Why Self-Righteousness Guarantees Blindness

The greatest mystery in all of biblical theology is not the visible miracle, but the invisible act of the human heart: Why do some people see the truth of God and live, while others—even the most religious—look upon it and remain utterly blind?

This article plunges into the core of that unfathomable paradox, dissecting the doctrine of The Father’s Sovereign Sight and Judicial Blindness.

Born of the Devil

We will confront the devastating reality of spiritual lineage, the complex both/and of human responsibility and divine hardening, and the terrifying truth that a person’s perceived “light” may, in fact, be the deepest form of darkness.

Far from a mere study of history, this is an exploration of the ultimate, eternal question: What separates the vessels of wrath from the vessels of mercy, and why is the answer 100% Gift?

Prepare to abandon all confidence in the flesh, for we stand at the doorway of a mystery that makes God’s grace utterly magnificent and the sinner’s condemnation absolutely just.

THE PHARISEES: “OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL”

John 8:44 - The Most Devastating Declaration

“You are OF your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.”

This isn’t metaphorical! Jesus is declaring their SPIRITUAL LINEAGE. Notice:

- Not “you’re LIKE the devil”

- Not “you’re FOLLOWING the devil”

- But “you are OF him” - ek tou patros tou diabolou

This is ORIGIN language. NATURE language. GENEALOGY language.

Just as:

- A cat meows because it IS a cat (feline nature)

- A dog barks because it IS a dog (canine nature)

- A Pharisee remains blind because he IS of the devil (satanic spiritual lineage)

Their blindness flows from their BEING, not just their behavior.

The “Ignorance IN Them” - Where Does It Come From?

Ephesians 4:18 - “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that IS IN them, due to their hardness of heart.”

The Greek construction suggests this ignorance is internal, inherent, deeply embedded - not just external lack of information.

WHO PUT IT THERE? The Mystery of Double Agency

1. HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY - They Created It

Romans 1:18-25 traces the descent:

- v.18 - They “suppress the truth” by their unrighteousness

- v.21 - They “became futile in their thinking”

- v.21 - Their “foolish hearts were darkened”

- v.25 - They “exchanged the truth about God for a lie”

- v.28 - They “did not see fit to acknowledge God”

They actively rejected, suppressed, exchanged, and refused!

2. DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY - God Judicially Hardened Them

Romans 1:24, 26, 28 - Three times: “God GAVE THEM UP”

- v.24 - “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts”

- v.26 - “For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions”

- v.28 - “God gave them up to a debased mind”

Romans 9:18 - “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 - “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

This is JUDICIAL HARDENING - God’s righteous response to their willful rejection.

The Pattern: Sin → Judgment → More Sin → More Judgment

- They suppress truth (human sin)

- God gives them over (divine judgment)

- They become more darkened (result)

- God sends stronger delusion (further judgment)

- They believe the lie completely (final state)

It’s BOTH/AND:

- They chose darkness → God gave them darkness

- They rejected truth → God withdrew light

- They hardened hearts → God confirmed the hardening

This preserves both:

- Divine Sovereignty - God actively hardens

- Human Responsibility - They deserve it

How Does Ignorance Get REPLACED with Truth?

ONLY by sovereign regeneration!

Ezekiel 36:26-27 - “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.”

Notice who’s doing the action: “I WILL… I WILL… I WILL…”

John 3:3, 7 - “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God… You must be born again.”

You can’t birth yourself! Birth is passive - you’re BORN, not self-generated!

John 1:12-13 - “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

THREE NEGATIVES (what it’s NOT from) + ONE POSITIVE (what it IS from):

- NOT from blood (genetics)

- NOT from will of flesh (human desire)

- NOT from will of man (human choice)

- BUT from GOD!

The Process:

- God’s sovereign choice (before foundation - Ephesians 1:4)

- Effectual calling (irresistible grace - Romans 8:30)

- Regeneration (born again by Spirit - John 3:5-8)

- Faith given (gift - Ephesians 2:8, Philippians 1:29)

- Eyes opened (spiritual sight - 2 Corinthians 4:6)

- Truth received (understanding - 1 Corinthians 2:12-14)

ALL OF GRACE. NONE OF US.

WHY THE WICKED LOVE DARKNESS (Beyond Greed/Selfishness)

1. THE DECEPTION OF FALSE FREEDOM

They think they’re FREE but are actually ENSLAVED!

John 8:32-36 - Jesus: “The truth will set you free.”

They respond: “We… have never been enslaved to anyone!”

Jesus: “Everyone who practices sin is a SLAVE to sin… So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

The Satanic Lie (From Eden):

Genesis 3:4-5 - Satan: “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.”

The promise: AUTONOMY. SELF-SOVEREIGNTY. SELF-DETERMINATION.

The Reality:

Romans 6:16 - “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

2 Peter 2:19 - “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.”

What They THINK Darkness Gives Them:

- Freedom from accountability (“No one can judge me!”)

- Freedom from authority (“I am my own god!”)

- Freedom from rules (“I decide right and wrong!”)

- Freedom from consequences (“I’ll hide my deeds!”)

- Freedom from submission (“I bow to no one!”)

What Darkness ACTUALLY Is:

- SLAVERY to sin (Romans 6:20)

- SLAVERY to Satan (2 Timothy 2:26 - “held captive by him”)

- SLAVERY to corruption (2 Peter 2:19)

- SLAVERY to fear of death (Hebrews 2:15)

- SLAVERY to passions (Titus 3:3)

They’re in CHAINS calling themselves FREE!

2. HATRED OF EXPOSURE - What Are They Really Avoiding?

John 3:19-20 - “People loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

What EXPOSURE Would Reveal:

A. Their True Moral Condition

Isaiah 64:6 - “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” (The Hebrew is even stronger - menstrual rags)

Their “good works” would be shown as filthy!

B. Their False Identity

Revelation 3:17 - “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

The gap between their self-image and reality is DEVASTATING!

C. Their Utter Helplessness

John 15:5 - “Apart from me you can do NOTHING.”

They’d have to admit they’re not self-sufficient!

D. Their Worthlessness Before God

Luke 17:10 - “When you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Their pride cannot bear “unworthy”!

E. Their Need for a Savior

Matthew 9:12 - “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

Admitting sickness means admitting you need healing OUTSIDE yourself!

F. Their Guilt and Coming Judgment

Romans 2:5 - “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Light would expose that wrath is coming!

G. The Death of the False Self

This is perhaps deepest: Their entire identity is built on lies.

They ARE:

- Their achievements
- Their righteousness
- Their knowledge
- Their position
- Their control

Light would KILL this false self - and they’d rather die physically than die to self!

Luke 9:23-24 - “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

They cannot bear this death!

3. WHAT THEY LOVE ABOUT DARKNESS

A. Moral Autonomy

“I am the measure! I decide good and evil!”

Judges 21:25 - “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Isaiah 5:20 - “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”

B. No Divine Authority Over Them

Psalm 2:2-3 - “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’”

They want to throw off God’s “restraints”!

C. Hidden Sin Can Continue

Ephesians 5:11-12 - “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.”

Darkness hides their shame!

D. Self-Worship Can Continue

2 Thessalonians 2:4 - Speaking of the man of lawlessness: “He opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”

Every unregenerate heart wants to be God!

E. Comfort and No Disruption

Amos 6:1 - “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion.”

Luke 12:19 - “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

Light would disrupt their comfortable death!

F. Power Over Others Through Deception

2 Corinthians 4:2 - Paul contrasts himself with those who practice “cunning” and “tamper with God’s word” - they use darkness to manipulate!

Matthew 23:13 - “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves, nor allow those who would enter to go in.”

G. Self-Justification

Luke 18:9 - The parable is “for some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.”

In darkness, they can maintain the illusion of righteousness!

4. WHAT THEY HATE ABOUT LIGHT

A. It Reveals God’s Holiness (And Therefore Their Unholiness)

Isaiah 6:3-5 - The seraphim cry “Holy, holy, holy!”

Isaiah responds: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips.”

Light shows the infinite gap!

B. It Demands Surrender

Romans 10:3 - “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.”

The word “submit” - hypotasso - means to place under authority. They HATE submission!

C. It Requires Death to Self

Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

This is ego-death! The flesh screams against it!

D. It Exposes Their Works as Worthless

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 - Some build with “wood, hay, straw” which will be burned up. Their “life’s work” shown as nothing!

E. It Reveals They’re Not God’s Children

John 8:42 - “If God were your Father, you would love me.”

The crushing verdict: You’re NOT His!

F. It Strips Away Their Religious Pride

Matthew 23:27 - “You are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones.”

All their religious activity shown as death!

G. It Shows They’re Headed for Judgment

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 - Speaking of Jesus’ return: “inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel… They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord.”

WHY THEY SEE LIES AS TRUTH

The Judicial Inversion of Perception

Isaiah 5:20 - “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.”

This isn’t just error - it’s COMPLETE INVERSION!

The Process of Delusional “Seeing”

1. Initial Suppression (Romans 1:18) - They suppress truth they initially perceive.

2. Exchange (Romans 1:25) - They exchange truth for lies - active replacement.

3. Futile Thinking (Romans 1:21) - Their reasoning becomes worthless.

4. Darkened Hearts (Romans 1:21) - The core becomes dark.

5. Debased Mind (Romans 1:28) - Adokimos nous - a mind that fails the test, is worthless, counterfeit.

6. Divine Delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11) - God sends energeia planes - “working of error/delusion.”

7. Complete Inversion (Isaiah 5:20) - They now genuinely SEE lies as truth!

What They “See”:

- Self-righteousness instead of depravity
- Freedom instead of slavery
- Life instead of death
- Light instead of darkness
- Wisdom instead of foolishness
- Good instead of evil

Matthew 6:22-23 - “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

The “light” they think they have IS darkness! The worst blindness!

Why Can’t They See Truth?

1 Corinthians 2:14 - “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

- “Does not accept” - ou dechetai - rejects, refuses

- “Folly” - moria - complete foolishness

- “Not able” - ou dynatai - INCAPABLE!

It’s not just unwillingness - it’s INABILITY!

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 - “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel.”

Satan actively blinds - etyphlosen - made blind, obscured.

THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH OF SIGHT

“To Him Who Has, More Will Be Given”

Matthew 13:12 - “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Matthew 25:29 - Same principle in the Parable of Talents.

YES! There Is Progressive, Increasing Revelation!

Proverbs 4:18 - “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”

Not static! PROGRESSIVE!

2 Corinthians 3:18 - “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”

Apo doxes eis doxan - “FROM glory TO glory” - continuous progression!

John 16:12-13 - “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”

The Spirit continues revealing!

The Upward Spiral of Truth and Faith

Faith → Obedience → More Truth → More Faith → More Obedience → MORE TRUTH

John 7:17 - “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God.”

Obedience brings epistemological clarity!

Hosea 6:3 - “Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn.”

Philippians 3:12-14 - “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own… I press on toward the goal.”

PRESSING ON suggests unlimited horizon!

Is There a Limit to What We Can See?

IN THIS LIFE: Yes

1 Corinthians 13:9, 12 - “For we know in part… For now we see in a mirror dimly.”

We’re limited by:

- Our finite minds
- Our remaining sin
- Our partial sanctification
- Time and space constraints

IN THE ESCHATON: No!

1 Corinthians 13:12 - “But then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

1 John 3:2 - “We shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Revelation 22:4 - “They will see his face.”

Ultimate seeing! Unlimited knowledge! Perfect comprehension!

YES! More Faith Comes Too!

Romans 1:17 - “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.”

Ek pisteos eis pistin - “from faith unto faith” - progressive!

2 Thessalonians 1:3 - “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly.”

Hyperauxanei - “super-grows,” “grows exceedingly”!

Luke 17:5 - The apostles: “Increase our faith!”

They knew faith could grow!

The Progression:

- Small faith (Matthew 6:30 - “O you of little faith”)

- Growing faith (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

- Great faith (Matthew 8:10 - centurion)

- Full assurance of faith (Hebrews 10:22)

- Perfect faith (in glory)

Truth and faith are synergistic:

- More truth → More faith
- More faith → More truth
- Both → More obedience
- All three → More glory to God!

THE ULTIMATE QUESTION: GIFT OR MERIT?

Your Answer Is BIBLICALLY CORRECT: 100% GIFT!

Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Even the faith itself? YES!

Philippians 1:29 - “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.”

Echaristhe - “graced to you,” “given as a gift”

Acts 13:48 - “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”

The ORDER: Appointed THEN believed (not believed then appointed)!

2 Timothy 2:25 - “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.”

Even repentance is granted!

ZERO Contribution From Us

John 1:12-13 - “Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Three emphatic negatives:

- NOT from natural lineage
- NOT from human desire
- NOT from human decision
- BUT from GOD!

John 6:44 - “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”

Oude heis - “not even one” - absolute negative!

John 6:65 - “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

Romans 9:16 - “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

Titus 3:5 - “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.”

Before the Foundation of the World

Ephesians 1:4-5 - “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself.”

2 Timothy 1:9 - “Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.”

Revelation 13:8 - “Everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb.”

Revelation 17:8 - “Those whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world.”

THE NAMES WERE WRITTEN BEFORE CREATION!

Why This Matters Eternally

1. ALL Glory Goes to God

If we contributed even 1%, we could boast. But since it’s 100% grace, it’s 100% His glory!

Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14 - Three times: “to the praise of his glory”

2. Security Is Absolute

Romans 8:29-30 - “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined… and those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Notice: Already glorified (past tense) - it’s SO certain!

Philippians 1:6 - “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”

John 10:28-29 - “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

DOUBLE SECURITY - Father’s hand AND Son’s hand!

3. Humility Is Guaranteed

1 Corinthians 4:7 - “For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

We have ZERO grounds for pride!

4. Love Is Magnified

Romans 5:8 - “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

He didn’t love us because we were lovable - He loved us in our ugliness!

THE TARES: Born of the Devil

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - The Parable Explained

v.38 - “The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.”

Two distinct categories of humanity:

- Sons of the kingdom (planted by God)

- Sons of the evil one (planted by Satan)

Are They “Of Their Father the Devil”? YES!

John 8:44 - “You are of your father the devil.”

Ek tou patros tou diabolou este - “You are OUT OF the father the devil”

This is ORIGIN language!

1 John 3:8, 10 - “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil… By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil.”

There are TWO LINEAGES:

Children of God:

John 1:12 - “Gave the right to become children of God”

1 John 3:1 - “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are”

Romans 8:16 - “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”

Children of the devil:

- John 8:44 - “Of your father the devil”

- 1 John 3:10 - “Children of the devil”

- Ephesians 2:2 - “Sons of disobedience”

- Matthew 23:15 - Pharisees make converts “twice as much a child of hell”

- Matthew 23:33 - “You serpents, you brood of vipers”

Born Blind by Nature

Ephesians 2:1-3 - “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins… and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Physei tekna orges - “BY NATURE children of wrath”

Not by choice initially - by NATURE!

Romans 5:12 - “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

ALL born in Adam = ALL born spiritually dead and blind!

Psalm 51:5 - “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

Psalm 58:3 - “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.”

But Some Are Chosen From That Mass

Romans 9:21-23 - “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory?”

From the SAME LUMP (fallen humanity):

- Some → vessels of mercy (election)

- Others → vessels of wrath (reprobation)

Both serve God’s glory:

- Vessels of mercy → Display His GRACE

- Vessels of wrath → Display His JUSTICE

The Pharisees: Predetermined to Blindness?

Romans 9:17-18 - “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”

Pharaoh was RAISED UP for the purpose of displaying God’s power through judgment!

Could the Pharisees be the same?

John 12:37-40 - “Though he had done so many signs before them, still they did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’ Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, ‘He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.’”

“THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE” - ouk edynanto pisteuein - “were not able to believe”!

Because “HE has blinded their eyes”!

The Purpose: That Others May See by Contrast

Romans 11:7-11 - “What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened… So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.”

Their hardening served a purpose - Gentile salvation!

John 9:39 - “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.’”

The blind see, the “seeing” become blind - for God’s glory!

Exodus 9:16 - “But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”

THE GREAT INVERSION: Religious vs. Desperate

The Pattern Throughout Scripture

Luke 14:16-24 - The Great Banquet

Those invited (religious, respectable) make excuses:

- “I have bought a field”
- “I have bought five yoke of oxen”
- “I have married a wife”

The master sends for: “The poor and crippled and blind and lame” from the streets!

The “worthy” reject; the “unworthy” receive!

Matthew 21:31-32 - Tax Collectors and Prostitutes

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him.’”

The “sinners” believed; the “righteous” didn’t!

Luke 18:9-14 - Pharisee and Tax Collector

Pharisee prays: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.”

Tax collector: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

Jesus: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.”

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 - God’s Chosen

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

Why the Religious Stay Blind

1. They Think They Already See!

John 9:40-41 - “Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, ‘Are we also blind?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, “We see,” your guilt remains.’”

Self-perceived sight is the worst blindness!

The Laodicean delusion - thinking they’re rich when bankrupt!

2. They Trust in Their Own Righteousness

Luke 18:9 - “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.”

Philippians 3:4-6 - Paul describes his former confidence: “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”

Then v.7-8: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss… and count them as rubbish.”

Skybala - dung, garbage, excrement! That’s what self-righteousness is!

3. They Are Full and Need Nothing

Matthew 9:12 - “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

They don’t see themselves as sick, so they reject the Doctor!

Luke 1:53 - “He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”

4. They Love Their Position and Power

John 11:47-48 - “So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, ‘What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’”

They fear losing their PLACE - their position, authority, power!

John 12:42-43 - “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

5. They Are Enslaved to the Praise of Men

Matthew 23:5-7 - “They do all their deeds to be seen by others… they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.”

John 5:44 - “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”

Pride blocks sight!

6. They Cannot Humble Themselves

James 4:6 - “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5 - “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

The Greek antitassetai means “arrays himself against” - military language! God is AT WAR with the proud!

Why the Desperate Receive Sight

1. They Know They’re Blind!

Matthew 5:3 - “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Ptochoi - utterly destitute, beggarly poor!

2. They Cry Out for Mercy!

Luke 18:13 - The tax collector “would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’”

Hilastheti - “Be propitiated toward me!” He’s asking for atonement!

Mark 10:47 - Blind Bartimaeus: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

He cried out persistently until Jesus stopped!

3. They Know They’re Empty!

Isaiah 55:1 - “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!”

John 7:37 - “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”

You must know you’re thirsty to come!

4. They’re Helpless and Know It!

Romans 5:6 - “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Psalm 34:18 - “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Isaiah 57:15 - “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’”

5. They Have No Confidence in the Flesh

Philippians 3:3 - “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”

6. They’re Desperate!

Matthew 11:12 - “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Not physical violence - desperate spiritual hunger! They press in!

Luke 16:16 - “Everyone forces his way into it” - they’re desperate to enter!

The Sovereign Design

Matthew 11:25-26 - “At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.’”

Eudokia - “good pleasure, sovereign delight”

IT WAS GOD’S WILL to hide from the “wise” and reveal to “children”!

THE ACTIVATION: THE WORD AWAKENS THE ELECT

The Living Seed Already Planted

1 Peter 1:23 - “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.”

The seed is the Word, but who planted it?

Luke 8:11 - “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.”

Matthew 13:37-38 - “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom.”

Wait - the seed is both the WORD and the SONS!

This suggests: The elect ARE the word-seed that God planted before time!

The Word Activates What’s Already There

John 10:27 - “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Why do they hear? Because they ARE His sheep!

John 10:26 - “But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.”

The identity precedes the hearing!

Acts 13:48 - “And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.”

Appointed THEN believed!

The Irresistible, Effectual Call

Romans 8:30 - “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified.”

Every predestined person IS called!
Every called person IS justified!
No dropoff! No failure! 100% effectual!

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 - “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

To the called, it’s DIFFERENT! They perceive power and wisdom where others see foolishness!

The Hearing That Brings Life

John 5:25 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”

The DEAD hear! How?

Ezekiel 37:4-5 - “Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live.’”

God commands dead bones to hear, then MAKES them hear by giving life!

Romans 10:17 - “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

But how do spiritually dead people hear?

1 Corinthians 2:14 - “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

ANSWER: God regenerates first, THEN they hear!

The Order of Salvation (Ordo Salutis)

1. Election (before foundation - Ephesians 1:4)

2. Gospel Proclamation (external call - Romans 10:14)

3. Regeneration (born again - John 3:3, 5-8)

4. Effectual Calling (internal call - Romans 8:30)

5. Faith (gift - Ephesians 2:8)

6. Repentance (gift - 2 Timothy 2:25)

7. Justification (declared righteous - Romans 5:1)

8. Adoption (made sons - Ephesians 1:5)

9. Sanctification (ongoing - 2 Thessalonians 2:13)

10. Glorification (final - Romans 8:30)

ALL by grace! ALL guaranteed! ALL to God’s glory!

When Does the Seed Activate?

At the appointed time!

Galatians 4:4 - “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.”

Acts 17:26 - God “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.”

God has appointed WHEN each elect person will hear!

John 10:16 - “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them, and they will listen to my voice.”

“I MUST” - dei - divine necessity! It WILL happen!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 - “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

Some hear as children, some as youth, some on deathbeds - all in GOD’S TIME!

The Miracle of Hearing

When the Word is preached/read/shared:

For the NON-ELECT:

- They hear with ears but don’t perceive (Matthew 13:13-15)

- It’s foolishness to them (1 Corinthians 1:18)

- They reject or ignore it

- Their hearts remain hard

For the ELECT:

- The Spirit illuminates (1 Corinthians 2:12)

- The scales fall (Acts 9:18)

- The heart is opened (Acts 16:14 - “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention”)

- Faith awakens

- They SEE!

- They’re ALIVE!

- They RESPOND!

Acts 16:14 - “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia… The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”

WHO opened? The LORD!
WHAT did He open? Her HEART!
RESULT? She paid attention!

THE FINAL CONTRAST: Two Humanities, Two Destinies

All Born in Adam (The First Humanity)

1 Corinthians 15:22 - “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Romans 5:12 - “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”

We ALL start:

- Dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1)
- Children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3)
- Slaves to sin (Romans 6:20)
- Blind to truth (2 Corinthians 4:4)
- Enemies of God (Romans 5:10)
- Spiritually deaf (Matthew 13:15)

NO EXCEPTIONS! All born blind!

Some Born Again in Christ (The New Humanity)

1 Corinthians 15:22 - “So also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 - “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 - “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”

They become:

- Alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5)
- Children of God (John 1:12)
- Free from sin (Romans 6:18, 22)
- Able to see (2 Corinthians 4:6)
- Friends of God (John 15:15)
- Able to hear (John 10:27)

The Two Seeds

Genesis 3:15 - “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring.”

TWO SEEDS:

- Seed of the serpent (children of the devil)

- Seed of the woman (children of God)

Matthew 13:38 - “The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.”

The Two Ways

Matthew 7:13-14 - “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

MANY on the broad road!

FEW on the narrow road!

The Two Destinies

Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46 -

To the sheep: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

To the goats: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Conclusion: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

TWO DESTINIES:

- Eternal life (for vessels of mercy)

- Eternal punishment (for vessels of wrath)

Both Display God’s Glory

Romans 9:22-23 - “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory?”

Vessels of wrath display:

- His justice
- His wrath against sin
- His righteousness
- His power
- His holiness

Vessels of mercy display:

- His grace
- His mercy
- His love
- His patience
- His compassion

BOTH bring Him glory!

Exodus 14:4 - “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.”

Even in judgment, God gets glory!

LIVING AS THOSE WHO CAN SEE

1. Overwhelming Gratitude

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like ME!”

Colossians 1:12-13 - “Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”

We should NEVER get over this! Never take it for granted!

2. Complete Humility

1 Corinthians 4:7 - “For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

Everything is gift! We contributed NOTHING!

Ephesians 2:8-9 - “Not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

3. Passionate Evangelism

We don’t know who the elect are! We preach to ALL!

Matthew 28:19 - “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”

Acts 17:30 - “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”

2 Timothy 2:10 - “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

We preach knowing:

- God’s sheep WILL hear (John 10:27)

- The elect WILL believe (Acts 13:48)

- God’s word WILL accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 55:11)

- Our labor is NOT in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58)

4. Bold Confidence

Romans 8:31 - “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:38-39 - “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

If God chose us before time, called us in time, will glorify us in eternity - NOTHING can stop it!

5. Relentless Pursuit of Truth

John 8:31-32 - “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

Philippians 3:12-14 - “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

MORE truth! MORE sight! MORE glory!

6. Warfare Prayer

Ephesians 6:12 - “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 - “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

We pray for the scales to fall! For eyes to open! For the Spirit to work!

7. Compassionate Urgency

Jude 1:22-23 - “And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”

Yes, it’s all sovereign - but we don’t know the timing! We don’t know who! So we act with URGENCY!

2 Corinthians 5:11 - “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.”

8. Worship Without End

Revelation 5:9-10 - “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God.’”

The song of the redeemed! Salvation by BLOOD!

Revelation 7:9-10 - “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

THE ULTIMATE MYSTERY AND ULTIMATE GLORY

The Tension We Hold

Divine Sovereignty + Human Responsibility = Biblical Mystery

We affirm BOTH:

God’s Absolute Sovereignty:

- He chose before time (Ephesians 1:4)
- He hardens whom He wills (Romans 9:18)
- He grants repentance (2 Timothy 2:25)
- He opens hearts (Acts 16:14)
- He draws (John 6:44)
- He gives sight (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Human Genuine Responsibility:

- They suppress truth (Romans 1:18)
- They reject Christ (John 1:11)
- They love darkness (John 3:19)
- They close their eyes (Matthew 13:15)
- They refuse to come (John 5:40)
- They deserve judgment (Romans 1:32)

Both are true! Both are biblical! The tension IS the truth!

Why This Doctrine Is Glorious

1. God Gets ALL the Glory

If salvation depended on human will or effort, humans would share glory. But since it’s 100% God’s work:

Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14 - “To the praise of HIS glorious grace… to the praise of HIS glory… to the praise of HIS glory.”

2. Grace Is Truly Amazing

If God elected based on foreseen faith or merit, it wouldn’t be grace - it would be reward. But since He chose us WHILE we were dead, enemies, ungodly:

Romans 5:6, 8, 10 - “While we were still weak… while we were still sinners… while we were enemies.”

THIS is grace! Undeserved! Unexpected! Unearned!

3. Love Is Truly Sovereign

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 - “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you.”

He loves because HE loves! Not because we’re lovable!

4. Security Is Absolute

John 6:37, 39 - “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out… And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.”

NOT ONE will be lost!

5. Faith Itself Becomes Precious

2 Peter 1:1 - “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Lachousin - “obtained by lot/divine allotment” - it was GIVEN!

Even our faith is a treasure from God!

The Final Word: TO GOD BE THE GLORY

Romans 11:33-36 - After the deepest discussion of election and sovereignty in Scripture, Paul bursts into doxology:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. TO HIM BE GLORY FOREVER. AMEN.”

From Him - He is the source

Through Him - He is the means

To Him - He is the goal

ALL THINGS → TO HIS GLORY!

-----

WE CAN SEE!

Blessed are YOUR eyes, for THEY SEE! (Matthew 13:16)

We who were:

- Born blind in Adam
- Dead in sin
- Children of wrath
- Slaves to darkness
- Enemies of God
- Lovers of lies

Have been made:

- Born again in Christ
- Alive to God
- Children of God
- Sons of light
- Friends of God
- Lovers of truth

ALL BY GRACE!
ALL BY SOVEREIGN CHOICE!
ALL BEFORE TIME!
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!

And now we see MORE each day, growing from glory to glory, until that day when faith becomes sight, and we see Him FACE TO FACE!

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but THEN face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known!” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

What a Savior! What a salvation! What a sovereign God!

TO HIM BE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER! AMEN!