the gospel and even read the scriptures, but the word does not resonate or make sense to them. Their understanding is blocked, and the intended message does not reach their heart or mind in a transformative way. What causes these spiritual blindness? The primary cause of spiritual blindness is the influence of the God of this world. Identified as Satan, the fallen angel, he is known as the Prince of Darkness, a deceiver, and the accuser of the brethren. In the book of Revelation, Satan is depicted as the little horn and the beast who manipulates the weaknesses and bad habits of humanity, thereby hindering them, their spiritual vision, and entrapping them in darkness. He works to turn people away from the glorious gospel, causing them to develop an aversion towards Jesus Christ. Who is the image of God? Those who persistently and willfully reject the messages, the Messiah, are given over to spiritual blindness. They are given over to spiritual blindness. According to John, the Gospel of John, chapter 12, verses 37 to 41. Those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ and ultimately cannot believe, they will ultimately cannot believe. And then they will become permanently blinded, condemned to remain in unbelief because they are perishing, because they are lost. And Jesus came to save those who were lost. So if you do not believe in him, you have no way out of your spiritual blindness. People who remain ungenerated or unchanged by the Spirit of God are also spiritually blinded. They cannot respond to the gospel message because their mind has been given over to a debased state. What a sad that time. As stated in Romans chapter 1, verse 28 and 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14. The natural man cannot receive spiritual things, for they appear as foolishness to him. Pride is another significant cause of spiritual blindness. This is illustrated in the story of Naaman in 2 Kings chapter 5, verse 11 and 13. Though he sought healing from leprosy, Naaman Pride was wounded when the prophet Elisha did not greet him personally, but instead sent instruction for him to go and dip in the river Jordan. Naaman Pride initially refused, but it was only when his servant convinced him to obey that he received healing. Pride, brothers and sisters, can prevent one from receiving blessing and spiritual insight. Wealth and riches are also obstacles to spiritual sight. This is seen in the example of the rich young ruler who desire eternal life but choose to cling to his possession rather than follow Jesus. His attachment to worldly wealth blinded him to the greater treasure found in the relationship with Christ. Worliness and lust further contribute to spiritual blindness. When people prioritize worldly pursuit and pleasures over their devotion to Yahweh, their spiritual vision becomes clouded. Demas, one of Paul, who abandoned Paul for the love of this present world, 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 10, and Esau, who traded his birthright for a single meal, are examples that Satan explodes the darkness of sinful desires to block the light of the gospel from reaching the heart. Satan uses every means to keep us away from following Jesus Christ. He causes us spiritual blindness because of our sinful heart, because of our sinful thoughts. The veiled light. The light that Satan does not want you to see, to walk in. Scripture revealed a profound truth. The light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them. Yet, as described in verse 2, this light remains hidden from those who are perishing. It is a sovereign reality that a gospel light can be veiled from anyone. The Bible makes it clear that while the light enters while the light enters the world, many choose darkness over light. Why? Because their deeds are evil, and in darkness they think they can hide their wickedness. In making this choice, they are willingly remaining separated from the truth that could free them from the captivity of Satan. The light of the gospel is Jesus, who said, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. This means he is the divine source of truth that shines and exposes sin and ignorance. He is the light that guides the world to salvation. Does Satan do not want you to see the light? For David said, The Lord is my light and my salvation. Is the Lord the light and salvation of you? He is the marvelous light that liberates us and grants us inherent power to be fruitful and be assured hope in eternal life. Colossians chapter 1, verses 5 and 6. He is the light that broke the chain of captivity to set the captive free from the penalty and power of sin. He is that light that provides the eye salve in Revelation chapter 3, verse 18. This I salve will remove the veil so we can see spiritually. He is the image of God in deity, in omniscience, in omnipotent, and in holiness. He has all the attributes of the Heavenly Father, Colossians chapter 1, verse 15. This is the light that you are spiritually blinded from. How can you guard against being spiritually blinded? As believers, we must make a conscious effort to avoid spiritual blindness. The scripture makes it clear that when we perish in unbelief, when we persist in unbelief, we risk being abandoned to our own ways, subject to divine condemnation and judgment. Spiritual blindness separates us from the truth and the transformative power of Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us reject the temptation to turn away in unbelief, refusing to apostasize ourselves. Instead, we should accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, embrace the light found in the glorious gospel of Christ. By doing so, we choose faith over darkness and receive the guidance and hope that only Christ can offer. He came that we may have life and have it more abundantly. Reflections. As children of Yahweh, take time to reflect on your spiritual journey. Consider whether any obstacle or influences in your life may be causing spiritual blindness. If you recognize such hindrance, earnestly pray to Jesus. Pray to Yahweh for deliverance, asking him to restore clarity and strengthen your faith. Pray and self-examine yourselves. We can seek freedom from anything that prevents us from fully embracing the glorious light of Jesus Christ. Discipleship. When you hear the word of God, always open your heart and allow the word of Yahweh to fall on foot as soil, to take root and bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Accept Him today. There is always room at the cross for one. Though many as come, there is still room for one. Let's pray. Almighty Elohim, we praise and adore you, for your mercies are made new each morning. We pray that your word will be the salve that removes all blindness from our eyes, and be the transformate words that renew our minds to worship you in spirit and in truth. May the grace of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us now and forevermore. Thank you for listening. Continue to follow me on verseport.com, upper podcast, Spotify, and iHeart. See you next week. In Jesus' almighty name. Amen.