What is spiritual blindness?

Spiritual blindness. What is it and why does it occur? The 1st aspect of this has to do with our being creatures (finite) and not the Creator (who is infinite). This is not a blindness per se but more a limitation as created beings. The 2nd deals with our rebellion to our creaturehood i.e. our limits.

 

1. We are finite (limited) in our understanding and do not know everything there is to know, and must know, in order to make the right and best choices - though we often think and act as if we we do. 

Only God is all-knowing, all-wise, all-powerful, and, everywhere present. These characteristics enable Him to know the right and best course at all times, in all things with the unlimted ability to carry out the activity. We are not all-knowing and do not know the best course without His wisdom, enabling (power), and direction. 

2. We must recognize we are in rebellion to God, the Source of all knowledge and understanding. We have and continue to turn away, cut ourselves off and disconnect from Him whenever we seek the right course on our own - i.e. when we seek to "be like God" knowing good and evil; right from wrong - without His direction. 

Adam and Eve choosing to eat from the forbidden tree clearly demonstrated they did not know right from wrong, or have infinite knowledge, otherwise they would not have eaten from it i.e. it was forbidden for a good reason. A reason they clearly did not  understand or feel the need to agree with. This is totally irrational. How can you disagree with something (or someone) you do not fully understand or trust?

We often choose the wrong course believing (trusting) we are right. We seek to take the role of God - i.e., to be like God in the area of knowing right from wrong - when we clearly are not God - demonstrated by all the pain and suffering of humanity as the result of making the wrong choice.

Only God has full knowledge of good and evil i.e. He knows all things. In other words only he knows perfectly the best course of action to take in any and all situations. We do not. 

Because He does know the right course - and we don't - we must seek and follow him - His directions - to know what is truly good and evil, and not seek to ¹determine this on our own. This is what Adam tried to do in the garden of Eden when he ate from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

In order for us to receive understanding and direction from God we must do the opposite of what Adam sought to do when he ate from the forbidden tree. We must humble ourselves i.e. admit we are not God who knows all things. We do not know right from wrong without God revealing it to us. Whatever understanding we have of right from wrong only occurs because God has told or shown us. 

As proverbs 3:5-6 says we are to...Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, - that He alone knows all things - and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

¹We do not see how arrogant and flagrant a violation of reality this truly is - unless God reveals it to us. In fact we sympathize with Adams choice. We are rebels and in Rebellion to God who alone knows right from wrong. 

If Adam and Eve had made the right choice and rejected the serpents proposal they would have stepped onto the right road of knowing (understanding) good and evil the right way i.e. in faith filled obedience to God vs rebellious distrust of Him. The issue wasn't that God didn't want them to know good and evil but to know it the right way i.e. not on their own but under His care and guidance.

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Footnotes:

For a discussion on how God created us with choice before we rebelled against Him, click here.