Blinded by Religion and Steeped in Self

This morning, I am in John 7-9 for my Mull time with the Lord.  Three chapters of repeated rejection of the Lord as Savior, Light, Son of God by the religious crowd who harassed, followed, and deceitfully sought to murder the Lord.  They witnessed the miracles of the Lord Jesus numerous times.  They were amazed at His teachings....they heard, but they were blinded by a self-righteous self-centered religious mindset that there was no ability to comprehend what they were seeing or hearing.  As I read, I have to painfully confess, that even though, I claimed to know Jesus as Lord, I have been blinded by self-righteousness at times. PRIDE is the most appropriate synonym for self-righteousness.

This same mindset has been evidenced lately.   I have watched a friend who was very steeped in religion and in self to perhaps reject the opportunities to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.  It is painful to think of this one and to have seen over and over again the attempts to overcome self with religion and self-will.  It is grievous to know that because of Jesus and His shed blood, and the willingness to choose Him as Savior of Lord was not chosen because of blindness to religion and tradition.  Tragically pride, fear of what family will think, and blindness to religious teachings may have kept this one from the knowledge of eternal life and experiencing all the benefits Heaven affords.  

Thank you Lord for your very words in John 14: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  Thank you for opening blinded eyes and for loosing me from the bondage of sin and self because of Calvary and your GRACE!