“I was blind but now I see...”

How many times over the span of your life have you sang that line from the song, ‘Amazing Grace’...or at least have heard it sung?

Now, imagine adding another stanza to that line that goes something like this...

“I was blind but now I see...and yet I still run into trees and walls and trip over things because ‘my spirit sees but my flesh is weak and won’t really see until I get to heaven’.

Do what?

That...is exactly what a multitude of professing ‘believers’ subscribe to these days to hear them explain their theology. Now don’t get me wrong...I ‘get’ where they are coming from. I too...’used’ to believe that way, basically because that is what I was always taught to believe. We humans have a bad habit of doing lots of things (or believing things) because that’s the way we’ve always done it.

I know that the subject of ‘English’ which we all had to take in school was not a favorite for many students, but there really were a lot of important things we needed to learn if we were to communicate effectively in an English-speaking country.

Take for example ...learning what ‘past, present, and future tense’ entailed. I bet you can easily identify all three uses here: “I was an astronaut; I am an astronaut; I am preparing to be an astronaut someday”.

That was pretty basic and easy for you to grasp, I’m hoping. So let’s make use of that well learned lesson and apply it to scripture, spring-boarding off of yesterday’s short message.

Which statement best lines up and agrees with your current ‘theology’ and lifestyle:

‘I was a sinner; I am a sinner; I will always be a sinner’ (‘saved by grace’, of course)?

The first example is a no-brainer; of course we were (or ‘are’??) ALL...’sinners’ given what God’s word has declared: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). To suggest otherwise would be to ‘call God a liar’ (1 John 1:10), and I don’t recommend doing that, especially in light of the verse that states it is ‘impossible for God to lie’. (Heb. 6:18)

So let’s dive deeper in to God’s word today and see how well we can still make good use of identifying those ‘verb tenses’ we all studied once upon a time. And I’d like to start with 1 Cor. 6:9-11-

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

I should probably point out that this is not an ‘exhaustive’ list, but just a handful of ‘examples’ (of ungodliness). You can refer to Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. 1:29-32; Eph. 5:3-6 and Col. 3:5-9. I only bring this up because we tend to ‘zero in’ on those besetting sins that are not a ‘problem for us’. IYKYK

But please notice how Paul is addressing the Corinthians there in that passage: He explicitly states: “Some of you ‘used to be’ like that...and you once did those things...” but...”you were washed, you were sanctified, and you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (11).

Did you catch the ‘past tense’ verbs used there in verse 11? You use to be/do these things...and IF...you were truly ‘washed and sanctified and justified’....guess what?... You don’t do those things anymore nor live like that because...You have been ‘born of God and no longer sin’ (1 John 5:18) and have become a ‘new creation in Christ’ (IF...you are indeed in Christ)...and ‘old things have passed away and all things have become new’ (2 Cor. 5:17).

For those who believe Paul continued to live as the ‘chief sinner’ (1 Tim. 1:15), notice how he describes himself to Timothy: “I was formerly....a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy...” (1 Tim. 1:13). He goes on to mention the ‘exceedingly abundant amount of grace’ that was extended to him found in Christ Jesus. He would later write to Titus and explain just how this ‘grace’ (which brings salvation) operates in our lives: “teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts as we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age.”(Tit. 1:11-13). But look at the next verse as we learn that Christ came to “redeem us from EVERY LAWLESSS DEED and purify for Himself His own special people.” (14).

Friends...how can one be redeemed from something we have not repented of/from? Now take a look at 1 John 1:5-7.

As you might suspect...if/when...a blind person has their eyes opened...they are most likely going to walk in a new way, unlike how they used to walk when they were still in darkness. But to hear most modern day ‘Christians’ explain it...even though your eyes are opened, you will still walk into trees and fall off of curbs and wander blindly into oncoming traffic because, well...you know...’you were blind but now you see, but not really’.

Give it some thought....and welcome to an incredible time we are living in, where Jesus is truly removing blinders...from those who truly desire to walk in the light, as He is in the light. But also remember - not everyone wants to do that, you know. (John 3:19-21).