Many accidents take place on the highways every day. Often the driver involved in the accident says, “I did not see the other car until it was too late,” or “I did not see the person or child until they were just before me, and I could not stop in time.” Or, the driver may lose his own life. If we could see the danger a little earlier, we could avoid it. Also on the highway to heaven there are disasters, accidents, many go off the road, and never reach their destination.
Often in the Christian life we see the danger too late. Millions of Christians are resting in their graves unsaved. They were on the road to heaven and they were rejoicing in the blessed hope, but now they are eternally lost. Somewhere in the darkness they lost the way; somewhere they did not see the danger until it was too late.
Then, what do we need? Is it not better eyesight? We must see the danger before it overtakes us. But, what is often the condition of professing Christians? Jesus called the Jewish leaders, (the Pharisees) blind. “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14
“Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.” John 12:39–40
“Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” Ephesians 4:18
If you see a man traveling to Hamilton, and you ask him, “Where are you going?” And he says, “I am on my way to Toronto,” you tell him that he is going the wrong way, but he insists that he is right. This is the way that the Christian churches mostly believe. You tell them that Saturday Sabbath is the right day to worship God, according to the Bible, but they insist on keeping Sunday, which is not God’s commandment.
Today the world is boasting of great knowledge, great advancements in science, and also in every other field of knowledge, even in the knowledge of the Bible. Unfortunately, even with this great knowledge, men do not know how to live in peace with one another. They are using their advanced knowledge to destroy each other, to cause wars, and revolutions. Thousands of human lives are sacrificed on the altar of the god of war. Satan’s spirit is controlling mankind. Satan has blinded the world. Men and women are seeking peace and happiness, but they find only confusion, restlessness, and fighting. Satan has also blinded the children and young people to think that there is happiness in sin. Teenagers are often turning to smoking, drinking, drugs, and to defy authorities, hoping to find happiness and peace, and a solution to their problems. Are they finding it? No! The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death.
“But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Isaiah 57:20–21
“We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.” Isaiah 59:10
People get married and form families, seeking happiness this way, but unless they fear God and serve Him, there could possibly be misery, fighting, depression, separation and divorce. This is all blindness.
My friend, is it your desire to go to heaven and to have eternal life? Is it your desire to have peace and continued happiness? There is only one way to have them, and that is to follow the plan of God. If you want a happy marriage, then follow the plan of God. If you want to avoid the dangers ahead of you, then follow the plan of God. The Bible will show you the wonderful plan that God has made for us. It includes clear eyesight to see all the dangers on our way, and will also tell us how to avoid them.
Satan had it all before his fall. He was the most beautiful of all angels. He was the wisest, the most intelligent. He had the highest position in the universe after God the Father and Jesus Christ. He had eternal youth; but, he lost it all when he stepped off the way of God. He was not satisfied with his position; he wanted to be equal to God, and to be independent, and follow his own will. Now he is the most unhappy and miserable being, and anyone who is blinded by him, and follows his way of thinking, seeking happiness in sin and disobedience to God, will end up in misery, confusion, and disappointment.
Our life is one great possibility, and this possibility is happiness now and eternal life in the future. What we are today we do not need to continue being; we can change. The purpose of true religion is to change us from evil to good. We need to have a clear vision of what we can change into, and keep this vision always before our eyes. This vision into which we must change is Jesus Christ. We need to become like Him in our life, in our characters, in our actions, and in our love towards others.
Christ had a vision that others did not have. He saw in uneducated fishermen, apostles—the foundation of the Christian church. In Mary Magdalene, possessed with evil spirits, Jesus saw His most loyal follower. In Paul, others saw a persecutor of God’s church, but Christ saw in him His greatest advocate. Others saw the thief upon the cross as a criminal, someone hateful, despicable, but Jesus saw in him a saint, fit for His own company.
No matter how bad and selfish we may be today in the eyes of the people, God looks upon us and sees His own likeness behind the tarnished image, behind the dross of selfishness. This is the same kind of vision we need of ourselves, and of others. If we keep our eyes always fixed on Jesus, we will change to His perfect image. God is farsighted; He sees the end from the beginning, and He deals with us according to what we may become, and not according to what we are. This is also how we are to deal with our fellowmen. Do not look to your enemy as to what he is now; look beyond and see in him your best friend, and work towards this goal, that your vision may be fulfilled.
Look to your own life with a vision. Try to see the end from the beginning, and see the results of sin, and also the results of faithfulness. One sin leads to another sin. Small unfaithfulness leads to greater unfaithfulness, and the end is eternal death.
Obedience and self-denial lead to greater obedience, to holiness, to God-likeness, and to eternal life. When we do this, then a marvelous change takes place—the same as when a caterpillar changes into a butterfly—we will change from the evil, selfish image of Satan into the lovely image of Christ. We change to one who can love, who can feel, who has compassion and pity on others, and who can love even his enemies. Is this an image that you admire? Is Christ your role model, especially when He prayed for the soldiers who nailed His hands and feet to the cross, saying “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do?”
This is the way of God into peace and happiness, and there is no other way. This is the way that leads us to our heavenly home, and to eternal life; and our spiritual eyesight will become clearer as we continue on the way of God. AMEN.
Timo Martin