What You Don’t Know, Can Hurt You!

Ignorance may seem like bliss, but only until the truth catches up to you. (Show picture of someone in danger but unaware of it.)

Not knowing God can hurt you.

(Rom 1:28-32 NIV) Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. {29} They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, {30} slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; {31} they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. {32} Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Not knowing Jesus can hurt you.

(John 17:3 NIV) Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Not knowing the Bible can hurt you.

(2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV) All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, {17} so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Not knowing about faith can hurt you.

(Heb 11:6 NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Not knowing the truths revealed in the Bible can hurt you.

"You shall have no other gods before me. {4}

"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

{8} "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

{12} "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

{13} "You shall not murder.

{14} "You shall not commit adultery.

{15} "You shall not steal.

{16} "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

{17} "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

It’s possible you can avoid both temporal and eternal harm, both physical and spiritual harm. But here is another truth you need to know.

(John 9:31 NIV) We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.

Let’s summarize.

(1 Tim 2:5-6 NIV) For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, {6} who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time.

(Rom 3:21-24 NIV) But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. {22} This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, {23} for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, {24} and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

(Acts 2:38 NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

(John 14:26 NIV) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

There will always be things we don’t know. But, there is know excuse for not knowing God.

(2 Tim 2:15 KJV) Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

(Rom 2:14-16 NIV) (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, {15} since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) {16} This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

(Rom 1:20-25 NIV) For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. {21} For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. {22} Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools {23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. {24} Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. {25} They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.

So what you don’t know is what you should in fact know and there is no excuse for not knowing. That is why what you don’t know can hurt you! To say you don’t know is a lie. If you don’t know it’s simply because you choose to be ignorant!