Don’t Be Ignorant

And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion. But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

Paul assumption here is that a Christian is a new creature in Christ, renewed now on the inside, awaiting total renewal on the outside. Mind and spirit now, body later. In other placed, Paul warns the reader about ignorance, six times in total.

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Rom 11:25 NKJ)

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: (1Co 12:1 NKJ)

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. (2Co 1:8 NKJ)

Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.  (2Co 2:10-11 NKJ)

The word ignorant in the original language is present, active and negative.  In other words, the person that is ignorant chooses to be that way. However, it is not compatible with the new life in Jesus.  Having no excuse, therefore, throw out everything that will lead you to stinking thinking, it’s dragging you down. Renew that mind, stretch it, push it to learn new things, allow the Lord to show you the mysteries of the gospel.  If there is something you don’t understand, put iton the shelf and revisit it later. ffffffffff

About Terry Threadwell

Dr. Terry Threadwell has thirty five years ministry experience. Author, educator and Director of the Institute of Progressive Pentecostal Studies.
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