Focus: Necessity of Spiritual Sight

Text: Jh.3:3

"Except a man be born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God."

The kingdom of God operates differently from all other kingdoms, and it requires being born again to see that. In God's kingdom, blindness is a big tragedy. We acquire new set of eyes by the way of spiritual rebirth. It would take a brand new 'Nicodemus' to see what God's kingdom is by nature, what it's about and how it functions. God's kingdom is so different from all other kingdoms that when Jesus talked about it, He did so in the form of parables, and He repeatedly said it was LIKE… In other words, the kingdom of God is not EXACTLY the same thing as other kingdoms. There could be similarities, but not absolutely. There are also vast contrasts between God's kingdom and all others. Only the new birth can ensure a correct view of the kingdom of God.

*See the need to see

Elijah sent out his servant to check out the weather, and bring him back a report. But the young man could not see any sign of rain. Elijah then insisted that he should go again and again. The Bible reports, "And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand" (1Kgs.18:44). It was necessary for him to see the sign of rain, and so he kept going until he could see it.

In another instance, Elisha wanted his servant to conquer his fears by catching a vision of a spiritual reality. The Bible says, "And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, OPEN his EYES, that he may SEE. And the LORD OPENED the EYES of the young man; and he SAW: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha" (2Kgs.6:17). On seeing the Lord's army, his fear vanished.

*See your possessions in Christ

For the believer in Christ, Paul prays that "the EYES of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may KNOW what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph.1:18). The word 'know' means 'to see or perceive.' Paul prays for the believer to see the hope of his calling, the riches of the glory available for him to possess, and the exceeding greatness of God's power that is available for him. How can what you don't know is yours be of benefit to you? How can what is yours profit you if you don't know it's yours? It's time to see the things God has in store for His own.

*See your place in Christ

In Genesis 13, God said to Abraham, "Lift up now thine EYES, and LOOK from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou SEEST, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever… Arise, WALK through the land in the LENGTH of it and in the BREADTH of it; for I will give it unto thee" (Gen.13:14,15,17). God wanted him to see the scope and dimensions of his inheritance. Indeed God tells him not only to see, but also to walk around and across the whole space. In other words, see and seize your place. Nothing can take the place of vision in the life of the believer.

*See the hidden treasures of Scripture

The psalmist prays, "Open thou mine EYES, that I may BEHOLD wondrous things out of thy law" (Ps.119:18). Divine mysteries abound in Scripture and only believers with spiritual eyes can catch the revelations contained in them. Two disciples of Christ said to themselves, "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he OPENED to us the scriptures? Then OPENED he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures" (Lk.24:32,45). The Lord Jesus Christ opened the scriptures to them, but that was not enough. He also opened their mental faculty to comprehend the scriptures. 

The Bible is not an ordinary book to be ordinarily understood. We need the help of the Holy Spirit, the author of it. He enlightens our eyes to understand His book.

*See Christ for yourself

Luke writes, "And their eyes were OPENED, and they KNEW him" (Lk.24:31). The two disciples were journeying together with the resurrected Christ and He was conversing with them, but they didn't know who He was. But by the time they got home and dined together, He opened their eyes to know who He was. The word 'knew' is 'epignosis' in the Greek, which means 'full, complete, or adequate knowledge.' It is knowledge that comes from contact or relationship. Also, it is bits and pieces of knowledge that are interwoven into a whole. He made them know Him in reality as the resurrected Christ. It must have been an unforgettable encounter for them. Christ is the key to understanding the scriptures.

Lord, make us know you truly and totally!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter