Back in the 1960's a man named E.J. Potter put a V8 motor into a motorcycle frame and became famous for a time among the drag racing community. He was nicknamed the "Michigan Madman" (imagine that) after he made several trips down the track amidst flame and tire smoke at over 160 mph. Not many others were willing to attempt such a ride. When asked how he was able to accomplish such a feat, he said he just ignored all the people that told him he why the idea was crazy and why he couldn't do it. Then he made an interesting statement, "Ignorance is a powerful tool if applied at the right time, even usually surpassing knowledge..." Of course his tongue-in-cheek observation was not actually designed to lessen the importance of true knowledge but rather to indicate that conventional wisdom is not always based in fact. The scripture says it like this, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Prov 14:12)
The truth never changes because all truth ultimately stems from HIM who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (Jn.14:6-7) JESUS CHRIST is the WORD (see Jn.1:1) which is translated from the Greek word LOGOS which of course is the root of our English word, logic. There is no true logic outside of HIM. Yet while the world is convinced that its own way of thinking is logical, nothing could be further from the truth. "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." (1 Cor 1:27) GOD has ordained that men by their own wisdom should come short of knowing HIM. "in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God" (1 Cor 1:21) So it is that men by nature are in a terrible dilemma. The only way that they may escape the certain doom which awaits them is to come know the TRUTH of GOD, yet they don't possess the ability or desire to comprehend and embrace that TRUTH. In fact the scriptures reveal that judgement will come upon many for this very reason. "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth." (2 Thess 2:10-12) The natural man's inability in these matters is described thusly "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. " (1 Cor 2:14) So it is obvious from the scriptures that the understanding of men must be opened by a power outside of themselves or they will most certainly perish in their ignorance.
We have established in the past the certainty of the fact that the redemption and justification of GOD's elect children is effected totally outside of themselves by the mediatorial work of JESUS CHRIST in their behalf. So the "salvation" of which we are speaking here is that which is brought to pass in the minds of the LORD's own as HE opens their understandings that they might "see" and "believe" the gospel. GOD does not save HIS people through ignorance but through a knowledge of the truth. In fact the LORD JESUS said "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn.8:32) It is not the truth itself which produces this freedom but rather the "knowledge" of it, which is comprehended and subsequently acted upon.
In Gethsamane's garden, the LORD JESUS prayed, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (Jn.17:3) JESUS CHRIST purchased for us not only the right to be justified in the courts of heaven but to be reconciled to GOD in this mortal body by coming to a knowledge of HIM. So HE is at work in the present hour through the person of HIS HOLY SPIRIT to lead us into all truth. He has sent preachers into the earth who are taught of this SPIRIT. " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom.10:13-14)
The Pentecostals say that a man can come to this knowledge through an unexplainable experience that controls his faculties. The Charismaniacs say that he can arrive here through receiving the blessings of health and material wealth. Most Evangelicals today say that a man can arrive at this knowledge by making a "decision" to do so. Humanists tell us that man arrives there by the power of positive thinking. Counselors agree and say that each man has it within his power to arrive where he needs to be by following a few steps. The natural man thinks he can know and choose GOD's way when and if he wants to.
The truth is that GOD awakens dead sinners and causes them to see and understand, "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." (1 Cor 1:30-31) HE makes them aware of this truth, not by giving them a spine tingling experience or stirring up their natural mind, but by communicating GOD's word to their understanding by HIS power. "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." (1 Cor 1:21)
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