BIBLE PASSAGE:
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know.
One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
(John 9:25)
MEDITATION:
As believers, we can face all kinds of “naysayers” who give us many
reasons why we should not believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
We are told by some that the Bible is a book of fiction and should not
be taken seriously.
Some say that even if Jesus existed, He was probably a good person,
but certainly not the Son of the Creator of the universe. And, there
are some who are convinced that everyone in existence today is a
product of evolution.
There are some who cannot wrap their mind around a God who can
create the universe, so they choose to believe in the big bang theory.
Some who have accepted that God did create everything and that
Jesus was crucified, but they have decided there are multiple ways
for getting to heaven.
In the face of all this opposition, the scriptures tell us
that we should have the same faith as a little child.
“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the
kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
(Mark 10:15)
Why should we have the faith of a child? Because a child accepts the
Bible as a factual truth. When they hear that God created everything,
they accept it without questions. When someone reads to them about
how Jesus was crucified for our sins and rose three days later to be
with His Father in heaven, they believe that’s exactly what happened.
When we read the story of the blind man and how Jesus gave him his
sight, we can see that he wasn’t interested in any of the questions from
others about the person of Jesus, he just knew about his own experience
with Christ. Others could make whatever claims they wanted to about
Jesus, but the blind man knew He was real and He was the One who
rescued him from his blindness.
Jesus saved the man from living out the rest of his life unable to see.
The negative things others had to say about Jesus, meant nothing to
him. He knew the most important thing about Jesus was:
he met Him and now he was no longer blind.
As true believers, we should have the same attitude and confidence
as the blind man regarding the identity of Jesus, shouldn’t we?
When others say things that discredit Jesus and contradict the
scriptures, their words should have no influence on us and our
relationship with Him.
We should know the most important thing about Jesus is:
we were lost and He rescued us from the bondage of sin.
Our new relationship with Him means that we will see Jesus
face to face one day, but it also means we have the confident
faith of a child that He is all the Bible says He was…and is.
As a result of our faith, we are prepared and pleased to tell
others how meeting Jesus has impacted our lives. We want
others to know Him in the same way that we do.
Nobody wanted to believe the blind man’s story, and there will
be some who do not want to believe that Jesus has changed our
lives. We may go to great lengths to explain to others that we have
a new relationship with the Lord, but you know what, most people
judge our faith more from our actions than they do from our words.
If we claim we have a close fellowship with the Lord, then it
is natural for others to expect to see some significant changes
in our lives. If they see us continuing in our old sinful habits,
if they see us being selfish and self-centered, if they see us
treating others in a rude and unkind manner, and if they
see us doing or saying things they consider sinful, they
aren’t going believe we have been changed by the Lord.
Conversely, when others see obvious changes in our attitudes,
habits, words, and actions, they become more convinced that
our faith is real. When they see an increase in our praise and
worship of the Lord, they can see evidence of how Jesus has
changed us.
As a follower of Jesus, have you struggled with a nagging sin that
you just cannot seem to overcome? You might be able to avoid it
for some time, but suddenly it is back again to torment you, to
cause you to submit to it again, and to flood you with guilt so you
will dread praying to the Lord.
That’s how Satan works, isn’t it? He knows our areas of weakness and
he attacks us there to try and break our fellowship with the Lord. For
all of us who have experienced the impact Satan can have on our lives,
we know how frustrating it can be and how it can create a guilt in us
that is overwhelming.
We try and try to overcome but keep failing in our efforts. Hopefully,
we realize that it is a bigger issue than we are capable of handling. We
need to remember that the Lord can rescue us from this temptation in
the same way he rescued the blind man from his inability to see. And
when He does, we have a testimony to share with others.
Think about it:
How can we ever point others to Jesus if we give
them reasons to believe our faith is not genuine?
One way we can assure others that our faith is genuine is to
actively serve God in whatever capacity He has chosen for us.
We should remind ourselves daily,
“one thing I know, Jesus died for
me and my life has been changed”
ACTION:
Some questions we should consider:
– How would I describe my relationship with the Lord?
– When I had my encounter with the Lord,
was my life effectively, and dramatically changed?
– What do I think others would say
about how He has changed my life?
Would they be drawn to the Lord, or would they
have no interest in Jesus based on the level of faith
they see in me?
– Are there any changes I should make in my life that
would cause others to be more attracted to the Lord?
Pray,
“Heaven Father, this one thing I know – Jesus saved me
from my sins and my life is forever changed. Help me to
leave no doubt to others that my faith, commitment, and
new life is real. Teach me to be aware of how my words
and actions can impact others and their relationship with
You. Forgive me if I have caused others to question my
faith by what I say and do (or don’t do).”
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