God said through the prophet Hosea, “My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). The rest of
the verse goes on to explain the reason for their lack of
knowledge. It was because they chose to be ignorant by
rejecting the knowledge of God. Sadly, there are many
today in the religious world at large who are making this
same mistake. They are rejecting the knowledge of God -
Christ’s Gospel, and substituting in it’s place their own
wisdom or the wisdom of other men. Paul wrote of such
people in Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s
righteousness, and seeking to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of
God.” Consider some ways in which men today ignore
God’s righteousness.
Many teach a system of “Faith Only” salvation.
They contend that all one has to do to be saved is believe on
Jesus as the Son of God. Their basis for this teaching is a
perversion of Romans 5:1 which states that we have been
justified by faith. No one denies faith as a necessity for
salvation, but the text never said faith “only.” These folks
ignore what God said in James 2:24, “You see then that a
man is justified by works, and not by faith only.”
Some try to ignore the fact that the Old Testament
has been done away with. They seek to authorize some of
their religious practices based on something taught under the
Law of Moses. They ignore such passages as Hebrews
8:7-13 which plainly teaches that the old law has been made
obsolete by the bringing in of the new covenant (vs. 13).
The entire book of Galatians is dedicated to a discussion of
how the old Law has been done away with.
Most of the religious world ignore the plain
statements God’s word has made about Baptism being
necessary unto salvation. Jesus stated, “He who believes
and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Paul taught
in many places that baptism saves (Rom. 6:1-4; Gal.
3:26,27; Col. 2:12, etc.). Peter also made clear the necessity
of baptism for salvation (Acts 2:38). He stated in 1 Peter
3:21, “There is also an antitype which now saves us -
baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God), through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
Sometimes people get into trouble by ignoring their
parents, their bosses, their teachers or even some of the laws
of the land. But, the punishment for ignoring God’s will be
much worse - Eternal Punishment in Hell! Ignoring God’s
word and substituting the traditions and doctrines of men are
condemned By Jesus (Matthew 15:7-9). Read and study
God’s word! Adhere to the things it teaches, nothing more,
nothing less. Don’t be guilty of ignoring God.
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