The Piral of Unbelief (2)

The spiral of unbelief

John 9:13-34

May 26, 2024

Has anyone ever heard of “girl math” or “boy math”? It works like this. I have been guilty of going to Heidi and saying, “If I sell my old truck and use the “PROFIT” of the old truck to buy the new truck, then the new truck is cheaper. So, I think it is a wise business decision to purchase a new truck.”

Girl math is even funnier to me. It works like this. “I bought this bag from Target for $100 and didn’t like it. So, I returned it, got money back, and bought a new bag for $120, so the new bag only cost me $20!

I know that I just threw all of us under the bus. We can all justify illogical behavior for the sake of things we want or believe to be right. We can even convincingly persuade others to our position all the while ignoring the fact that both arguments are completely and illogical.

Today’s message has to do with a breakdown of logic and a study of the spiral of unbelief. When you look at this text today, it is like looking at boy and girl math. The facts scream one thing while crazy screams louder and the facts don’t matter.

Here is the context. Our Lord had healed a blind man from birth. He had a great discussion with His disciples on who had sinned to cause the blindness (him or his parents) and Jesus taught them that neither but that He would be glorified from it. Then we see Jesus heal him and then a discussion with the neighbors breaks out. For some reason, the neighbors can not process the facts and can not understand the miracle. So, they take the blind man to the religious leaders.

Now, we don’t know why specifically they took him to the Jews. Maybe they were curious to see how the “experts” would handle such a strange event. We don’t know and that is not the point of the text.

Usually, I save my main point to the end. But today’s passage is a narrative, (meaning a story being told) and the point is woven throughout the passage. I want us to keep this main point in mind as we go. It will guide us. If we don’t understand this passage right, we will struggle with 35-41 and completely fall in chapter 10. This is a very important foundation for us to move forward.

So with that, here is my main point today and it is a question. “Have you overcome unbelief?”

Now before you discount this question, we all struggle with boy math and girl math and manipulate the logic and facts for our gain even as a believer. Let’s jump into the text.

READ John 9:13-16

1. Unbelief makes truth impossible to believe.

People always talk about the free will of man. This is a perfect example of “free will on display.” Truth is staring them in the face and they cannot see it and will not.

Let’s look at some facts in the face of unbelief. What was the major concern of the Jews: 1. Healing on Sabbath, 2. Making mud (kneading mud on the sabbath) 3. Sending the man to wash on the Sabbath. All of these were a violation of their ridiculous addition to the Law. But the real reason for their frustration was the one thing that should have convinced them. The healing!

The miracles that Christ performed were through the power of the HS. It was to serve as a sign! They were to point to something or specifically to who HE was. The unbelievers should be asking, “Why was this miracle performed.”

Maybe, just maybe there is a greater purpose here? These miracles were to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Messiah was here. The kingdom is at hand, the Gospel in the flesh stands before you! Instead of convincing them, it caused a great division among the Jews. Look at Vs 16:

“Some of the Pharisees said “this man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.”

The truth always causes division. Jesus Himself says that He came not to unify, but to divide (Luke 12:51). The truth does this! The truth pushes people at odds with one another. There was a subset of the religious leaders who saw the truth. They even said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such things?” They were quickly ignored and it is obvious that they were the minority. Sadly, they disappear from our text.

This problem is alive in many of our church bodies today. There are divisions upon divisions. There are those who know truth, then there are those who can not process truth. The problem is that not everyone is “kind of right.” When it comes to “Truth”, there is only one truth, Christ. It is right in front of us today. It is Christ and Him crucified. I preach no other Gospel other than that. Anything else is not truth.

I would caution brothers and sisters, when it comes to salvation issues, the statement “No one can really know” is true unbelief. I would direct that person back to the main point of today’s message, “Have you overcome unbelief?”

Let go back to our text. Vs 16

“Some of the Pharisees said, this man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

Allow me to say, God’s people the Jews are still God’s people. I believe that He is not done with them. But, Judaism is the most exclusive religion in the world. It is incredibly works based (moral law, ceremonial law and civil law). They teach and require strict exclusive adherence to the Law and Faith.

Interesting how Christ is exclusive? “No man can come to the Father except through me…I AM the Light of the world…I AM the Gate….I AM the Good Sheppard….” And my personal favorite: “I AM THE way…”

You see, the devil always has his counterfeit. Judaism, works-based religions, or knockoffs that add their “version” of truth are the devil’s attempt to use the unbelief of man to convince them that truth is not exclusive. To be clear, the devil doesn’t have to work very hard. Man’s use of his unbelief always leads to not seeing truth no matter the facts that are present.

As we move to the second point, I would ask, what are you adding to the Word of God? What are subtracting from the Word of God? If you are, have you really overcome unbelief?

2. Unbelief is never satisfied with truth.

READ 17-23

The Pharisees had a serious problem on their hands. They needed to figure out a way to maintain their moral standing with the people. But, according to their own traditions, no one could possibly do what Jesus did (heal a blind man) without being from God. But, if they recognized that Jesus is from God, than you MUST recognize that what He says is true! If what He says is true, then ALL of what He says is true,

That one point rocks my mind. Think about this. By healing the blind man, Jesus paints the Pharisees and US in a corner. You can recognize that He did this and thus IS who He says He is, or you can choose to overstep facts and preserve your position of unbelief. My plea, DON’T do that! Look at what He did!

But that is not what happens in our passage. Instead of recognizing Jesus as who He is, they step over facts to see if they can’t figure out a way to discredit facts by calling the parents of the year.

Parents, can you imagine your child being born blind? Now, for years, help your little one grope around in the dark and learn in ways normal children do not. Then, when he or she is an adult, instead of celebrating that sight is given to your child, you are more concerned about your way of life than the truth of your child’s sight.

Vs 18-23 we see the parents being called and asked if this was their son and if so, if he was blind and how he now sees. In an act of self-preservation, the man's parents sell him out to save their own skin. Now, to be clear they had a reason to fear the Jews. To be “cast out” was more than today’s church asking you to leave. Being cast out had three levels.

A. niddin, Basically, this is a 30-day time out away from people and worship.

B. cherem, It was of greater severity than the other. The offender was cursed, excluded from all other people, and prohibited from entering the temple.

C. shammatha, The person was cut off from all connection with the Jewish people and was consigned to utter perdition.

We do not know for sure what grade of “putting out” was being enforced. But, to be very sure, any level came with it pressures from society. Imagine if everything you knew, owned and valued was associated with your relationship to that temple. To be “shamatha” would be for some people certain death.

To the parent’s defense, the penalty was steep but to sell out your own son… You see, the cost was too great for them. The sad truth is that we are not much different from these parents. God works in our lives and gives blessing after blessing but when we have to answer for His work, we are quick to separate ourselves from giving God the glory publicly.

At this point, the blind man was starting to see the cost of following Christ. It will cost him in every way. He will be abandoned by those who love him. He could be cast out from his people and face the world alone.

Church, overcoming unbelief will cost all of us. I love what Steve Lawson recently taught. He said that Christ NEVER hides the small print. He tells you and me upfront about the cost of following Him. That is why the Gospel is so important. It will cost you! But the gain (HIM) is worth it when you recognize you unbelief, you will see your salvation. But you can’t do that on your own.

3. You can’t overcome unbelief on your own.

READ 24-29

“Give glory to God” Very interesting that the Jews quote Joshua 7:19. It is a clear reference to Achan who hid idols in his tent. The Jews were saying “Tell the truth because God can see what is true.” But, the point of saying that is that God knows the truth, it WILL come out, and you better not lie.

The Jews were asking the same thing. But look at how the man responds. “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know that though I was blind, now I see.”

Have you ever been subject to extreme peer pressure? The last ditch effort to make this problem go away with the pharisees was “wouldn’t you agree that He is a sinner.” But, the man holds his ground and points them to what should have convinced them, “One thing I do know, I was blind, and now I can see.”

No matter the weight of the evidence, unbelief is NOT overcome without help. You can give all the facts, all the evidence all the proof and it will always be met with unbelief if the heart is not made to open.

When people are like this, they are never satisfied with facts, truth or evidence. They are not interested in that. They may be asking for it, but that is not what they are looking for. They are looking for a loophole to further their position.

Vs 26-27 shows us the nature of the human heart when acting according to their free will. In essence, it can’t possibly be that simple. No way He did that…” The sad truth is that unbelief makes it far more complicated than it needs to be. That is why we see so many variations of religions. The reason? Unbelief always looks for the loophole.

Vs 28: “And they reviled him, saying, “you are his disciple, but we are the disciples of Moses”

So, facts no longer matter? This is why we do church today! To overcome unbelief, it is done in the community of the saints. (Hebrews 10:25) We gather together to address unbelief in both the saved and the unsaved. This goes back to my main point. Have you overcome unbelief? We come together to strengthen each other and grow in belief.

This is why Sunday School to us is so important! Never have I seen people grow more in faith than here at MBC. It is NOT anything that we have done per se. It is all the Word of God overcoming unbelief in the hearts and minds of His people. The ones who grow the most are the ones who gather together and learn. I preach every Sunday the Word of truth. But Sunday school is the application of life!

Again, I must ask, have you overcome unbelief? Believer, do you know what it looks like when you give unbelief a foothold in your life? Fits of depression, lack of faith in difficult times, unexplained anger, lack of patience, lack of contentment. Basically, everything opposite of the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5.

The more I do this thing called ministry, the more I am 100% convinced I can not save the lost soul. I can beg you, plead with you, and even try and convince you. But, at the end of the day, unless the Spirit of God moves, you will never see it. Does that mean I should not the Gospel? NO!! But we as believers, MUST pray for the Spirit of Truth to convict the heart of the unbeliever.

READ vs 30-33

“Why, this is an amazing thing!”

I LOVE this passage. The sarcasm is strong with this one. The blind man is saying, “Are you that dense? You can’t see this and you are the teachers of the Law? You can’t see where He came from?” The blind man who up to this point had never been allowed in the temple was about to educate the experts!

“You mean to tell me you don’t know that God does NOT listen to sinners.”

Up to this point, the man had maintained the neutral ground. He had only given facts. I was blind, now I see. He made mud and told me to wash. Now, the gloves come off and he quotes Psalms 66:18; Job 27: 9

Psalm 66:18 says “18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

the Lord would not have listened. [1]

The blind man masterfully uses common understanding, (OT LAW) to speak the language of the spiritually blind. Other passages support his point. He also referred to Isaiah 59:1,2

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,

or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;

2 but your iniquities have made a separation

between you and your God,

and your sins have hidden his face from you

so that he does not hear. [2]

To be clear, God hears all prayers, but does He listen to the sinner? No. The man is clearly pointing them to a fact that they SHOULD have understood well but are totally missing. Then He goes on to say:

Vs 32 “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind.”

He is 100% right! Matter of fact he is pointing them to Isaiah 35:5

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. [3]

How can you not see this!!! “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know…” The common ground is missed though. All of this truth is dismissed and hated. The response did one thing, it strengthened and emboldened the blind man while it frustrated the “experts” beyond rational thought.

The Spirit gave this blind man the words, the clarity, and the understanding. The experts could not grasp the truth because the Spirit did not open their hearts to it.

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 is not a suggestion. It is a fact:

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.

Interesting the response to the facts. The experts have a response and it is from a blinding unbelief. It is interesting, that when you get a man in a corner, a polite man will turn mean quickly.

4. Unbelief always has a response.

Read Vs 34

The end of unbelief is always a separation at best (broken fellowship) or violent at worst. In our culture, it looks like people moving from one church to another. But, have you noticed a more violent response to true belief as of late? Canadian pastors put in jail because they refused to stop gathering? Pastors are being attacked because of their stance on LGBTQ+/-. The latest “hate speech or antisemitic law” that will make it illegal for me to say that the Jews killed Christ?

Unbelief has a response, and its end is lunacy. Look back at the text.

Vs 34 “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

They had nothing left to argue. A blind man had just schooled them using their own logic and they had nothing left but to call him names and cast him out. At this point, this man’s spiritual journey is one of the most gracious acts of our Lord. Think about this. He started with no physical sight only to gain. He started with no access to the temple, gained it, then was immediately cast out.

But, did he have the greater reward? YES! He remained seeing but more importantly, seeing of a need for salvation. It cost him everything that he did not start with (man’s approval and acceptance) only to win the greatest reward, salvation. Why did I say that was gracious? Because he lost what he never started with.

As a follower of Christ, when you get to a certain point in your spiritual walk, you will find that it will cost you the world in order to gain the eternal. If anything, his walk is easier than ours. He never had the world for long. But for you believer, how are you responding to unbelief?

I am challenging you to remember that you at one time was one of the unbelievers. Be patient with those who do not believe! That needs to be your response. Love and patience yet ready to provide an answer. 1 Peter 3:15!

UNBELIEVER ASIDE:

Maybe you are here today and you still do not believe. I have shown you that unbelief does not listen to logic, reason, or facts. Can you not see the result of unbelief? The result is lunacy!

But maybe you are here today and something hit you. Something in your head says, no man can heal, speak or claim to be God in the flesh like Christ can. Look, it is a FACT that He rose from the Grave. It is a FACT that He healed people. It is a FACT that His Word is true. It is a FACT that salvation is from Christ and Christ alone.

Salvation from what? From the cost of your rebellion. God, knew that your sin debt was not payable by you. So, He sent His perfect son to pay that penalty for you. You see, it all starts with your sin. You must recognize the debt that you have. That is the first step. Have you sinned? YES! Can you pay for that sin to a Holy God? NO!

That is why the cross. That is why the Son. He came to pay that debt.

Now, my question remains. For the unbeliever, are you ready to overcome that unbelief? For the believer, have you overcome that unbelief? Believer, this applies to all areas of your life. Where are you allowing unbelief to fester and grow? Does unbelief show itself in depression, anger, lust, laziness for Spiritual matters, apathy towards the things of God, lack of patience for others, and worse, the lack of spiritual growth? Don’t let unbelief have any foothold!

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles. [3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.