Ignorance Is Not an Excuse

I found it interesting while reading through the Old Testament law that the commands that God gave His people He expected them to keep. Ignorance of the law was not an excuse. As soon as the person who had broken the law found out about it, he wasn’t given a freebie and told, “Since you didn’t know the law, it’s okay this time, but next time do better.” Instead, once the person found out that he had broken the law, he was required to make atonement for his transgression. I found that principle interesting. Though he acted in ignorance, he was still a transgressor who had to make atonement. Ignorance of God’s law was not an excuse from keeping it.

I pondered this principle for quite some time, thinking of the state of the church. There are so many people who profess to be Christians and yet, they don’t know God’s Word. They don’t study it. They are ignorant of what it says. One night while studying the Bible with my husband, I stumbled across something else that Christ said that seemed to further demonstrate this theme. In Luke 12, Christ tells His disciples a parable about a master returning to home to his servants from a wedding banquet, telling them to watch and be ready for their master’s return.

“The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:42-18

So 3 types of servants are briefly mentioned here:

1. The servant who knows and does his master’s will.
2. The servant who abuses his master’s absence and mistreats his fellow servants and becomes a drunkard.
3. The servant who does not know his master’s will and in ignorance does “things deserving punishment.”

Notice the fates of these servants:

1. The servant who knew and did his master’s will was rewarded.
2. The servant who knew and did not do his master’s will was severely punished.
3. The servant who did not know his master’s will and did not do it was also punished, albeit, lightly.

So that brings us back to main point of this post: ignorance is not an excuse. Those ignorant of God’s Word will be punished still.

God expects us, His servants, to know His will and requirements by studying His Word. Saying to God “but I didn’t know” when we have access to the Scriptures is completely inexcusable.

Let us study His Word so that we may do His will and be ready for the Master’s return!

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Loss of Salvation: The Process

Many people, especially opponents of conditional security, question most the process of falling away. The most common question is: how many sins does a person have to commit to lose their salvation? Will God send a person to Hell for committing one sin? I do not believe that salvation is unconditionally secure nor do I believe that it is easily lost; the truth lies in between. I do not believe that one sin will necessarily send you to Hell but that this loss of salvation comes when we willfully choose that we’d rather live in our life of sin over our walk with God/relationship with Christ.

“For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26-31

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if [any man] draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:38, 39

Christians do sin, though, true Christians sin, but then when conviction comes they repent of their sins and make it right with God.

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1, 2

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ” 1 John 1:7-9

On a side note, I’d like to say that I don’t buy the “we have to sin everyday” philosophy, Scripture clearly shows that to be false.

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” Romans 6:5-7

I just wanted to list one quick reference though there are more that could be cited.

I believe that it is a matter of the heart. It is a matter of Whom or what we’d rather serve. Will we choose to live for God and to seek to please Him or would we rather live in sin and pursue the “lusts of the flesh”?

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The Necessity of Abiding in Christ

From cover to cover, the Bible is the story of God’s relations with man. From the Garden of Eden to the plagues and destruction in Revelation, I see a God Who is reaching out and calling to man to have a relationship with Him. Though God can change our wills, He rarely does, preferring instead to allow us free will and giving us the choice to willingly come to Him. The same God Who does not force us to come to Him initially does not force us to stay in Him and with Him either. In my previous post, I discussed Christ Is Salvation.  Here are some Scriptures which stress necessity of remaining in Him.

“Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, eternal life.” (1 John 2:24, 25)

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6)

Besides the verses I just quoted there are also exhortations given by the apostles and the calls to persevere that further lend credence to this concept that abiding and continuation in the faith is not automatic.

“Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.” (Acts 13:43)

“Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Paul speaking to disciples from Lystra)(Acts 14:22)

From these appeals to continue (as well as stated consequences for not continuing), we can see that perseverance is conditioned on the Christian choosing to use the grace that God gives to remain in the faith. 

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