If you were to go out into your neighborhood, school or work place and ask the next ten people that you encountered what the greatest danger we are currently facing is, what do you think their answer would be? Some might say terrorism or foreign powers who wish us harm, some might say climate change or man’s destruction of the planet and still others might answer that we ourselves are our greatest danger. And although those answers all have validity, to find out what our greatest danger actually is we must go deeper.
As Christians, our first answer might be Sin, with a capital “S” that indicates man’s fallen and unrepentant state before God. And while that is an excellent answer it isn’t actually our greatest danger either. While Sin can broadly be thought of as the main issue behind every other problem we face, we know that Sin is not greater than Salvation and that Salvation comes by hearing the Word of God. Sin is certainly destructive and dangerous but it has a ready answer and a powerful solution. No, our greatest danger, for both believers and non-believers alike is ignorance of God’s Word and a lack of knowledge of the Truth.
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14-15 (NASB)
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (NASB)
For the non-believer, not hearing the Word of God is the most catastrophic thing that could ever happen to them. Romans 10 lays it out very clearly. How can there ever be an answer to their Sin problem without calling on the name of Jesus and how can they call on the name of Jesus unless they believe on Him by hearing His word? In fact, you can rephrase this problem by asking why God calls preachers and teachers of the Gospel in the first place and why 1 Peter 3:15 says so clearly that we should always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks us to give an account for the hope that is in us. Quite simply, souls hang in the balance of whether or not we can clearly communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to those around us.
God’s Word is the answer to the Sin problem but without it there is no remedy for Sin and if we, as believers, are ignorant of what God’s word says and can’t clearly communicate the gospel by our lives, actions and speech then we are in the wrong and are contributing to the Lostness of everyone around us. That’s a hard truth to hear and to acknowledge but it is so important and so critical that we must not try to tone it down or take it in any other way than head on. And furthermore, even as believers, none of us are perfect and all of us have areas of our lives where we need to grow and improve in our faith. Here again, it is knowledge of God’s Word and the study of His book that will give us the strength we need and all of the answers that we are searching for.
Every problem, challenge or danger that we face can be overcome by the power of God and the way that He equips His children is through His words (the Bible) and the Word (Jesus Christ, God in the flesh) as they are one in the same. Without it, we have no hope and no power. With it, we have everything we need and all of the hope in the world.
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free John 8:32 (NASB)
Do you know the truth? If so, do you know how to adequately express the truth to those around you by the way that you walk and talk? My prayer this week is that we would all take our knowledge of the truth seriously and thank God for the revelation of Jesus Christ while we commit to greater understanding of His powerful word. May God Bless you as you seek Him ever more.