Today’s mini-sermon is the 9th of a 12-part series on the 9th chapter of John. It will be appearing in the Saturday, Sunday and Thursday additions of the Answers2Prayer newsletters.
“A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. ‘Give glory to God,’ they said. ‘We know this man is a sinner.’ He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!’” (John 9: 22,23)
How would you feel if you had to be admitted to a hospital? You have horrible stomach pain. Pepto-Bismol (or whatever they use for stomach cramps) and Alka-Seltzer are of no help. You are desperate. You need help. You need a doctor. While waiting for the doctor, someone sneaks into your room, looks at you, touches you and you are instantly healed. “Thank you doctor”, you mutter in amazement. Without a word he leaves your room. A few minutes later a doctor comes in and asks you what is the matter. “You see, I had stomach problems and now I am healed”.
“What do you mean you are healed? Why are you here then?”
“Well I was here because I had terrible stomach pain”.
“But you told me you had no more pain!”
“Wait! While waiting for a doctor, someone came into my room, looked at me and touched me, and I was instantly healed.”
“Another doctor? Impossible! I am the only one on duty today. There is no one who could have done that. If there was someone else, he was not a doctor!”
“I do not know if he is or is not a doctor, but I had terrible stomach pain and now I am healed!”
Even though that doctor may not believe this patient, the patient is at peace because he was released from all pain. To him, the person who healed him was the real doctor! No one can take that belief away. He was sick, but now he is healed! The same was true to this blind man, long time ago. The religious people were trying to prove him that it couldn’t be so, that the man who supposedly healed him was a sinner. They were trying to discredit the healing power of the Messiah.
However, once you have experienced God’s power in your life, nothing can waver from the fact that God has been at work in you. “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
Once God enters someone and dwell in that person, he/she is a changed person! “I was lost, but now I am saved”. “I was spiritual blind, but now I see!” “I was lost in the rulebooks of this life, but now I see the redemptive work of Jesus Christ!” Praise the Lord!
Nobody can take that experience away. Some people may criticize you for it “This kind of stuff is for emotional people! Intellectual people don’t have that kind of stuff”. But it won’t take away that incredible experience you had and still have with God’s Holy Spirit! The sad fact is that “religious” people cannot identify with that experience, because they do know Him!
John 14:16-17: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
The Pharisees did not know Jesus and criticized anyone who was touched by Him. But those people touched by Him did not care. They were blind, but now they could see. Hallelujah!
Have you experienced the power of God in your life? If not, why don’t you invite Him?
In His love,
Rob Chaffart
Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org
(To access the entire “I was Blind, but now I See” mini-series, please click here.)