SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/24/2016 6:45 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Spiritual Blindness Results in Doom
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: John 9:41b
Message of the verse: “but since you say, ‘we see,’ your sin
remains.”
These are
the very condemning words that close out this 9th chapter of the
book of John and we will look at them this morning.
I realize
that when we studied the book of Mark that we learned about the unpardonable
sin and wrote about it then, a sin that many scholars have said could only be
committed while Jesus Christ was on the earth, and it was claiming that the
miracles that Jesus was performing were done in the power of the devil and not
in the power of the Holy Spirit. People
had got so far out of whack with their thinking that this is what they
believed. Now in this last part of verse
41 we see that Jesus tells these Pharisees that their sin remained. What sin was He talking about? I have to say that it is similar to the
unpardonable sin in that they had seen some great and powerful miracles that Jesus
did, they had had wonderful times listening to the truth that He spoke, or in
fact should have had wonderful times listening to His messages to them, and yet
they turned their backs on Jesus and that is why they were to be condemned for
unbelief, for unbelief in Jesus Christ as their Messiah, as their Savior, and
as their Lord. Let us go to Matthew
12:32 “"Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven
him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him,
either in this age or in the age to come.”
This is Matthews words about the unpardonable sin. Hebrews 6:1-6 says “4 For in the case of
those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and
have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of
God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible
to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the
Son of God and put Him to open shame.”
These verses surely tell the story of these Pharisees. “29 How much severer punishment do you think
he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as
unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted
the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I
WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall
into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:29-31).”
In Matthew
15:13-14 we read of what Jesus said to some other Pharisees: “13 But He answered and said, "Every
plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. 14 “Let them alone; they are
blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will
fall into a pit.’” MacArthur adds “Those
shocking words, ‘Let them alone,’ reveal that God will sometimes judge directly
unrepentant sinners by abandoning them (and even hardening them) in their
unbelief (cf. Hos. 4:17; Rom. 1:18, 24, 26, 28).”
MacArthur
concludes his commentary on chapter nine by writing “Those who, like the blind
beggar, acknowledge their spiritual blindness and turn to the Light ‘will not
walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life’ (John 8:12). But those who, like the Pharisees, persist in
loving the darkness rather than the Light (3:19) will continue to wander
aimlessly in the gloom (12:35; 1 John 2:11), bereft of any spiritual vision
(Matt. 6:23). The first group is
destined to spend eternity in the glorious light of heaven (Rev. 22:5); the latter
will be condemned to the horrifying darkness of eternal hell (Matt. 8:12;
22:13; 25:30).”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Understand the truth of this short part
of verse 41 and be able to tell others about it. Not to take these truths for granted because
I have been saved from the wrath of God to come, but be so very thankful that
He has saved me, and then live for Him.
My Steps of Faith for
Today: Be ready to tell those who do
not know this truth so that they can know it and can be saved.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question: “Venison” (Genesis 27:1-3).
Today’s Bible question:
“Who prayed, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner?’”
Answer in our next SD.
7/24/2016 7:13 AM
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