Was a question that was asked by some Pharisees who were following the Lord Jesus. The Bible says in John 9:39-41, "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." I pray that we don't become like those Pharisees who were unaware that they were blind.
The Bible says in Romans 11:25, "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." To me, this gives a somewhat clearer understanding to what the Lord told those Pharisees that day. God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah said of Israel, "...Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." (See Isaiah 6:9-10) It would almost seem that it was not God's intent that Israel was to be saved. But the Apostle Paul dealt with the seeming inconsistency in Romans 11:26 when he said, "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob..." (You ought to take time to read chapter 11 of Romans in it's entirety to fully understand God's thoughts and ways concerning Israel).
Paul wrote the Corinthian church, "Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (See 2nd Corinthians 11:1-3) I am aware that Paul's subject was the cutting off the glorying of false teachers and ministers who would take advantage of people's simplicity and naivety. That is also my motive! There are ministers who have large followings and churches, but who say in word and deed that it doesn't make any difference how one lives or what one does, as long as they profess Christ to be there Saviour. But I think that if the apostle were here today he would ask those with such profession, "saved from what?" Perhaps they should ask themselves the question, "are we blind also?"
We have heard the scripture preached found in Jeremiah 29:11-14 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Certainly the church has the right to appropriate to itself this verse. But was God speaking to the church alone here? I believe he was speaking of the day when Israel would, "call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive." Yes, all Israel shall be saved in that day.
The title of this posting is, "Are We Blind Also?" The Apostle John wrote in 1st John 1:5-10 "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." The Lord Jesus told the Pharisees that day, " If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." Thank God for the revelation of God in Christ. I'm glad I can say with Apostle Paul, "...I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (See 2nd Timothy 1:12) I also know that "...the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (See 2nd Timothy 2:19) Not only does God know them that are His but they are to depart from iniquity. Do you see my point? Or are you blind also?
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