Thomas Gray in the 1700's coined the phrase, " Ignorance is bliss". Though this might make sense for your 5-year-old child not to understand the significance of nuclear war, it makes little sense for an adult to adhere to this. Karl Mark said, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." Though I disagree with the words of Karl Marx, many are comfortable facing the things of God in ignorance, for many they validate this cynical quote. First of all, Jesus' harshest words were against religion and its leaders (Matthew 23). God desires a living and breathing relationship with His children not a religion followed in ignorance. Yet this is exactly where most people choose to remain concerning the things of God. They have never read the Bible, and openly admit they have no intentions of doing so.

Even the most passionate student of God's Word does not fully comprehend all that is in it because of our humanity. We read in 1 Corinthians 13:9-12, "For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now, we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." Multiple times prior to the cross, Jesus openly told His disciples how He would die, but they could not comprehend it. That is why after His death, they hid in a room, fearful and disillusioned. That was until they saw the risen Lord. These scared disciples cloistered in their ignorance, shortly after in Acts 2, having been filled with the Holy Spirit were now ready to take on and reach the world with the gospel message. On the Road to Emmaus, two of Jesus' disciples walked in ignorance away from Jerusalem, after the crucifixion of Jesus. When Jesus joined them, He said in Luke 24:25-27, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." Paul went on to explain the importance of facilitating understanding both to believers within the church and unbelievers in 1 Corinthians 14:6, 19, "But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?...yet in the church, I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, then ten thousand words in a tongue."

So, all of us make a decision, to seek the things of God or remain in ignorance. So many who choose to remain in ignorance, use as one of their defenses the questioning of God's fairness, stating "How can God judge those who don't know about Him?" If you are getting nothing out of your church, change churches. If you want to read the Bible but don't understand: change your version, get a commentary, and go to a Bible teaching church. When you read the Bible, we shouldn't remain in our favorite sections, or just the New Testament or the Psalms, for as Jesus did on the Road to Emmaus, He used the entirety of the written Word to help the disciples comprehend. Lastly, what have we allowed Christian fellowship to become? This should not just be a gathering of people who don't curse and tell off-colored jokes. Fellowship is a necessary part of our Christian walk and is necessary to edify new believers, encourage hurting believers, and lift up everyone by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through and between us. When we gather let's speak less about our sports, our children, our health, etc, and more about the Word of God.