HOW TO OVERCOME SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

MESSAGE: HOW TO OVERCOME SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

TEXT: NUMBERS 22:26-30

Spiritual blindness is a great problem that has great consequences both on the life of the person involved and others around him. But there is a great cure through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Balaam was unable to see the angel of God standing on his way because he was blind spiritually.
He was zealous pursuing a course that God is not pleased with, but being deceived with a fake assurance of the approval of God.
Spiritual blindness is a condition that an individual has when he is unable to see God or understand His message and as a result walking against the will of God.
Although God is working all around us, pursuing us and showing us His glory, some people cannot perceive His divine workings due to spiritual blindness.
A person who does not see God, does not know God and unfortunately cannot profit spiritually.
To be spiritually blind can also be translated as being spiritually ignorant, foolish and undiscerning-1^st Cor. 2:14.
This means that to a spiritually blind individual, spiritual things are unreasonable and meaningless and such individual cannot benefit accordingly.
We shall be discussing this tonight:-

THE CAUSES OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS.

Satanic bondage.

Satan blinds human minds from understanding God’s goodness. This is the case with everyone who is yet to receive the free gift of salvation, especially after several opportunities of hearing the gospel-2^nd 4:3-4.

Spiritual stubbornness.

When people deliberately and continually turn against God, He will allow them to be spiritually blind, as a way of dealing with their stubbornness-Matthew 13:15-16.

Not being filled with or not yielding to the Holy Spirit.

We must have God’s Holy Spirit and yield to His guidance continually-Rom. 8:14; 1^st 2:9-11.

Being trapped by lust.

When one is engulfed by the lust of the eyes and lust of the flesh, spiritual blindness will be inevitable.
Lust made Gehazi to be unable to discern the reason why Elisha refused the gifts brought by Naaman and went behind to collect them which led to his destruction.
Some Christians today are blinded by sinful lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
Are you among the number?

Allegiance to false teachers and prophets.

When one is being led by those in spiritual darkness, it will become difficult to be enlightened spiritually-Matt. 15:14; Isa. 9:15-17.
In Isaiah’s days, false prophets caused God’s people to err and sin and they led them astray.
So also in our days, many false prophets and teachers are misleading some brethren who do not love the truth. As a result, these brethren are walking in spiritual darkness-Matt. 7:15-18.
Are you blindly following a preacher because he is very popular with great crowds or do you, as did the Bereans of Acts 17:11, search the scriptures daily to determine whether or not the things that the teachers and preachers are true?

Hidden identity as a believer.

Some Christians are not bold to declare their identity as Christians because they fear what others would say or think.
Some so-called gospel preachers fear that they will lose their “jobs” or become unpopular if they speak the truth undiluted-Prov. 29:25.
The apostles set perfect example of fearlessness when Peter and the other apostles answered and said “We ought to obey God rather than men”-Acts 5:28-29.

Preconceived ideas or traditions.

Traditions have caused many to reject the truth of God’s word without giving it a fair hearing.
Many are entangled in religious error because they are unwilling to examine what they believe, teach and practice and compare it to what the Bible teaches.

RESULTS OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS.

Spiritual blindness, if not dealt with through the power and strength of the Holy Spirit has great results on the life of both the person and the people around him.

Lack of understanding of the perfect will of God.

When somebody is spiritually blind, he cannot fully discern or understand what the perfect will of God is.
Balaam, who was going on a journey with an assurance of doing the will of God, but was surprised that God was against his going-Numbers 22:31.

Lack of understanding of God’s provision and blessings.

A lot of things the Lord is doing that we cannot see or receive due to spiritual blindness.
Hagar was crying because she needed a bottle of water, but there was a well of water which God provided, God opened her eyes to see-Gen. 21:19.

Lack of insight and understanding of spiritual revelations.

After resurrection, some disciples that were with Jesus could not recognize Him until He opened their eyes when He broke bread with them-Luke 24:30-31.

Lack of understanding of divine presence, protection and power.

When one is spiritually blind, he cannot understand, recognize or benefit from divine protection.
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha was afraid when he saw the physical army marching against them.
When God opened his eyes at the request of his master, he was able to see the provision of God for their safety and protection-2^nd Kings 6:17.

Lack of understanding of the way of salvation and true righteousness.

Spiritual blindness is the reason behind every rejection of the gospel and pursuit of self-righteousness rather than the true righteousness of God.

Lack of understanding of the devices of the Devil.

One of the ways the Devil keeps people in bondage and affliction is to make them to be ignorant of his devices and strategies through spiritual blindness.

Lack of understanding of the hidden agenda.

Things are usually the way they appeared to be. It takes spiritual insight and enlightenment to discern the content and the true nature of things above what they appeared to be.

Lack of understanding who you are and what you have.

In Christ Jesus, we have received the power to be called the children of God with full recognition, authority and benefit.
Spiritual blindness makes us to forget our true identity and inheritances in the kingdom.
Ten of the spies that went to Canaan could not appreciate their position in God’s and the program of God to the people as God’s peculiar people.
So they brought negative reports that troubled the hearts of the people-Numbers 13:27-31.
When everyone was seeing Goliath the champion, David was seeing Goliath the uncircumcised Philistine.
David understood who he was in God and what he had- he defeated Goliath.

THE CURE FOR SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS

God does not want us to be spiritually blind because spiritual blindness will hinder our hearty relationship with Him and prevent the fulfilment of His purpose in our lives.
God has made provision available for everyone who desire to know the truth and to free from the bondage of spiritual blindness- John 8:32.