Ignorance isn’t just a lack of knowledge in understanding something. It’s more than that. Ignorance can also be defined as the want of knowledge.
When I first became a Christian, I had no idea spiritual warfare existed. I knew there were “spirits” because I’d watched enough ghost stories to entertain me. I didn’t know then that I’d need to be set free from those open doors in my life. (More on that later.) I believed the devil was real because I’d heard about him on occassion. However, I had no idea just how real he was. I assumed he walked around in red yoga pants with a pitchfork. Beyond knowing there was a battle between good and evil, I truly had no idea just how real that battle was. I was just beginning to drink the spiritual milk Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians.
Though I’ve seen people come to Christ and be radically delivered, I’m not sure that’s the norm when it comes to becoming a Christian. Most of us start out drinking spiritual milk, unlike Paul who was knocked off a donkey and had a pretty radical transformation. But God knew that was just about the only way He was going to change Paul’s heart. Doing an altar call on a Sunday morning just wasn’t going to work for him.
I had a lack of knowledge in my relationship with Christ because I was only drinking spiritual milk. As I began to grow in my relationship with Him, I would eventually move up to baby food, pureed in the blender because I wasn’t quite ready for solid food. But the time finally came for the Lord to set a big fat juicy steak in front of me, hand me the knife and fork and say, “Eat up, my Beloved. It’s time to chew.” I love steak!
I was ignorant to many things because I simply did not know. But as I grew in my faith, and as I continue to grow, there is a knowledge that exists that I’m still ignorant to. I will remain ignorant to it until I gain a deeper understanding of it. I want to know more. That should always be our prayer. Teach me, Lord. I want to know more. But remember, you can’t go back from what you learn.
I don’t attend a lot of weddings these days because most of my friends are already married. It used to be tradition for the bride to wear a veil over her face so the groom couldn’t see her until the preacher said, “You may kiss the bride.” It may still be a tradition elsewhere, but in my neck of the woods, you don’t see it too often these days. For the bride, the veil represented modesty and purity, as well as her reverence for God. It is said the bride’s veil also represents the temple veil, which was torn in two during the death of Christ. The removing of the veil gave believers access to the presence of God. Man was no longer separated from God. In other words, man was no longer ignorant to God’s ways because he was literally in the presence of his creator.
Isn’t that a beautiful picture of love? God removes the veil from our lives through His death, knowing every unimaginable sin we’ll ever commit before we even know, yet He chooses to say, “My beloved, you are no longer separated from me. Come into my presence. The veil has been torn. Here I am.”
Something else happens when the veil is removed. We are now in relationship with God and with relationship comes responsibility. We can no longer use ignorance as an excuse. We are called to learn. To grow. To deepen our relationship with our Heavenly Father. God has given us a new way. According to 2 Corinthians 4:3, the Good news is hidden behind a veil, but only for those who are perishing. Before the veil is removed, we are “unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.” Once the veil is removed, you better get your sunglasses on my friend, because His light is shining bright and there’s no going back!
[ctt template=”3″ link=”BaUfb” via=”yes” ]Our prayer should always be, “Teach me, Lord. I want to know more.”[/ctt]
We must stay hungry for God’s truth, whether we’re still drinking milk, eating baby food, or we’ve moved up to steak. Though the steak eaters may know more than the milk drinkers, our desire to never stop learning about the power of God’s Word and freedom in Christ, should always burn the same. Just because Bible Bob has been eating steak 10 years longer than Baby Betty, doesn’t mean he desire for knowledge is less. Until Jesus takes our hand and says, “Come home with me, Beloved,” we will always be ignorant to knowledge. In redneck translation that means, “Don’t ever get too big for your britches.”
Next week, we’ll learn about good intentions. Stay tuned.