“Lord Give Me Spiritual Sight To See You Fully!”

“Lord Give Me Spiritual Sight To See You Fully!”
The late Nigerian Evangelical theologian Byang Kato challenged pre-christian African religion with his last breath. But he still told the story of an old African seer in his village who prior to the coming of Christianity to the village had foretold that some strangers were coming from far away. She said the strangers were coming with good news and her people should accept the strangers and the good news they brought.
The people whom God used to prepare the way for Jesus Christ in the Bible were not Christians as such but they were the pathfinders. With the coming of Christ baptism becomes “the outward sign of an inward work of grace. The outward rite, however does not produce grace.”
Ananias who gave Paul his sight and first preached baptism to Paul was not himself a baptized Christian. “He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all Jews living” in Damascus.” He said to Paul, “Brother Saul, receive your sight” and at that moment Paul was able to see him.
Ananias told Paul how Paul had been chosen by the God of their fathers “to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have heard and seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:12-16).
Baptism is the gateway to identify with Christ. Baptism like circumcision is not outwardly by the act but of the heart, and by the Spirit (Cf. Rom.2:28-29).
We are truly baptized into Christ Jesus by being baptized into his death, buried with him through baptism “in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom.6:3-4).
To live a new life is to live a transformed life; a new creation where all things are become new. Where we read and interpret the world with spiritual eyes and live lives that are in tandem with the Holy Spirit’s directives.
Weekend prayer: Lord open my spiritual eyes so that I may know you fully in this world by living a new life. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!