From Old Testament times, the Jewish people knew that only God and his Messiah could open the eyes of the blind. However, over their long history, it had never happened. Therefore, when Jesus healed the eyes of a man born blind in John 9:1-41, he caused quite a stir. Some rejected the miracle as spurious, but the healed man held firm to what he knew to be true: "I was blind, and now I see." This is the same testimony of the simplest Christian whose spiritual eyes Jesus has opened to the truth. (sermon notes)
In prayer, the natural counterpart of giving thanks is to make requests. Together, thanking and requesting help us live out the uniquely Christian combination...
Paul faced false accusations, a physical beating, a near flogging, and an unfair hearing, through which he took courage in the presence of Christ...
Salvation is not a matter of racial identity or religious privilege but of true righteousness, which comes through the gospel.
