this morning. If you've got your Bible, Mark chapter number 10. We're going to look at blind Bartimaeus this morning. Mark chapter number 10. While you're turning there, let me just say a couple of things about Bartimaeus. It's interesting, he's mentioned in three different gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In the book of Matthew, it talks about two blind men. Sometimes, you know, some people that want to You know, I feel like they're being critical of the Scriptures. They want to say, well, you know, see, that's a discrepancy in Scripture. I don't believe it's a discrepancy because Matthew says there were two blind men. Mark tells us a blind Bartimaeus by name and Luke does not even tell us his name, just says one blind man. I don't think those are discrepancies because God used human instruments to write the Word of God and He used their personality. Now, I don't know why people can't understand that. To me, it's real simple, okay? For instance, would you say all of us in here are different? Somebody say amen, all right? I would say that we are all different, all right? So, that's like comparing Rob Mooney to Judson Smith. Do you think those two guys are different? Sorry, Brother Smith, you're just sitting here waiting for somebody to say something about you, all right? Well, maybe there are some similarities. No, I'm just joking, all right? So these two fellas are different, all right? So if I ask both of them to give an account of something that happened here at the church, I promise you their account will be different. Now, that does not take away the fact that these were human people that were writing it in their own words. I don't believe that. God used their personality as far as writing. Think about it. When you read the book of Peter, 1 and 2 Peter, boy, I tell you what, it's just right on the, you know, add to your faith virtue, and the virtue of knowledge, knowledge, temperance. When Peter was writing, it was so down to earth. Try reading the book of Romans, the apostle Paul writing. Paul was a very learned person, and he sat at the feet of Gamaliel. He was a Pharisee of the strictest of the law. So when God used his personality, as a lot of the books that we write, you know, you have to really think through every sentence as you're asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you, but you really think through it. So God used a personality. So when I look at the Gospels, it doesn't shake my faith because one Gospel tells me one thing and another one tells me other. And I'm not talking about opposites. I'm talking about just more detail. Why would we have three Gospels if they're all going to be exactly the same anyway? So God knew what he was doing when he wrote these books. But I want to deal or use this morning the book of Mark as our main book as we walk through it. I won't go through Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But I want to just look at Mark's story about blind Bartimaeus. We're going through the context of Christ. In your bulletin, the first, as soon as you open it up there on the right-hand side, list all of the Sunday School lessons. We're on, I think, in lesson 22, 23, somewhere through there. We've got 31 lessons on these contacts of Christ. And so again, today we want to talk about blind Bartimaeus and his contact with the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's read the Scripture and then we'll pray and ask the Lord to bless. Look at verse number 46, Mark chapter 10, verse 46. Church family, since there's not very many verses, I'd like to keep you with me in the Scripture. Let's read responsibly this morning. I'll read 46, you 47, and on from there. Verse 46 says, And they came to Jericho, they being Jesus and the disciples, and they came to Jericho. And as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. Together? And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace, but he cried the more a great deal, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called, and they called the blind man, saying unto him, be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee. And he casting away his garment, rose and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said unto him, what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. Together on verse 52. And Jesus said unto him, go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus in the way. Let's pray together. Father, thank you for your word that we just were able to read. Lord, sometimes we just need to stop and think about how many people around the world can't even hold a copy of your living word. Thank you so much that we have it, we can read it, understand it. Lord, I ask you to please now speak to us through your word as well as the Holy Spirit today. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. The story is a very interesting story, again, from the three Gospels. Jesus is inside Jericho. He leaves Jericho with his disciples. Jesus is leaving, and as he's leaving, these blind, and there's more than one there, but there was at least two. These two blind men are there. And as Jesus is passing by, he must not have been passing by right next to them, because as he was passing by and as tumult is surrounding Jesus, these blind people, they can't even see. They can't get close to Jesus, but they hear all of this, the steps, the people, the crowd. And they say, what's going on? Who's speaking? Who's going by? And they said, it's Jesus. And then all of a sudden, when they found out it was Jesus, because they knew that Jesus had done miracles. Now, I don't know how many miracles they knew. They might have known about Lazarus rising from the dead. They might have known about the blind, the people that Jesus had healed. Maybe they heard about the lepers that died. That came to Jesus the ten lepers and how Jesus went and all ten of them were healed I don't know what they knew about Jesus, but they knew something he had the answer and he could heal them So then they begin to yell Jesus passing by they begin to yell Jesus thou son of David and I won't tell you something They were Baptist there that day because they said shut up. I You don't need Jesus, all right? And so here they, you talk about no heart, man. Here these guys are blind trying to be healed and there's people telling them, hey, listen, would you be quiet? And so they continue to yell and blind Bartimaeus, the only blind man mentioned in the scripture as far as by name in the sense of the ones that Jesus healed, Jesus healed several blind people. But Bartimaeus, Jesus stops and he calls and he says, bring them to me. And those same people that said shut up are the ones that said, oh, be of good comfort, he wants you. That's why I know they're bad. They change their mind a lot. So here blind Bartimaeus comes to Jesus Christ and Jesus says, listen, what can I do for you? He says, man, I'd love to see. And so Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus. Now it's very interesting. You talk about the faith that's practiced. In Hebrews chapter 11, that faith has an action. The action with blind Bartimaeus is before he ever was healed, he dropped his garments. Now I want to tell you something, I'm not blind, but I know one thing, if you're blind, you hold on to what you have, because you can't find it again. All right? So here blind Bartimaeus, when he gets up, he just drops his garments. I'm not going to need those anymore. I'm not going to have to come back and locate them, because he knew that Jesus would heal them. So because Jesus did. Now, just for a minute, I want to talk to you just a little bit this morning comparing physical blindness with spiritual blindness, just for a few moments this morning. You know, in our country, 1.3 million people are blind. Around the world, people who are, their vision is impaired, I think it was like 265 million, if I remember correctly, around the world of people who cannot see, they're declared legally blind. You know, blindness is a real thing, physical blindness. And when a person is physically blind, they know they're blind because they cannot see. Unfortunately, when a person is spiritually blind, they do not always know they can see. I've met Christians on, and by the way, I would be included in that. I believe there's times in my life that I spiritually do not see that I'm really blind in this particular area, spiritually. And that's why us as Christians this morning, we need to ask the Lord, God, help me not to be spiritually blind. Help me not to be able to see things like you see them. And so this morning, I want to deal with the spiritual aspect of this. Not the physical aspect. Of course, blind Bartimaeus was healed of a physical blindness. But I want to talk about this spiritual blindness for just a little bit. What causes or what can a person be spiritually blind to? Alright, now I want to start with the first one that you are not for the most part. As Mark gave testimony a moment ago. Is that a person can be spiritually blind when it comes to, first of all, salvation. If you don't mind, I think I'm going to turn to several passages with you this morning. I don't normally do that because usually we stay in the context. But I want to talk to you this morning about this idea of spiritual blindness, and I want to remind you what the scripture says, all right? So if you've got your Bible, turn over to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Some of you might even know the verse by heart, but 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and I want you to look down in verse number 4. Now while you're turning, I'm going to read 2 Corinthians 3 verse 14 while you're turning to 2 Corinthians 4. But 3.14 says, but their minds were blinded. 2 Corinthians 3.14 says, but their minds were blinded for until this day remain at the same veil, untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ. He's talking about, Paul's talking about the Jews, that their minds were blinded and the veil was not taken away. What's he talking about? He's talking about salvation. Now look at the verse you turn to, 2 Corinthians 4.4. Let's just read it together. You ready? Ready? Begin. In whom the God of this world hath the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." How many's glad you're saved this morning? Say, Amen. You know why you were saved? Because you were once blind, but now you can see. All right? So in other words, there was a time in your life where you were on your way. And Mark's the same way. You say, well, he grew up in a Christian home, heard the gospel. But think about it. He had heard the gospel, but he still couldn't see. You know, we talk to people and we knock on their doors, and I know it's frustrating. I know it's frustrating to talk to people. I know it's frustrating to talk to people at work, and you try to tell them. But you know what? It's because you can see. And they think they can see because they can see physically, but they don't know they can't see because they can't see spiritually. They don't see the fact that they're a sinner. They can't see the fact that they're going to die one day and go to heaven or going to go to hell. They can't see the fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins and that only through him is there hope. I'm glad I'm saved this morning. And I'm glad that my eyes were open at age 11, and I didn't have to wait until I was 30 and 40 or 50, but I'm thankful for that. And this morning, can I tell you, you talk to a host of people out there, and sometimes your aggravation is, how come they can't see? Church family, what's the answer to that? According to 2 Corinthians 4, 4, who's blinding them? God of this world, Satan. So there are gonna be people that aren't gonna understand. You might have a sister or a brother or a father or mother. You might have a co-worker that, boy, you know, it's so clear to you. It's clear to you because you're saved. It's clear to you because there's a Holy Spirit dwelling inside of you. Hey, don't get aggravated. Keep praying for them. Don't get aggravated. Keep telling them, all right? So again, why this idea of spiritual blindness, number one, it's concerning salvation. Look at the next one. Again, I'm gonna have you turn to this if you don't mind. Turn over to Luke chapter 24. Luke 24, look at verse number 31. I won't read the entire passage of the context, but these disciples are on the Emmaus Road, Jesus had ascended up into heaven, and they're walking with Jesus not knowing it was Jesus. Not knowing it was Jesus they were walking with. But I want you to look at what they said in Luke 24, look at verse 31. Luke 24, 31, and their eyes were opened and they knew him, they knew Jesus, and as soon as they knew him, he vanished out of their sight and they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the what? Now I quote this verse all the time because it's probably, to me, it should be a prayer of ours. There's several verses I think ought to be prayers of ours. I think the jay beds ought to be a prayer of ours. I think the model prayer ought to be a prayer of ours. I think Psalm 141.3, set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth. Keep the door at my lips. I think that ought to be a prayer of ours. I think Psalm 119.18 ought to be a prayer of ours. Open thou mine eyes. that I may behold wondrous things out of thy," what? Out of thy law. Church, I mean, can I tell you, you can be spiritually blind when it comes to salvation, and hopefully that's not you this morning. But you can also be spiritually blind when it comes to this area of the scriptures. Church, I mean, have you ever read the Bible and you did your devotions and you felt like you got nothing out of them? Have you ever read the scriptures maybe for your devotions and when you got done, you could not even remember the last chapter you read or what it was about? Can I tell you, have you ever been to a church service before and when the service was over you were walking out and you thought, now what did he talk about today? You know, sometimes we are blind when it comes to the things of the scriptures and things, you know, sometimes I think things are really elementary but they're not always elementary. You know why? It's really not a matter of elementary and adult, it's really a matter of can I see or not. Just remember when you're reading your Bible and you read a passage, before you read, I really believe that Psalm 119.18 is a prayer we need to try to keep in our mind before we read. Why? Because in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. So God, I want you to direct my path this morning. I'm going to read three chapters, but I'm not reading three chapters to get through my Bible in a year. I'm reading three chapters so I can commune with you. Would you please open my spiritual eyes that I can see. So open thou mine eyes when it comes to the scripture. You're holding a book in your hand this morning, and I know we're going several different places, but you know what my goal is as your pastor? My goal is that when we look at blind Bartimaeus, first of all, we have an understanding of the scripture. Mark chapter 10, the only place that Bartimaeus is fine. We have an understanding of the scripture there were more than one blind person there. We have an understanding of the scripture in the context of scripture that Jesus was coming out of Jericho walking down the road and this man begged and his faith in Jesus Christ did not only heal his physical blindness but it caused him to be saved because in Luke it talks that when it gives the account he said thy faith hath saved thee. Now it's not just a matter, it was not just a matter of a physical ailment that was being, that was being taken care of, it was a spiritual thing. I don't understand the day that we're living in but we have a lot of Christians out there that think people were saved different ways throughout different periods. I want you to know I don't believe that. I believe it still took faith in Jesus Christ. If you were living in the Old Testament it took faith that a Messiah would come which goes all the way back to Genesis chapter 3 verse number 15. I believe if we're living in the New Testament we're living, that it takes faith that the Messiah has come. Now what I'm saying to you might not mean much, but there are a whole lot of people that think that you were saved by works in the Old Testament, you're saved by faith in the New Testament. I don't believe that. Church family, if there's anybody that's saved by, anybody that's saved by works, then the Bible is contradictory because that means they got to heaven through works and not through faith. For by grace are you saved through, and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. Not of works. Lest any man should boast. So I'm just trying to tell you this morning that when I read my Bible, I want God to give me an understanding. And I will be the first one to raise my hand that as a student of the word of God, there are times I do not understand the word of God. That does not shake my faith. It doesn't shake, well, maybe the word of God is not true. No, Deuteronomy 29, 29 says there are secret things and revealed things. And then sometimes those secret things God doesn't reveal. But I want to tell you something, there's enough in this book right here that is revealed to keep me living for a lifetime and I still will not accomplish it all. So I don't have to be shaking in my faith because of, man, I just don't understand this particular verse. Can I tell you that's where cults get their starts? The seed to a cult is a verse they cannot understand that they cannot use other scripture to support in order to be able to make a doctrine out of it. Well, we don't do that. We believe, OK, if there's a verse I don't understand, that I'm going to find what scriptures support that one verse. And if they don't support that one verse, I'm not going to make a doctrine out of something I don't understand. This idea of people trying to say you have to be baptized in order to be saved, I know that seems so contrary to you and I. But it's not contrary to them. And I will tell you why. They take Mark 16. I think it's Mark 16, 16. And they take Exodus 2, verse number 38. And they try to use those two verses to say that if you're not baptized, you're not saved. I just wish they would read the next verse, you know? Because the Bible says that if they were not baptized that they, I'm sorry, I'm just going to read the verse to you. I'm getting a little bit sidetracked, I don't like doing that. Turn over to Mark 16, just in case you think you're saved by baptism. Mark 16, look at, look at Mark 16, verse number 15 is the most familiar verse, and he said, unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel of every creature. Look at verse 16, Mark 16, 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be what? Okay, now if I stop right there, that means I have to be saved and baptized to be saved. Is that correct? I have to believe and be baptized. The problem is they don't read the next verse, next phrase. Next phrase says this, but he that believeth not shall be damned. It does not say you're on your way to hell if you're not baptized, it says you're on your way to hell if you don't believe. So what happens if you don't take all of Scripture to find out what is Scripture talking about, then I think you're making a big mistake. Don't take one verse of Scripture and try to make a doctrine because it's something you don't understand. Now this morning all I'm trying to say is spiritually sometimes I was, me personally, I was blind one time before I got saved, I was spiritually blind to salvation. Thankfully the God of this world, God in heaven, Holy Spirit of God drew me, opened up my eyes, I know I'm on my way to heaven. because I believe what the scripture says. Number two, there are many times, multiple times, and even to this day, that I read the scriptures and I feel like I'm spiritually blind when it comes to the scripture. Church, anyway, I want to tell you what you need to do. Open now mine eyes. God, open my eyes. Help me in understanding of the scriptures, all right? There's several ways to do that. One is ask, two is read, et cetera. Third thing, here's what I want you to deal with last of all this morning is this. We can be spiritually blind when it comes to sin, all right? Now, I want to deal with, I want to talk to you specifically what the Bible says about, I think it's four different areas, about sin, okay? Now that, they're a little bit broad, but I want you to look at them with me. If you're with me so far, say amen. Amen. All right, turn to the first one with me, turn over to 2 Peter chapter 1, 2 Peter chapter 1. And let me just read, I'm going to read you a couple of these with you if you don't mind. 2 Peter chapter 1, talking about spiritual blindness, all right? 2 Peter 1, look at verse number 8. Now, you understand verse number 5 is talking about add to your faith. And besides this, giving all diligence to add to your faith virtue. To virtue, knowledge, knowledge, temperance, temperance, patience, patience, godliness, godliness, brotherly kindness, brotherly kindness, charity. Now look at verse number 8. For if these things, church family, what is the these things? The seven things that you're supposed to add to your faith. Are we together so far? All right, look what he says now. For if these things, the seven things you're supposed to add to your faith, be in you and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things, what things? It's talking about the seven things you're supposed to add to your faith, that if you're lacking these things, look what happens. He that lacketh these things is what? And cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Now it's time to teach on these things this morning. But in verse number 10, wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling election sure, for if ye do, what's the next two words? If you do these seven things that you're supposed to add to your faith, you shall never what? Verse number 12, wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of what? Peter says, I don't want you to forget to add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and temperance patience, and patience godliness, godliness brotherly kindness, and brotherly kindness. He says, charity. He says, I don't want you to forget, as a Christian, you're supposed to continually be growing in your faith. But he says, if you're not growing in your faith, and you're not adding these things to your life, which is a sin, he says, you're going to be blind. You're not going to see it far off. So spiritually, Christians can be doing things that they're not supposed to be doing, and yes, they have a conscience, and yes, they have a Holy Spirit, and yes, they can be nudged, but sometimes they're just blinded. Church, have you ever met anybody that's a Christian, they know for sure they're on their way to heaven, you know they're saved. But they're doing things and you think to yourself, what are they thinking? I wanna tell you what they're thinking. They're not thinking anything because they're blind. They just can't see it. You say, but they're a Christian. I know they're a Christian, but they haven't been adding to their faith. Look what else here quickly, I've got to hustle here. Not adding to your faith, look at Mark chapter eight. I know we're just turning several pages, but it's probably good for you, all right? Mark chapter seven, I'm sorry, Mark chapter eight, excuse me, Mark chapter eight, look at verse number 17. Mark chapter eight, verse number 17. There's actually a couple different passages that say almost the same thing. We're just gonna look at one of them here. Mark chapter eight, look at verse number 17. It says this, and when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet, what? Hardened. All right, so if a person's got a hard heart, look at verse 18 now. Is your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, what? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember? Now church, there's several more passages, and I'm not gonna turn to them this morning, But I want you to, and Hebrews, by the way, Hebrews 3, 8 through 13 is another one, it's a parallel with this. But when a person is hard-hearted, they don't see straight. They don't see straight. If you ever met a Christian that is, when it comes to a particular area of Christianity, all right, watch me now. Sometimes it's dress. As a woman, should I wear this? As a man, should I wear this? Sometimes it's music. Well, I don't think this kind of music is wrong. You know, if a person ever gets to the place where they're not teachable and not open to the things of God, they can become hard-hearted. And you know what happens when a person becomes hard-hearted? They cannot see. And you know what's really bad about that? It's physically they can see. I see what's going on. No, but you can't see. You can't see spiritually what's going on in your life when you have a hard heart, in any area of your life, all right? So first of all, what causes a person to have a hard heart? Well, these sins that are mentioned is, number one, not adding to your faith. Number two, having a hard heart. Look over to Revelation 3. We're hustling now. Stay with me. Revelation 3, almost done. Revelation 3, this one you know by heart because it's Laodicean church. Revelation 3, look down in verse number 3. 17, but thou sayest, Revelation 3 verse 17, but thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. Now is that, and knowest not, is that not the Laodicean age that we're living in as Christians, okay? He says in verse number 17, because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. And knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and what? Person, when a person is, Christian is living a lukewarm Christianity. They're not hot, they're not cold, they come to church, they most of the time wear the right kind of clothing, you know, they sing, you know, not by themselves, but you know, in congregation. They do just enough to where they're lukewarm, guess what? They're not gonna see. They're not gonna see. Church family, look at me this morning. Why is it that the person who's making 100% in school is the only one that wants the extra credit? And why is the person that's making Cs in school, and sometimes Ds, they never ask for extra credit? They don't see. They don't see the importance of, you know, I could be a better Christian. Why is it, stay with me now, why is it that, oh, I should say it, why is it that when it comes to the invitation time, most of the time, not all the time, but as a general rule, people who are giving their tithes and offerings, trying to be a witness for Christ, they're in church every service, why is it they flood the altars? And the person who you know is going through a rough time in their life because they are not right with God sits there during the invitation period. I'm gonna tell you why, because they can't see. They can't see. So sin is one of those things that, I'm not gonna have you turn to this. I'm just gonna read to you. 1 John 2 verse number 11. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. Hey, look at me, Christchurch family. If you have ought against your brother and you don't think it's a big deal, it's a really big deal. You know why it's a big deal? Because God says you're in darkness and you can't see afar off. The Bible says you're blind. If there's somebody in this room that you dislike, like majorly, church, I mean, all of our personalities are very different. There's things, hey, there might be people in this auditorium, you say, well, I'm not going out to coffee with them. God's not asking you to go to coffee with them. He wouldn't ask you to drink coffee anyway, man. Hey, my God, he's just holy and clean, and he wouldn't ask you to decaf either, right? Hey church, I'm gonna take that for a second here. It's not a matter of going for a coffee with somebody. You know what it's a matter of? It's a matter of can you shake hands with a Christian at church or do you avoid them? If you have to avoid somebody, I wanna tell you something, you're blind, you don't even see it. And listen, I know there's people, our personality, because our personalities are different, there's people that you would not necessarily get along with, but church, we're brothers and sisters in Christ. I have seven children still at home and they do not always get along. In fact, most of the time they don't get along. And my wife and I, we play referee. Don't do that. Leave your sister alone. No, that's not your turn to sit there. Get up and move. It's their turn to sit there. I mean, all day long. That's what we do. And you know what? They are, my children, I feel, I really believe, my children are the prime example of what Christians do. Because the referee and I do at home is the same referee and I do at a church many a time. Okay. It's not a big deal. They didn't mean to say that. All right. Go talk to them. You know how many times I have to go through all these things? Okay. It's the same stuff I do at home. Okay. Now what I don't tell people is, you're an adult. Grow up. I do tell my children grow up, but I don't tell, they're not adults. I have to remind them. Okay. It's not a big deal. Okay. Okay. So you lost a little bit of money. Be thankful. That's all you lost. I mean, I'm just constantly, constantly going over all these things and I would teach them as Christians, you know, I'm not saying go hug everybody, but I am telling you, you ought to be able to shake hands with everybody. All right. You just ought to be thankful. We don't live the Bible out. Like it tells in the new Testament by greeting one another with a holy kiss, man. Thankful for that. Now, here's what I want you to see this morning. I'm done. Blind Bartimaeus was healed by who? Jesus Christ. Could blind Bartimaeus, could he have been healed any other way except through Jesus Christ? Couldn't. Church family, it doesn't matter if you have physical blindness or if you have spiritual blindness, it always takes Christ to do it. Christ is the only one that can fix it. Now I don't have time to teach the rest of the lesson but here's what it is. Blind Bartimaeus was healed from his physical blindness because number one, he asked. Jesus, the son of David. Jesus, the son of David. He asked repeatedly. Jesus, the son of David. He asked. The second reason he got healed from his blindness is because he believed. He threw down his garments. Jesus said, believe is all that I can do. He said, I believe. And the third reason he was healed, I believe he's healed of his blindness, because as soon as he got healed, he followed Christ. Now, can I tell you something? You don't want to be healed of your spiritual blindness. I want to be healed of my spiritual blindness. God, I want to be able to open up the scriptures. I want to understand what you have for me. God, I don't want to have sin in my life. I want to be able to see if there's sin in my life so I can get it confessed and get it taken care of. I don't want to have sin in my life. I don't even know it's there. God, first thing I've got to do, I've got to ask. God, would you please open now my eyes and hold wondrous things out of that law. God, would you please show me if there's any sin in my life I need to confess and forsake. Would you please show that to me? I have to believe. Part of your belief is you're asking. God, I'm trusting you to show me and follow Christ. The more you follow Christ, the more you'll be able to see, the more you're going to believe. Spiritual blindness, all of us have to deal with that until the day we go to heaven. We'll have to deal with that. We want to make sure that we do not be spiritually blind. Psalm 146.8 says this, the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind. And it's not just physical blindness. The Lord opened the eyes of the blind to those who are spiritually blind. Would you go ahead and close your eyes for just a moment this morning?