Willingly Ignorant*

Each week there are alarming headlines that seem to be pointing towards Armageddon. Hostilities with Russia, Iran, and other nations are escalating. In addition, we are seeing an increase in injustice, wickedness, racism and ethnic hatreds. These are all signs of the end times as prophesied by Christ. The apostle Peter wanted the church to be reminded of these signs and others as the Word written by the prophets in the Torah, and by the commandments of the apostles (2 Peter 3:1-2). Peter also wanted to bring to our minds another condition of the last days: "...knowing this first: that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking in their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his (Christ's) coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." (v. 3-6). The scoffers who deny the possibility of Christ's return, and the judgment to come, do so to justify continuing in their lusts. They are described not as ignorant, but willingly (thelo - intend, resolve, determined, desire, love, take delight and pleasure in) ignorant (lanthano - to be hidden, to lie hidden). The scoffers don't want to see the truth themselves, and delight in hiding the truth from others. Peter wrote that the same Word of judgment is now stored up as fire for the days of destruction of ungodly men (v. 7). However, God is not arbitrarily delaying that day of judgment: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (v. 9). That day wll oome however, and it will come like a thief in the night, with fervent heat that will melt the elements of the heavens and the earth. This knowledge should have an effect on how we live - living lives of holiness and godliness, and with diligence, to be found by Christ to be without spot and blameless (v. 10-11, 14). We who know these signs are to look forward to new heavens and a new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness" (v. 13), and be watchful "...lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness."(v. 17). Theses last days are a time when even the believers in Christ may fall into the same errors of the wicked, if we are not diligent. The "error of the wicked" is that willful ignorance of the truth: "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and for ever. Amen (v. 18). We have learned that both grace and knowledge are contained in the Torah and the prophets. Jesus warned that the last days would be like the days of Noah, and like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, when life went in as usual, with people choosing to be willingly ignorant of the warning of the judgment of destruction about to come (Lk. 17:26-30). In the days of Noah, while all men were filled with corruption and violence continually, God found Noah to be perfect, whole and complete, in his generation. Noah found grace in the eyes of God, and he walked with God. God told Noah that He would destroy wicked men with the earth (Gen. 6:9-12). God then instructed Noah to build an ark. This ark was the witness of a coming judgment by water to that generation, but only Noah and his family heeded that warning and were saved. In the same manner, the violent perversion of Sodom and Gomorrah was before God. He sent two of His angels to see the cities for themselves, and to bring the judgment of brimstone and fire to the cities. Lot, who was Abraham's nephew, lived in Sodom with his wife and daughters. He saw the angels of God come into the city and pressed them to stay at his house, because he feared for their safety. The men of the city, both young and old, and from every walk of life, came to Lot's house, and demanded that Lot send the two "men" out to them that they might do what they wanted with them. Lot offered his daughters to the mob instead, but they wanted the visiting men. Lot warned them: "I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly." The mob ignored Lot's warning, and grew angry at Lot for "judging" their desires and deeds to be wicked, and they sought to harm him. The angels pulled Lot back into his house, and struck the mob blind, so they could not find Lot's door (Gen. 19:4-11). The angels then told Lot to warn any other family that he had in the city to get out: "For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it." (v. 12-13). Lot went out to warn his sons-in-law, "...but he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law." (v. 14). Like the sons-in-law of Lot, the world often treats the warnings of those who believe God's Word as if they are crazy, yet God's Word is proven true time after time, even to physical evidence found that supports Biblical accounts, such as the utter destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, with ash being all that's left of them. These examples from Noah's flood, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were the warnings of Jesus regarding the time of His return, and it is willful ignorance to ignore them, or mock them. These warnings were not given by Jesus in an act of hate, but of love. As we read above, God desires none to perish, but for all to come to Him in repentance for salvation. Peter gave his warnings in love in order to remind the church of the words of the prophets and apostles, so that they would be prepared, and found living in holiness and godliness by Christ. Paul also wrote that our walk must be one of love: "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us...But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints...but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." (Eph. 5:1-5). As Jesus said, all of the Torah and the prophets reflect love. All of the law and the prophets are summed up in two commandments according to Jesus: Love God, and love your neighbor. Paul wrote that he who loves another fulfills the law, and that the Ten Commandments, with which we are so familiar, are contained in the one phrase, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Love will never do harm to a neighbor, therefore, Paul repeats, love fulfills the law (Rom. 13:8-10). It is a deception, however, to believe that because God loves, He will not judge: "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be ye not therefore partakers with them." (Eph. 5:6-7, see also Isa. 61:1-2). We are to walk as children of light in the fruit of the Spirit, which is all goodness, righteousness and truth, proving with our lives what is acceptable to the Lord (v. 8-10). Rather than having fellowship with the works of darkness, we should reprove those shameful things which are done in secret. By doing so, we are being the manifestation of light (v. 8-13). Paul also wrote the following based upon what the prophet Isaiah said: "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." (v. 14, Isa. 60:1). It's not about reproving people, but reproving sin and darkness. Resurrection from the dead brings the light of life that is found in Christ, and has no part in the works of darkness (Jn. 8:12). Finally, Paul warned here for us not to walk as fools but as the wise. Don't waste the time given to us, but redeem the time in these evil days (v. 15-16). In another place, Paul wrote: "...knowing the time, ...it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed...the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Rom. 13:11-12). In Ephesians 6:10-17, Paul tells us to put on the whole armor of God. That armor is an armor of light. This is our purpose: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isa. 60:1-3). Are we just going along with the crowd, or are we redeeming the time with spiritual light? Paul also wrote: "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Col. 4:5-6). *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 3/19/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

Redeeming the Time

 

 

 

Like never before, the signs of the times indicate that the end of this age is approaching, and the return of Jesus Christ is near. However, there is little sense of urgency in the Church. The apostles of the New Testament, and many of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers of the Church today, continue to urge the believers to recognize the signs of the times in which we live, and prepare for what God is calling us to be and do. 

As we see evil accelerate around us, the apostle Paul teaches us not to be partakers with evil conduct (Eph. 5:1-7), but to be children and followers of God, being and walking in the light of Christ:

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk ye as children of light....See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore, be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."   Eph. 5:8, 15-17

We become "redeemers of time" by understanding, being, and doing the will of the Lord. Evil has tried to become sovereign over the day, but the will of the Lord, as He defined days, was by His creative work (Gen. 1:4-31). He pronounced each work, and each day as "good", and "very good". Creation is groaning for the manifestation of the children, the sons of God to be the Christ light, the "or" light shining into the days to redeem them from the hold of evil. This "or" light of Christ is the light of day, prosperity, life, instruction, illumination. It is described as glorious, fire, and shining. For what communion hath light with darkness? We are not of the night, nor of darkness (2 Cor. 6:15, 1 Thess. 5:5), and all of our ways must reflect this, if we are to redeem the time.

Moses, the man of God, prayed in Psalm 90:12:

"So teach (to have intimate knowledge, to reveal, to experience) us to number (prepare, appoint, ordain, divide out) our days that we may apply (enter into, bring, attain) our hearts unto wisdom (be wise, show wisdom, teach wisdom).

This wisdom, revelation, intimate knowledge, and preparation comes from searching the scriptures. Jesus said to those who prided themselves on their knowledge and study of scripture:

"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of Me...there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me."   Jn. 5:39, 45-46

Searching the scriptures refers not just to reading or learning, but to "seeking, considering, enquiring, reflecting upon, and inspecting". It even means "ploughing", or digging beneath the surface for the intimate knowledge to be revealed there. So many of those to whom Jesus spoke this studied the scriptures to bolster their already held positions or beliefs. They used the scriptures to argue and debate. They used them to create a religious system of rules to establish their own righteousness. However, the LORD looked down from heaven to see if there were any that did understand and seek God, but there were none that was doing good, not one (Ps. 14:1-3, Rom. 3:10). They read the scriptures, but they did not search them for the heart and will of God. If they had, they would have discovered Christ in them.

Paul wrote about visiting with a people in Berea, who heard his Gospel message with all readiness of mind, but then went to scripture to search them daily to see for themselves the intimate truth revealed therein (Acts 17:10-12). Not only did many Jews believe there, but also Gentiles because of this willingness to delve deeply into God's will. The word "Berea" means "well watered". They were indeed a people who were well watered in the Word of God. We are called to be Bereans in our time, searching and seeking daily, the intimate knowledge of God in His Word. It is not enough to be hearers only, but we must search it out ourselves, in order to become "doers".

There are many today who do not know, nor believe, the signs of the times in which we live. There were also those in the time of Christ (Mt. 16:1-4). For those of us who are aware of the lateness of the hour, and the signs of His coming, there is something expected of us. We are to redeem the time, we are to be the light of Christ in the darkness of surrounding evil. Our days, hours, and minutes are not our own, but are ordained, divided out, and appointed with this calling. Search the scriptures, find in them the testimony of Christ, and be that light.

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Redeeming the Time, Redeeming the Land

 

We are living in a time of great darkness, with the darkness seeming to grow deeper every day. That darkness manifests in many different ways, but it is all of the same darkness. It is the spiritual darkness that rejects truth and life. It rejects the Word of God, and rebels against His LORDship. In recent days, as in the past, the darkness has taken the form of racial hatred and violence, terrorism, perversions, child murder, murder in general, and other forms that we are seeing on the news every day. Sometimes, we are tempted to forget the plan of God in the midst of this darkness. Even as we see this darkness seeming to spread further and further over our nation and the whole earth, scripture tells us that God foresaw it happening and prophesied about it:

"Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you."

Isa. 60:1-2

The same (kabode) glory that the LORD, Himself, possesses, He has given to us, as well as the same (ore) light as is Jesus, who said, "I am the light of the world." (Jn. 8:12, 9:5). This is the same light that Jesus spoke of when He told us that we also were the light of the world (Mt. 5:14).

It is the way of the LORD, that when darkness tries to reign, He pours out His glory light upon us and tells us to shine with it. As we know in the natural, the darker the surroundings, the greater effect light has upon it. So it is also in the spiritual realm.

The prophet Daniel told us that when the darkness of wickedness would flourish, "...the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits." (Dan. 11:32).

The call and purpose for God's people in these troubling dark times is clear. This is when the light of the Gospel in us should appear at its greatest. This is the time when the light of the uncompromised truth of God's Word is needed to save lives and souls, to deliver them out of that darkness and into His marvelous light, even as we were delivered.

The Apostle Paul instructs us, when dealing with those outside the faith, to let our speech "always be with grace, seasoned with salt" (Col. 4:5-6). We are always to speak the grace of God, but also with the salt of truth that preserves and cleanses. He says by doing this, we "redeem the time". What a deep concept. It means to recover from the power of another the epoch waited for, the fixed time when things are brought to crisis. We can possibly say then that the darkness is trying to have power over the timing, or delay the timing, of the return of Christ, the awaited epoch. However, one reason that God has poured out His own glory, and His Son's light upon us, is for the purpose of taking back that time. It requires us to be the fullness of that light.

Why is it so important that we not compromise the truth we know with the darkness around us? The light that the darkness cannot destroy from the outside (Jn. 1:5), it will try to destroy from the inside. Jesus warned:

"The light of the body is the eye; therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness....If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."

Lk. 11:34-36

Even a small compromise with darkness, destroys the whole light within, according to Jesus.
Similarly, the Apostle Paul tells us in Eph. 5:1-27 to be imitators of God, avoiding the works of darkness, and to walk as children of light. He says that these dark works and behaviors are even shameful to talk about. These behaviors come from fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, and idolatry. Do not be partakers with them. While we once shared in these dark works, we are now light in the Lord, proving (giving evidence) of what is acceptable to the Lord, rather than the abominations of darkness. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, he tells us, but rather expose them, making them manifest out of hiding by the light of Christ.

He concludes these thoughts by saying in v. 16:

"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Again, he talks about the concept of "redeeming the time".  While we are redeeming the time from the power of the darkness, we are also redeeming our land from that darkness. If we care about the spiritual condition of our land, God has given us His own glory to bring to it, if we will walk in that glory and light.

Let us understand, above all, that "Christ is head of the church; and Savior of the body." (v.23).  A church that compromises with darkness, though it pleases the world, has removed Christ from its headship. For by His headship, He is presenting to Himself a "glorious (kabode) church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (v.27).

 

 

Recommended reading: "Redeeming the Land", by Gwen Shaw, 1987 (see links below)

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