As we consider the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and so many other “faith fighters” and “freedom fighters” in our country, I want to give a shout out to Eugene Goodman, the African American police officer at the capitol who put his life on the line and strategically with great calm and sheer brilliance led the rioters in a different direction to protect others. Officer Goodman is a reminder to me of the heroes and sheroes of our country, who have defended America, reminded her of her solemn promises, and made her the superpower of the world. Praise God for Officer Goodman and the many men and women who serve in our law enforcement and our military. May God continue to bless all of our families and our country.
In St. John 1:10 – 12, there are three points that the Holy Spirit has awakened in my spiritual mind: (1) Spiritual Ignorance; (2) Spiritual Rejection; and (3) Spiritual Reception.
Verse 10:
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
That’s Spiritual Ignorance.
Verse 11:
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
That’s Spiritual Rejection
Verse 12:
Thank God, that’s Spiritual Reception.
The Apostle John gives us a snapshot of how we typically respond when Christ enters into our consciousness and reality. We can claim that we don’t know him or don’t know much about him. We can outright reject him. Or we can receive Him by believing on him. We receive him when we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead. For with our hearts we believe unto righteousness, and with our mouths confession is made unto salvation.
The Apostle John identifies two reasons why we don’t receive the Word. One, spiritual ignorance (the world knew him not) or two, spiritual rejection (his own received him not). Whether we want to call it spiritual ignorance or outright rejection (and there is a distinction between them), the bottom line is either we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior or we don’t. And I say this not only as a one-time “come to Jesus” occurrence but the choice before us moment by moment to yield and surrender all to Him because we want to. Today, I just want to focus on spiritual ignorance.
The Apostle John points to those who were spiritually ignorant (the world as he described them) those who: had not grown up with the religious pedigree of the Jews; had not known him as the Great God Jehovah that led his covenant people out of Egyptian Bondage into the Promised Land; did not have the benefit of the law of Moses; and did not have a written account of numerous historical successes because of their faith and obedience to God. In verse 10, the Apostle John (the only disciple who died naturally and was not killed for his belief in Christ) shares with us that you would think that those in the world (including the great and mighty Greeks and Romans) regardless of their ancestral and tribal backgrounds would know the Logos as it was the Logos that had made them. But the world missed Him and if we are not attentive to the Word, we will miss Christ too!
On one level, it is understandable why they did not know him but the reality remains that ignorance of the Word is no excuse. There is no partial credit for checking the box don’t know on this exam we call life. Our acknowledgment of ignorance does not position us to advance in this life as people who are more than conquerors, as people who are victorious, because of Him who lived us. We have no legitimate explanation or excuse to claim that we didn’t know or that we don’t know. Indeed, these verses come to mind that show wisdom should be the hallmark of God’s people.
Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom; and with all your getting get understanding.
James 1:5 – 7
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man (double-minded woman), unstable in all his (or her) ways.
However, the Logos is clear that the ignorance of Him is no excuse. He’s just a prayer way.
I am reminded of a story shared with me by a relative in the context of preparing for your end and having a will to administer your estate. He shared with me a statement by one of the church mothers who told him “Deac, if people knew better, they would do better.” The mother’s wisdom crystallized for me that in between knowing better and doing better, the consequences of error still have a negative impact on our lives. What we don’t know (dangers seen and unseen) can kill us. Who we don’t know and who we don’t confess (Jesus who is Truth) can’t save us. In fact, we read in Hosea 4:6 that God spoke through the prophet, and affirmed that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. There is no safe harbor for spiritual ignorance or plausible deniability concerning the Word of His Power.
The consequences for being spiritually ignorant of Christ diminishes each and every opportunity we have to enjoy the authority and privileges as God’s daughters and sons. So, how do we move beyond the paralysis of spiritual ignorance? We find guidance in Second Timothy 2:15 (NLT):
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
In other words, “get your lesson baby” so you can pass the test. By faith, continue to “work hard” (study, comprehend, understand and rightly divide the word of truth) to show yourself a good student and to be graded well by God. No more excuses. Just Holiness.