1. The document discusses the causes and effects of spiritual blindness according to scripture. It notes that spiritual blindness can affect crucial functions of the mind regarding spiritual things like one's ability to think, understand, walk, and reject spiritual truth.
2. Specific effects mentioned include an inability to see or perceive spiritual things, comprehend thoroughly, gain insight, and turn from one's current state. Spiritual blindness leads to rejecting spiritual things and provisions from God.
3. The only biblical remedies for spiritual blindness are God opening the eyes of those who are blind through the illumination of the Holy Spirit to help believers understand scriptural truths.
1. The document discusses the causes and effects of spiritual blindness according to scripture. It notes that spiritual blindness can affect crucial functions of the mind regarding spiritual things like one's ability to think, understand, walk, and reject spiritual truth.
2. Specific effects mentioned include an inability to see or perceive spiritual things, comprehend thoroughly, gain insight, and turn from one's current state. Spiritual blindness leads to rejecting spiritual things and provisions from God.
3. The only biblical remedies for spiritual blindness are God opening the eyes of those who are blind through the illumination of the Holy Spirit to help believers understand scriptural truths.
Original Description:
The Cause and Effect of Spiritual Blindness Pt 1
by Kevin Jeffrey
1. The document discusses the causes and effects of spiritual blindness according to scripture. It notes that spiritual blindness can affect crucial functions of the mind regarding spiritual things like one's ability to think, understand, walk, and reject spiritual truth.
2. Specific effects mentioned include an inability to see or perceive spiritual things, comprehend thoroughly, gain insight, and turn from one's current state. Spiritual blindness leads to rejecting spiritual things and provisions from God.
3. The only biblical remedies for spiritual blindness are God opening the eyes of those who are blind through the illumination of the Holy Spirit to help believers understand scriptural truths.
1. The document discusses the causes and effects of spiritual blindness according to scripture. It notes that spiritual blindness can affect crucial functions of the mind regarding spiritual things like one's ability to think, understand, walk, and reject spiritual truth.
2. Specific effects mentioned include an inability to see or perceive spiritual things, comprehend thoroughly, gain insight, and turn from one's current state. Spiritual blindness leads to rejecting spiritual things and provisions from God.
3. The only biblical remedies for spiritual blindness are God opening the eyes of those who are blind through the illumination of the Holy Spirit to help believers understand scriptural truths.
SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS Part 2 A Paper Presented To The Eighth Annual Grace Bible Conference July 15 , 2012
by Kevin Jeffrey, pastor, Grace Bible Church, Titusville, Fl.
INTRODUCTION Spiritual blindness is a reality that permeates throughout Christendom. Natural, carnal, judicial and satanic blindness will be seen or experienced by the believer as he lives this life. It is important for the believers walk to recognize spiritual blindness in order that he might be able to navigate around the pitfalls of it. Recognition can aid in wisdom of how to relate to those who are blind as well as help him to avoid such blindness in his own life. Yesterday, we looked at the different causes of spiritual blindness, today, well consider some of the effects of spiritual blindness.
I. ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE, SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS HAS A SPECIFIC EFFECT UPON SOME CRUCIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE MIND WITH REGARD TO SPIRITUAL THINGS. A. The dianoia of the mind is affected by blindness. 1. Dianoia is the area that affects the flow of thoughts through the mind dianoia. Eph. 4:18 2. Dianoia is a compound Greek word that emphasize a. Dia through b. Noeo mind 3. The word is translated imaginations in Lk. 1:51 4. The imaginations of the unsaved man are darkened due to being alienated from the life of God. a. The life of God is better understood, the life from God. cf. 1 st John 5:11; 1 st Tim. 6:12,19 b. The reason for the separation from the life of God is their hardness of heart.
B. The unsaved man uses his reflective thinking upon earthly things. cf. Rom. 3:19; Rom. 8:5-6
C. The conclusions of the mind of believer and unbeliever can be blinded through Satanic manipulation. cf. 2 Co. 3:14; 2:11, 11:3; Phil. 4:7
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II. THERE ARE NUMEROUS RESULTS OF SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE. A. Spiritual blindness affects ones ability to see spiritual things. 1. Spiritual blindness affects the eyes of men. cf. John 12:40 a. The mind is seen in Scripture as being the place for spiritual vision. Eph. 1:18 b. Spiritual blindness prevents men from putting together facts of Scripture that should be obvious to see. Acts 28:27
2. The word for see is idosin, from orao which means to view something with mental perception of thought; metaphorically, it means to view something spiritual with spiritual perception. Cf. John 12:40 a. Idosin (aor. Act. Subj) is used often in the Gospels of spiritual perception. Cf. Matt. 13:15 b. The Lord spoke in parables to prevent some from seeing truth. Mk. 4:12
B. Spiritual blindness affects ones ability to understand. 1. There are several Greek words translated understand in the New Testament. a. Noeo is a word used to emphasize to perceive or gain insight into something. cf. 1 st Tim. 1:7; Eph. 3:4 b. Suniemi is a term that emphasizes to comprehend thoroughly. Cf. Rom. 3:11; Eph. 5:17 2. A hardened heart affects ones ability to understand truth. John 12:40; Mk 8:17; Matt. 13:15
C. Spiritual blindness can affect how one is able to walk. 1 st John 2:11 1. The believer can walk in darkness (Darkness is the absence of the manifestation of the life of God. cf. John 3:19; Rom. 13:12). 1 John 2:11; Eph. 5:8 2. The unsaved man walks in the vanity of their minds. vs. Eph. 4:17 a. Mind is the term nous which denotes the b. Nous is a term that describes the whole mind of which the spirit is a part of. Eph. 4:23
D. Spiritual blindness leads to rejection of spiritual truth. 1. The natural man rejects spiritual things. 1 st Co. 2:14 2. The carnal believer cannot receive things from the Spirit. 1 st Co. 3:1 3. The ones affected by Satan are blinded in two different ways. a. The unsaved man is blinded to the truth of the gospel for salvation. 2 Co. 4:4; 1 st Co. 1:18-21 b. The believer blinded by Satan accepts an alternative provision to live by other than those provided by Grace. 2 Co. 11:3 4. The Jews blindness to causes them to reject Gods provisions. a. They rejected the kingdom offered them. Matt. 13:13 b.They rejects anything concerning grace truth. 2 Co. 3:14
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E. Spiritual blindness leads to an inability to turn from ones current state. cf. Matt. 13:15; Acts 28:27
III. THERE ARE BIBLICAL REMEDIES FOR SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS. A. God has to open the eyes of those who are blind for them to see. 1. The Lord opened the eyes of the disciples that they might understand the things written about Him. Lk. 24:32,45 2. Lydias eyes were opened to understand. Acts16:14 cf. 17:3
B. Illumination is the mechanism God uses to illumine those who are blind. 1. Illumination is that process whereby the Holy Spirit shines light on a portion of Scripture causing the believer to understand the truths contained in the passage. 2. Illumination illumines the heart of a believer to put together the truth of Gods Word. cf. 2 Tim. 2:7