Breaking The Sight Barrier

It was a significant break-through when our jet planes broke the “sound barrier”. But as Christians, we have not as yet broken the sight barrier. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he says: “Do not live as the Gentiles live. For they live blind-folded in a world of illusion.” Eph. 4:17 (Phillips translation)

“Having eyes, do we not see?” And the point is that we may be seeing everything, but the things that are real. We live in a world of illusion. We watch T.V., but it is not real, for it is a world of make-believe. The “Soaps” are not real, no matter how much of your time you spend deciding who’s going to marry who, and who’s going to be unfaithful to who else?

And again, we read our newspapers, and much of what we read is not the real story. The story behind the headlines is the one that really counts. Even as we look at each other, we do not see the real person. We often see only what the other person is pretending to be.

And so, reality is a confusing thing. The New Testament puts it well, when it says, “Now we see through a glass darkly” (I Cor. 13:12) Are we teaching illusion? It is possible that in much of our world, T.V. for example, that we are. We are saying that life is a gun-shootin’, rootin’ sort of thing, and we have come to believe it. Take a look at the penal institutions, and we can see the results of this illusionary kind of world. 20 years ago, the average age level in the prisons, was about 32. Today it is 17! Somewhere along the way, our young kids have been flip-flopping between illusion and reality...believing that violence and killing was the true reality.

As a nation, we have been living in a world of illusion, teaching as real that which is unreal. We have been printing on our coins, “In God we trust”, and we have said in our pledge, “this nation under God”. We are a good nation, and there are many good people believing that this made us a Christian nation, whereas in reality we are not. “Having eyes, we see not”. This is the condemnation of Jesus to a sin-sick, blinded world. We have walked so long in illusion, that we cannot see reality and so, we stumble and fall: One divorce out of every 2 marriages...criminals at the age of 17...people drinking instead of thinking...folks turning to immorality, because they have never learned to deny themselves anything...people with a house full of furniture, but a home empty; of love...folks with all the paraphernalia of life, but none of the necessities.

In the midst of this confusion and blindness, stands the Church, calling to people and saying, “Here is the Way of the Lord...Walk in it.” We are to be witnesses, Jesus said, and why can’t we do this? We ring door bells for the Red Cross, and make pleas for the Cancer Fund. We sell insurance, and vacuum cleaners, and have the audacity to confront people with their need for new clothes, and new cars, and new houses. But should we hesitate to confront them with their need for new eyes, and a new birth, and a new faith in Jesus Christ?

No church is kind and no Church is Christian that does not include an outreach together with an up-reach. To ignore others for Christ now, is to turn our children over later to a generation of pagans that far surpasses what we think exists at the moment. Isn’t it just being practical? I’d better win my neighbor to Christ, or my own future is jeopardized. A pagan neighbor puts me in jeopardy.

But the reason is far deeper. The love of Christ constrains us! Because Christ has done what he did for us upon the cross, then how can we do less for Him that call our friends to an accounting, and help them tear off the blindfolds?

Emerson one time said that the name of Jesus is “not so much written as ploughed into the history of the world.” And if this be so, then it will take more than just talk, more than just a few pieces of literature. It will take all of us, in every way, and in every place, proclaiming the name of Jesus and giving personal example to the life of Jesus. It would seem that we have been scribbling the name of Jesus rather than cultivating it, in the life of our communities. To be blindfolded to God is to be cut off from Him forever. I wonder about the fate of those of us who know the truth, and sit idly by.

To know the truth is critical. But are you
just reading words when you read your Bible, or
are you discovering TRUTH? To know the Bible
word for word from memory would be quite an
accomplishment. But don't you really need to
"understand" as you read?
Guither's book, "The God Connection" is
a book that will be helpful to you in this regard.
You can order it by a free call to 1-888-280-7715
and have an aid for comprehending the Bible. This
could really "make your day!"