Ignorant or Willingly Ignorant?
Often as I read something, listen to conversations, watch actions and behaviors, or even contemplate my own personal walk, the word ignorance pops into my mind.
Looking into the New Testament, I found 16 references to ignorance; 12 by the Apostle Paul, and 4 by the Apostle Peter. It was their great desire that people would not be ignorant. Topics included salvation, is it by our righteousness or God’s righteousness; Christ interaction in the Old Testament with Moses and Israel; spiritual gifts to born again believers; trials and troubles connected with the Christian life and ministry; understanding Satan’s devices; or Christ second coming and the resurrection of the dead.
Ignorance seemed to come from two sources. The first was a lack of personal study, or lack of good teaching. Amos 8:11 called it a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Peter said to “Feed the flock”, Paul said to “Preach the word”, Timothy was told to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.”
Could God be a woman with a title “Father”? What race is God, does He tell us, or does it even matter? Jesus was born into the Jews, isn’t that the yellow race, and could He have blonde hair and blue eyes like in many children story books? Did the wisemen go to a manger to see a babe, or to a house to see a young child? Can someone be a candidate for baptism before they are old enough to repent and become a believer for themselves? Does water baptism even save, or is it Spirit baptism that saves? What does keep someone out of heaven, or does anyone really go to a burning hell? We should have Bible answers for all of our beliefs: book, chapter, and verse.
The second reason people have faulty or non-biblical ideas and answers was addressed by both Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter even in their day. Truth does not always fit a desired lifestyle. Ephesians 4:17-20, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ.” 2 Peter 3:3-5a, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willingly are ignorant…”
It makes me wonder, does my ignorance come from lack of Bible knowledge and study, or does it come willingly out of desire to have my beliefs match my practices?
Ignorance seemed to come from two sources. The first was a lack of personal study, or lack of good teaching. Amos 8:11 called it a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. Peter said to “Feed the flock”, Paul said to “Preach the word”, Timothy was told to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.”
Could God be a woman with a title “Father”? What race is God, does He tell us, or does it even matter? Jesus was born into the Jews, isn’t that the yellow race, and could He have blonde hair and blue eyes like in many children story books? Did the wisemen go to a manger to see a babe, or to a house to see a young child? Can someone be a candidate for baptism before they are old enough to repent and become a believer for themselves? Does water baptism even save, or is it Spirit baptism that saves? What does keep someone out of heaven, or does anyone really go to a burning hell? We should have Bible answers for all of our beliefs: book, chapter, and verse.
The second reason people have faulty or non-biblical ideas and answers was addressed by both Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter even in their day. Truth does not always fit a desired lifestyle. Ephesians 4:17-20, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ.” 2 Peter 3:3-5a, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. For this they willingly are ignorant…”
It makes me wonder, does my ignorance come from lack of Bible knowledge and study, or does it come willingly out of desire to have my beliefs match my practices?
Pastor
Mark Englebert
Door Bible Baptist Church
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