“The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Cor. 4:4).
“There is in the unregenerate mind an incompetence, an incapacity, an inability to understand the things of the Spirit; and Christ’s repeated miracle in restoring sight to the naturally blind was designed to teach us our imperative need of the same divine power recovering spiritual vision to our souls…. The mind’s eye of the sinner is capable of perceiving natural things, but he has no ability to see spiritual things. Holy Writ states that the one who “lacks these things,” namely, the graces of faith, virtue, knowledge, and so forth, mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5-7, is “blind, and cannot see afar off” (v. 9). The Book therefore urges him to receive “eyesalve” from Christ, that he may see (Rev. 3:18).
For this very purpose the Son of God came into the world: to give “deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind” (Luke 4:18). Concerning those who are the subjects of this miracle of grace it is said, “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord” (Eph. 5:8). This is the fulfillment of our Lord’s promise: “I am the light of the world: HE THAT FOLLOWETH ME SHALL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
God is light, therefore those who are alienated from Him are in COMPLETE SPIRITUAL DARKNESS. They do not see the frightful danger to which they are exposed. Though they are led captive by Satan from day to day and year to year, they are totally unaware of his malignant influence over them. They are blind to the nature and tendency of their religious performances, failing to perceive that no matter how earnestly they engage in them, they cannot be acceptable to God while their minds are at enmity against Him. They are blind to the way and means of recovery.
THE AWFUL THING IS THAT THE NATURAL MAN IS QUITE BLIND TO THE BLINDNESS OF HIS HEART which is insensibly leading him to “the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13). That is why the vast majority live so securely and peacefully. It has always appeared strange to the godly why the ungodly can be so unconcerned while under sentence of death, and conduct themselves so frivolously and gaily while exposed to the wrath to come.
John was surprised to see the wicked spending their days in carnality and feasting. David was grieved at the prosperity of the wicked and could not account for their not being in trouble as other men. Amos was astonished to behold the sinners in Zion living at ease, putting the evil day far from them, lying on beds of ivory. Nothing but their SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS can explain the conduct of the vast majority of mankind, crying peace and safety when exposed to IMPENDING DESTRUCTION.”
~ Arthur Pink, “The Doctrine of Man’s Impotence”
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