When Ignorance is Bliss

“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (Joh 3:8 AV)

Living by faith necessitates accepting things as true without being able to figure them out.  Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus regarding the new birth.  Salvation requires a new birth.  We were born in the image and practice of Adam’s sin.  Our physical birth is wrought in sin.  This will not do.  We cannot inherit eternal life in our natural state.  There must be a change.  The new birth is a second birth.  It is the birth of the spirit and soul.  The Spirit regenerates our soul and spirit that we might be a new creature made in the image of Jesus Christ.  This new man we have become is capable of inheriting eternal life.  The actual means by which this happens is impossible to understand.  Jesus is referring to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the operation of the new birth.  We may know the truth of regeneration, but to understand exactly how the Spirit accomplishes it is beyond natural man’s ability to understand.  This is where faith comes in. Faith, in order to be faith, cannot stand completely on reason.  Reason has much to do with faith.  Faith without reason is often misguided.  Faith requires reason.  But reason alone cannot be the sole foundation of faith simply because there are things beyond our ability to reason that is nonetheless true.  Faith takes over where reason cannot go.

The wonder of walking with God is we cannot know everything.  This is not a frustration.  It is actually a pleasure.  Have you ever gone to a museum, zoo, or garden with someone who knows way too much?  We have the Borneor Botanical Gardens here in Milwaukee.  They are not as big as the one in Chicago, but impressive nonetheless.  My wife and I have been twice.  Around the holidays, they have a light show.  There are hundreds of ornamental lights of different shapes and subject matter.  Going at night, it is something to behold.  This is something to just soak in.  One of those times, we were near a group with someone who knew every fact a human being could know of every display along the route.  Who fashioned the sculpture.  Why it was in the shape of its appearance.  The number of lights that were in the sculpture.  The hours it took to create.  The year it was added and under what circumstances it was added.  This person even gave a review of the next sculpture before they got to it.  All that information and preview ruined the experience for us.  We had to hustle around them to enjoy the display.  When this individual shared way too much information, he removed the unique experience most of us could have if we didn’t know.  We were not there for a history or science lesson.  We were there to see amazing works of light art and the ambiance it created.

Now, the LORD does not want us to stay purposely ignorant of things that we can know.  We are told to study to show ourselves approved unto God.  We are instructed to read the Word daily.  Take notes.  Write a journal.  Look up words.  Compare verses.  We are not told to avoid truth revealed in the word of God so we can experience the wonder of God more deeply.  In fact, ignorance can lead to a misunderstanding of God.  There is a balance between studying the word of God and limiting the expectation of what we can know.  God is infinite in all His attributes.  Therefore, we can never know God completely and fully.  The way He does things is past finding out.  So, we can read about it and not have to obsess over it.  The is an element of ignorance that makes our walk with God all that more wonderful.  The fact He cannot be understood is not a bad thing.  If He could be, we would be more equal to God than we actually are.  Seminaries do a disservice to their students when they lead them to believe if we can think it, we can figure it out.  Not so.  There is partial knowledge in verse five.  We can feel the wind and hear the wind.  We may even be able to pattern the winds.  But when it comes to a very local application, we may not be able to tell from where it comes.  Note the paper plate that blows off the picnic table or the kite that once flew, but comes crashing down.  We may think we can figure it all out, but we cannot.  And that is a good thing.  It is the awesomeness of God that gives us the faith to endure things we cannot control.  Ignorance can indeed be bliss.