A person walking in such a condition is a danger to himself and to others. With an unsteady gait and bad vision, he’s likely to collide with something or someone. Damage or injury will result.
On a spiritual level, we humans aren’t likely to see or fully comprehend the dangers around us - sin, death, and the devil - or understand the dangers from within - our own sinful nature.
We can’t see the good paths which have been opened to us - and if we could see them, our shaky steps would soon stumble. We can’t see the Savior who’s there to help us.
C.F.W. Walther, who was president of the Missouri Synod in 1847, served in that capacity until 1850 and again from 1864 to 1878. In addition, he headed Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, where he also taught theology (1850–87). Regarding the spiritual fogginess which is human nature, Walther wrote:
Ach, meine Lieben, unselig ist der Mensch, welcher aus diesem natürlichen geistlichen Schlaf nicht schon hier erwacht! Dieser geistliche Schlaf ist nichts anderes, als der sichere Vorbote des ewigen Todes oder, was dasselbe ist, der ewigen Verdammnis. Allenthalben schallt uns daher in Gottes Wort die Stimme entgegen: „Wache auf, der du schläfst, und stehe auf von den Toten, so wird dich Christus erleuchten.“ Diese Stimme ertönt auch in unserer heutigen Sonntagsepistel. O, so gebe denn Gott, daß sie heute nicht nur in unser Ohr, sondern auch in unser aller Herz dringe, daraus allen Schlaf der Sünde verscheuche und uns zu einem neuen Leben in Christo erwecke! - Doch ehe wir dieser Stimme unser Ohr leihen, laß uns vorher den Herrn selbst hierzu um seines Heiligen Geistes Gnade anrufen in stillem Gebete. -
Being human, we go through our earthly existence with impaired spiritual consciousness and impaired spiritual vision. Our only hope is that Jesus takes us by the hand, and leads us, sometimes pulling us against our wills, sometimes picking us up and carrying us.
On our own, we are helpless, witless, and clueless.
We are not doomed to be this way forever. There is a better future. Jesus will lead us, sleepy and imperceptive as we are, through this life.
In eternity, however, God will remake us - we will see clearly (I Cor 13:12) and will be fully awake and alert.
