Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Jesus spoke to the Pharisees who prided themselves on knowledge and discernment, claimed spiritual sight, and yet rejected Him, so their sin remained upon them. To be blind means to truly lack light through lack of capacity to learn or lack of opportunity for instruction, which would leave a person comparatively free from guilt, while to say we see means to claim insight while having the most favorable opportunity in the prophets, Christ Himself, and sufficient evidence of His divine character, yet to willfully close the eyes, choose darkness rather than light, and resist the Holy Spirit. Guilt is measured by light and opportunity, so responsibility grows with knowledge and religious privilege, and wisdom, ability, and opportunities boasted of do not excuse but increase condemnation when the light is neglected or rejected. Truth understood and light illuminating the soul becomes a witness against those who turn away from it, so sin remains when light has come and darkness is chosen, and further evidence only hardens such willful moral blindness in unbelief and opposition. People are not condemned for following what they believe is right until they receive light showing otherwise, as with the Sabbath, but one convicted of duty remains guilty if he knowingly disregards it, and the only remedy is to be converted with a new heart, confess and forsake sin, and accept, live by, and share the light given.
Words and Setting
Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, who prided themselves on knowledge and discernment, claimed spiritual sight, and yet rejected Christ, and to them He declared that their sin remained upon them. They could not discern their blindness while failing to recognize their true condition, and their course stood opposite to real godliness, which openly declares God's righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, loving-kindness and truth in humble obedience rather than hiding them.
To be blind in this saying means to truly lack light through lack of capacity to learn or lack of opportunity for instruction, and such ignorance through no fault of one's own would leave opposition to the truth comparatively free from guilt. Those who lack the light and therefore cannot see are not held guilty in the same way as those who have received truth and reject it, and those who recognize their spiritual blindness are not condemned as are those who claim to see while turning away. There is no sin attached to real blindness without light, but responsibility comes with knowledge possessed and privilege enjoyed.
To say we see means to claim insight while having the most favorable opportunity to obtain understanding of the Scriptures. That opportunity included the prophets and then Christ Himself presenting truth, the convicting power of God stirring the heart, and abundant and sufficient evidence of His divine character and divinity. Yet those addressed willfully closed their eyes to the light, stubbornly refused to receive instruction, chose darkness rather than light and truth, persistently turned their faces from the light, and resisted the work of the Holy Spirit, while Satan threw his blinder before their eyes and they received the light not.
Their blindness was therefore willful moral blindness, more dangerous than the physical blindness Jesus had healed, because they rejected given light and knowledge while claiming to see, through pride and self-exaltation refusing to understand. Unbelief and prejudice deepened that spiritual blindness, and further evidence would only have hardened them in unbelief and opposition. This closed condition shows itself in refusing to admit need for Christ and the help that could give sight, leaving spiritual blindness as one's own responsibility. Instead of seeking a new heart and new mind, such minds closed to the Spirit pass judgment on the messenger, find fault and pick flaws until things offending their ideas are culled out of the way, and rest with an explanation of salvation without the experience of believing in Christ as personal Saviour.
Light Measures Guilt
Guilt is measured by light and opportunity, and responsibility grows with knowledge and religious privilege, so that each person will be judged by the light given him. If blindness were truly lack of capacity to learn or lack of opportunity for instruction, opposition to the truth would leave a person comparatively free from guilt. But claiming to see while enjoying the most favorable opportunity to understand, and then willfully closing the eyes and refusing instruction, leaves sin remaining. Wisdom, ability, knowledge, and opportunities that are boasted of do not excuse but increase condemnation in the day of final judgment when light is neglected or rejected. One who has had great light but has for years neglected it will be judged by that neglected knowledge.
Truth understood and light reaching the understanding and illuminating the soul becomes a witness against those who turn away from it. Sin remains when light has come and darkness is chosen rather than light, for such darkness is not real darkness after the light of truth has shone. The light God gives exposes and judges those who turn away, and those given sacred truth and great light must live according to it and advance in knowledge and holiness. Justice both requires that people shall have light and requires punishment for refusing to walk in the heaven-given light that cost the death of the Son of God.
There is no guilt for rejecting what was never known, and those who lack light to recognize duty or truth are not condemned or held accountable in the same way for what they could not know. Limited knowledge in past generations does not excuse those who reject the truth revealed in their own day once light has come. Light saves only when people accept it, live by it, and share it, while neglected or rejected truth condemns.
Warning and Application
No guilt rests on those who keep the day they sincerely believe to be right until light showing otherwise reaches them. Once conviction comes that God requires Sabbath observance, the claim to see and understand truth leaves guilt remaining if that light is rejected. One so convicted cannot claim to be saved while knowingly disregarding the commandment, but must accept revealed truth even at personal cost and follow it. Accountability is fixed by the same rule as for those who rejected Christ despite the light given to them.
The same self-deception is seen when sacred things are called common and warnings and appeals are treated as worthless, for confidence in supposed sight does not remove sin. It is seen again in breaking God's law and teaching others to break it while claiming sanctification and salvation. Such are not godlike but sinners who strengthen other sinners in sin, waging blind warfare against the law while deliberately keeping the eyes closed. They say they cannot see because they do not want to see, and their blindness is as hopeless as that of the Jews who would not recognize Christ as Redeemer.
Claiming spiritual sight while failing to recognize the true condition is spiritual blindness, leaving sin standing. Those in this state misread their own spiritual condition and stand in great danger. Blind leaders in this condition lead blind followers astray, and both mislead and are misled unless converted and transformed. This course is the opposite of real godliness, which is diffusive and communicative, leading others in humble obedience and consecration by openly declaring God's righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, loving-kindness and truth instead of hiding and concealing them.
Unless such blind ones are converted and transformed they cannot work together with God or be laborers together with Him. What is needed is a new heart and new mind and Christ's righteousness, instead of closing the mind to the Spirit, passing judgment on the messenger, and finding fault and picking flaws until offending things are culled out of the way. Truth understood and light reaching the soul becomes a witness against those who turn away, so those given great light and sacred truth must advance in knowledge and holiness and live according to what they have received. Light saves only when it is accepted, lived by, and shared. The required response is personal confession and forsaking of sin and return to the Lord, which no one can do for another.
Jesus spoke to the Pharisees who prided themselves on knowledge and discernment, claimed spiritual sight, and yet rejected Him, so their sin remained upon them. To be blind means to truly lack light through lack of capacity to learn or lack of opportunity for instruction, which would leave a person comparatively free from guilt, while to say we see means to claim insight while having the most favorable opportunity in the prophets, Christ Himself, and sufficient evidence of His divine character, yet to willfully close the eyes, choose darkness rather than light, and resist the Holy Spirit. Guilt is measured by light and opportunity, so responsibility grows with knowledge and religious privilege, and wisdom, ability, and opportunities boasted of do not excuse but increase condemnation when the light is neglected or rejected. Truth understood and light illuminating the soul becomes a witness against those who turn away from it, so sin remains when light has come and darkness is chosen, and further evidence only hardens such willful moral blindness in unbelief and opposition. People are not condemned for following what they believe is right until they receive light showing otherwise, as with the Sabbath, but one convicted of duty remains guilty if he knowingly disregards it, and the only remedy is to be converted with a new heart, confess and forsake sin, and accept, live by, and share the light given.
Words and Setting
Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, who prided themselves on knowledge and discernment, claimed spiritual sight, and yet rejected Christ, and to them He declared that their sin remained upon them. They could not discern their blindness while failing to recognize their true condition, and their course stood opposite to real godliness, which openly declares God's righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, loving-kindness and truth in humble obedience rather than hiding them.
To be blind in this saying means to truly lack light through lack of capacity to learn or lack of opportunity for instruction, and such ignorance through no fault of one's own would leave opposition to the truth comparatively free from guilt. Those who lack the light and therefore cannot see are not held guilty in the same way as those who have received truth and reject it, and those who recognize their spiritual blindness are not condemned as are those who claim to see while turning away. There is no sin attached to real blindness without light, but responsibility comes with knowledge possessed and privilege enjoyed.
To say we see means to claim insight while having the most favorable opportunity to obtain understanding of the Scriptures. That opportunity included the prophets and then Christ Himself presenting truth, the convicting power of God stirring the heart, and abundant and sufficient evidence of His divine character and divinity. Yet those addressed willfully closed their eyes to the light, stubbornly refused to receive instruction, chose darkness rather than light and truth, persistently turned their faces from the light, and resisted the work of the Holy Spirit, while Satan threw his blinder before their eyes and they received the light not.
Their blindness was therefore willful moral blindness, more dangerous than the physical blindness Jesus had healed, because they rejected given light and knowledge while claiming to see, through pride and self-exaltation refusing to understand. Unbelief and prejudice deepened that spiritual blindness, and further evidence would only have hardened them in unbelief and opposition. This closed condition shows itself in refusing to admit need for Christ and the help that could give sight, leaving spiritual blindness as one's own responsibility. Instead of seeking a new heart and new mind, such minds closed to the Spirit pass judgment on the messenger, find fault and pick flaws until things offending their ideas are culled out of the way, and rest with an explanation of salvation without the experience of believing in Christ as personal Saviour.
Light Measures Guilt
Guilt is measured by light and opportunity, and responsibility grows with knowledge and religious privilege, so that each person will be judged by the light given him. If blindness were truly lack of capacity to learn or lack of opportunity for instruction, opposition to the truth would leave a person comparatively free from guilt. But claiming to see while enjoying the most favorable opportunity to understand, and then willfully closing the eyes and refusing instruction, leaves sin remaining. Wisdom, ability, knowledge, and opportunities that are boasted of do not excuse but increase condemnation in the day of final judgment when light is neglected or rejected. One who has had great light but has for years neglected it will be judged by that neglected knowledge.
Truth understood and light reaching the understanding and illuminating the soul becomes a witness against those who turn away from it. Sin remains when light has come and darkness is chosen rather than light, for such darkness is not real darkness after the light of truth has shone. The light God gives exposes and judges those who turn away, and those given sacred truth and great light must live according to it and advance in knowledge and holiness. Justice both requires that people shall have light and requires punishment for refusing to walk in the heaven-given light that cost the death of the Son of God.
There is no guilt for rejecting what was never known, and those who lack light to recognize duty or truth are not condemned or held accountable in the same way for what they could not know. Limited knowledge in past generations does not excuse those who reject the truth revealed in their own day once light has come. Light saves only when people accept it, live by it, and share it, while neglected or rejected truth condemns.
Warning and Application
No guilt rests on those who keep the day they sincerely believe to be right until light showing otherwise reaches them. Once conviction comes that God requires Sabbath observance, the claim to see and understand truth leaves guilt remaining if that light is rejected. One so convicted cannot claim to be saved while knowingly disregarding the commandment, but must accept revealed truth even at personal cost and follow it. Accountability is fixed by the same rule as for those who rejected Christ despite the light given to them.
The same self-deception is seen when sacred things are called common and warnings and appeals are treated as worthless, for confidence in supposed sight does not remove sin. It is seen again in breaking God's law and teaching others to break it while claiming sanctification and salvation. Such are not godlike but sinners who strengthen other sinners in sin, waging blind warfare against the law while deliberately keeping the eyes closed. They say they cannot see because they do not want to see, and their blindness is as hopeless as that of the Jews who would not recognize Christ as Redeemer.
Claiming spiritual sight while failing to recognize the true condition is spiritual blindness, leaving sin standing. Those in this state misread their own spiritual condition and stand in great danger. Blind leaders in this condition lead blind followers astray, and both mislead and are misled unless converted and transformed. This course is the opposite of real godliness, which is diffusive and communicative, leading others in humble obedience and consecration by openly declaring God's righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, loving-kindness and truth instead of hiding and concealing them.
Unless such blind ones are converted and transformed they cannot work together with God or be laborers together with Him. What is needed is a new heart and new mind and Christ's righteousness, instead of closing the mind to the Spirit, passing judgment on the messenger, and finding fault and picking flaws until offending things are culled out of the way. Truth understood and light reaching the soul becomes a witness against those who turn away, so those given great light and sacred truth must advance in knowledge and holiness and live according to what they have received. Light saves only when it is accepted, lived by, and shared. The required response is personal confession and forsaking of sin and return to the Lord, which no one can do for another.