What can we learn from Saul's blindness about spiritual blindness today? Setting the Scene “Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.” — Acts 9:8 Why God Allowed Physical Blindness • A divine stop-sign: the proud persecutor could not take another step without help. • A living illustration: the outer darkness matched the inner darkness that denied Christ. • A space for surrender: three days of stillness broke his self-reliance and opened his heart to grace. Spiritual Blindness Defined • Inability to perceive the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). • Walking in darkness while claiming light (1 John 2:11). • Missing the path of peace because the eyes are veiled (Luke 19:42). Parallels Between Saul and Hearts Today 1. Self-confidence can mask blindness – Saul thought he “was advancing in Judaism beyond many” (Galatians 1:14). – Today a résumé of success, religiosity, or moral effort can hide desperate need for the Savior. 2. Zeal without truth deepens darkness – “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14). – Activism, causes, even church work can be driven by pride rather than love of Christ. 3. Sudden confrontation still happens – A sermon, a crisis, a quiet conviction can bring the sharp realization that life has opposed God. – When light breaks in, the old way of seeing crumbles just as surely as Saul’s. Signs of Spiritual Blindness in Our Generation • Indifference to sin: calling evil good (Isaiah 5:20). • Substituting tradition or trends for truth (Mark 7:8). • Dismissing Scripture as myth, thereby closing the only sure window to reality. • Elevating self-expression above obedience, leading to stumbling at Christ (1 Peter 2:8). Path from Darkness to Sight 1. Humble admission – Like Saul, acknowledge “I cannot see.” – God “gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). 2. Dependent guidance – Saul let others lead him; believers need the body of Christ and the Spirit’s counsel. – “Guide me in Your truth” (Psalm 25:5). 3. Receiving the word – Ananias delivered a specific message; Scripture today opens eyes (Psalm 119:18). 4. Calling on the Name – “Be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16). – Salvation is more than moral improvement; it is union with the risen Lord. 5. Ongoing clarity – Scales fell once, but sight kept growing (Acts 9:19-22). – Continual renewal comes by staying in the Word (Romans 12:2) and walking in the light (Ephesians 5:8). Other Biblical Echoes • Elisha’s servant: eyes opened to unseen armies (2 Kings 6:17). • The two on the road to Emmaus: hearts burned as Scripture was opened (Luke 24:32). • Laodicea: urged to buy “salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see” (Revelation 3:18). Takeaways for Daily Living • Physical sight can be sharp while spiritual vision is blind; only Christ heals that condition. • Every believer once stumbled in darkness (Ephesians 2:1-4); gratitude fuels compassion for the still-blind. • Proclaim the gospel plainly, “so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ… might not be veiled” (2 Corinthians 4:4). • Pray for scales to fall from family, friends, and nations, trusting the same Lord who halted Saul on the Damascus road. |
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