Hebrews 12:3
For consider HIM+ that endured such contradiction* of sinners against HIMSELF+, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
* Contradiction of sinners: Mat10:24-25, Mat11:19, Mat12:24, Mat15:2, Mat21:15-16, Mat21:23, Mat21:46, Mat22:15; Luk2:34 *Gr: Luk4:28-29, Luk5:21, Luk11:15-16, Luk11:53-54, Luk13:13-14, Luk14:1, Luk15:2, Luk16:14, Luk19:39; Luk19:40; Joh5:16, Joh7:12, Joh8:13, Joh8:48-49, Joh8:52, Joh8:59, Joh9:40, Joh10:20, Joh10:31-39, Joh12:9; Joh12:10, Joh15:18-24, Joh18:22
Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. HEBREWS 12:4
+ + +
Unpleasant , to say the least, it is when a serious argument develops among family, friends, neighbors, work crews, office staffs, and even church congregations.
Contradiction , a Latin-rooted word, itself meaning AGAINST, CONTRARY SPEAKING. That is, contrary opinions voiced against something stated.
The LORD JESUS endured intense verbal opposition many, many times when HE+ walked in flesh upon this earth. See some of the above references in yellow.
Worse, the very ones who should have recognized their MESSIAH+ did not.
The learn-ed ones who knew Scriptures, the Books of Moses and the Sacrificial Laws did not even sense that their MESSIAH+ had come . . . even knowing it was The TIME in history for HIM+ to appear.
They saw all the patterns in the Temple worship which pointed to their MESSIAH+ being fulfilled by CHRIST JESUS , but . . .
they did not recognize HIM+
as fitting the Divine patterns.
What blinded these men who were so steeped in Scripture and in the Temple worship sacrifices ?
Could it be they were SATISFIED with keeping their orderly rituals, ancient worship services, teaching seminars on the long Temple porches, their exciting holy days, and way of life ?
Not to mention their lucrative money-changing schemes in the Temple courtyard, of course.
Their blindness came from the condition of their heart TOWARDS GOD. What was their heart’s condition ?
GOD COULD NOT CORRECT THEM.
As a result, they reacted vigorously AGAINST the Words of CHRIST JESUS and hated His+ SPIRIT. They fought viciously against The LORD JESUS long before HE+ entered the Garden of Gethsemane.
They railed upon HIM+ with their words, trying to cut HIM+ into shreds. HE+ Who+ formed the mouth ! HE+ Who+ gave man language !
Consider the intense anger HE+ faced at the beginning of His+ ministry when reading the Scroll of Isaiah in His+ home-town synagogue.
Not one person in that synagogue in Nazareth had ever seen HIM+ do wrong to another or have a non-caring attitude towards GOD, in or out of their services.
His+ neighbors and townsmen who had known The LORD JESUS all of their lives reacted with intense contradiction against HIM+.
Their reaction was strong enough for them to murder HIM+ by pushing HIM+ headlong over a cliff !
And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, LUKE 4:28 And rose up, and thrust HIM+ out of the city, and led HIM+ unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast HIM+ down headlong. LUKE 4:29
The were fixated on their own ways, stubbornly , willfully blind in spirit. That was the condition of their heart TOWARDS GOD, The ELOHIM.
Blindness in us comes from the same thing --- the condition of our heart towards the LORD.
We don’t want HIM+ to correct us. We dig in our heels and say, NO. My way is right. I have always believed thus and such. “I don’t care what Scripture says. . . or means.”
When STUBBORN, WILLFUL, Spiritual Blindness occurs, we will find ourselves contradicting Scriptures, twisting the WORD of GOD, and refusing to acknowledge Scriptural TRUTH to suit our pleasure, our self-indulgences, our business dealings . . . and yes, our sins.
STUBBORN , WILLFUL, Spiritual Blindness is SO dangerous because it develops a hardened heart that dictates while living out our lives: My will be done, not GOD’S .
Now realize: STUBBORN Spiritual blindness is NOT about the innocent, immature, or young Christians just learning how to walk with CHRIST.
STUBBORN , WILLFUL blindness is what the CHRIST-rejecters walked in who knew the Scriptures but who contradicted His+ Words.
They refused to let The LORD JESUS speak to their consciences.
They refused to allow His+ Deeds to speak to their hearts.
Recall the account of The LORD JESUS healing the man born blind.
The man answered and said unto them,
Why, herein is a marvellous thing ( ! ) that ye know not from whence HE+ is, and yet HE+ hath opened mine eyes ( ! ). JOHN 9:30
Now WE KNOW that GOD heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of GOD, and doeth HIS will, him HE heareth. 9:31
Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 9:32
If this MAN+ were not of GOD,
HE+ could do nothing. 9:33
They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 9:34
Is this not a blasphemy of the HOLY SPIRIT ?
+ + +
This kind of Spiritual blindness is addressing the WILLFUL ones who know better.
They reject The WORD+ as having the right to change their lives.
+ + +
O, HOLY FATHER in Heaven,
Deliver me from all blindness to Thy SPIRIT,
willful or otherwise.
Help me to lay The WORDS of Thy HOLY SON+ JESUS
to heart.
Soften my heart, O FATHER, and help me yield
to CHRIST JESUS.
Remove from me the stubbornness blocking
The LIFE of Thy SON+ from flowing through me.
YES, O LORD, I give THEE+ the right to change my life
in all areas.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment