Eyes

his is an article with an unusual beginning, but if my reader will bear with me, I think there is a vital point to be made.

My roommate has a video game he recently purchased or rented. As I walked past the living room television a couple days ago, I saw him playing it. Rather surprised by what I saw, I asked him, “What is that?” His character had a gigantic axe, and was walking down a city street hacking what looked like seriously injured human beings to bits.

He replied, “In this game, you have to destroy all the zombies in this town.” I thought about that for a moment, and trying to at least see if there was a strand of logic to the game, I asked, “Where are the real people of the town?” He said, “Oh, they are around, but they think that it’s just a riot of regular people. The main characters are the only ones who can see that the rioters are actually monsters.”

I quickly lost interest in the gory game, but tonight, some days later, the images filtered back into my mind. I thought of something that Christ says a few times in the Bible, and it suddenly made sense to me in an entirely new light, as unusual as the catalyst for the illumination might have been. He said in one place, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (Rev 3:18)

Sometimes, even looking right at something, a human being will not “see.” For the converted, our Messiah tells us, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.” (Mat 13:16)

Having been in this message of purity and faith for about two years now, my tastes have changed dramatically. The things I used to love, I now hate; and the things I used to hate, I now love. As it is written: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.” (Ezek 36:26) With that new heart comes also new eyes, and you begin to see all the world in a new light.

As the concept of eternity, heaven, Victory, and absolute purity become more real, this world seems all the more dark. It is not that things are all gloomy and depressing, but the truth is that we are surrounded by “monsters.” That which is not actually dangerous is at best distracting, and the Psalmist, seeing the great need we humans have to guard the gates of our senses declared his promise: “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” (Psa 101:3) When I reflect upon the purity of my Savior, I understand the leaven that saturates every aspect of worldly things.

Well did Paul write of our day: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. “ (2 Tim 3:1-5) Looking at the evidence, must we not conclude that these are the last times?

But there is a difference. The Christian is not of the world. Those who are sealed by the Holy Spirit, having the victory, are greatly grieved by the state of our fellow men. “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” (1 John 5:19) The apostle James wrote to those who were tempted by worldly pleasures, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

Those who love the world more than Heaven, and the purity Christ calls us to partake of, are in exceedingly great danger, as the time of judgment draws closer. Yahshua said that, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Mat 24:35-39)

As it was in the days of Noah... people are concerned with the things of this earth, with making money, becoming famous, finding their happiness, their very identity, in the things of the world. Such as these were swept away by the floodwaters, considering faithful Noah’s pleas and warnings a thing to be mocked. And even as then, the world lay in wickedness, so much so that only 8 souls out of what may have been many millions were saved.

In the course of my brief ministry thus far, I have found many who simply turn away in disgust from the concept of living in complete victory over sin. These lack the faith in Christ which would even enable them to believe this were possible. Even if, at first, the idea thrills them for they have some desire to be what Yahshua has called them to be, immediately all the things they have been taught about being “saints who sin,” or “only human” take away this spark of life: “And it came to pass, as He sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.” (Mark 4:4,15)

Some have believed, confessing the Victory, and then some matter arises which offends them. A disagreement with a previous member, a misunderstanding about some personal issue... sometimes an issue that (for fear) they do not wish to discuss with their brothers and sisters... these crush the enthusiasm, and their fellowship soon follows suit. “And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” (Mark 4:5,616,17)

Some have believed, and by their faith grasped the message. However, when the true “meat” of the Gospel comes to them – that they must continue in putting away all sinful tendencies, to be that spotless sacrifice for Christ – not only for themselves but for others to learn from, they balk. They have not counted the cost of full surrender, and they pull back from the plow, preventing Christ from continuing the good work He had begun in them. “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:7,18,19)

These are they who need the eyes of which I write in this essay. These are they who must have their vision sharpened, and their discernment awakened, by the Spirit of the Most High. If they could but see the deceptions around them for what they were, then they could allow the love of the Messiah to cleanse them of even the desire for such things. If they could but see the true monsters lurking in the shadows of their own senses, their own desires and lusts reaching out to ensnare them, they would be far more careful where they placed their hopes and affections.

Even the most loving soul, the most gentle spirit, if he or she should allow him/herself to be deceived, would become a danger to those whom Yah had given them, with the intention of having them lead the sheep home. Christ said, quite pointedly, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” (Mat 12:30) We all have a job to do, an appointed people to lead home, and the blood of those who fall away and are offended for us are on our own hands. Those who would ask, “What? Am I my brothers’ keeper?” have already gone the way of Cain in their spirits. (Gen 4:9) Yes, we are our brothers’ keepers, for the second great commandment Christ gave, the summary of the last six of the Decalogue Itself is, “And the second is like unto [the first], ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’” (Mat 22:39)

If we are not willing to do everything we can to be a good witness, if we are not willing to give up every sinful habit in order to lead others more easily to Christ, if we are not able to cease from offending others by our actions, we do not love our fellow man. We know this, “If a man say, ‘I love God,’ and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20) A hard saying for many, but those who have eyes will received it with gladness. Let us pray to be those blessed few with the right eyes, the precious eight within the ark, the “very elect” who cannot be deceived (Mat 24:24) even by the tempter’s most cunning and subtle deceptions.

Christ Himself told us how to have the right kind of eyes to see the monsters around us: the monsters of distractions, and temptations and un-heavenly entertainments, and affections set on things here below. He said, as we quoted at the beginning, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” (Rev 3:18)

We need that spiritual “eyesalve.” And it is a gift, as is every precious thing. No good thing can we earn for ourselves, and no good thing exists in us, except it be created there by our Lord. But by faith, we HAVE that ability to see; yes, we can see Satan’s most subtle deceptions if we choose to. Christ said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30) If we seek first His will, if we seek His desire for our lives, and not our own, our judgments will be just, and we will be able to see clearly. But it comes only with that complete surrender, that full commitment to doing the right thing according to His Will and His Word.

This, the greatest of journeys, must also begin with the first step that He has outlined for us. We most love – we must choose to love – regardless of emotions, fears, and pride. Heavenly love is a divine choice, and it requires divine wisdom to make it, and to stick with it. But we have this promise also, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5) And, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Mat 7:11) Luke goes a step further, equating the “good things” with the Holy Spirit itself, which leads us to that divine discernment: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13)

Let these promises, this confidence, be with us as we ask for the right kind of eyes to see, and the right kind of ears to hear. We are not to be paranoid, for it is written, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Phil 4:6) This is to be our attitude always, and we are assured: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4) But in spite of this, we are to be aware that we CAN be distracted, we CAN be taken from Yah’s faithful service, for Peter summarizes my meaning well. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Pet 5:8,9) If we are “in the world,” we are already in danger. But Christ offers us a way of escape, and we hasten, therefore, to see the right path, and to walk upon it in faith.

May the Father grant all my readers this perfect eyesight, and may the conclusion of the parable in Mark 4 describe each one of us when the Harvest is complete: “And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the Word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” (Mark 4:8,20) “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:23) And as we, by faith, all have these ears, I pray Yah open them unto us; and as we, by faith all have the right kind of eyes, I pray He open them unto us, that we may see.

David.