2 Peter 3:5 KJV
[5] “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:”
Peter is not talking about people who do not know the truth. He is talking about people who choose not to acknowledge the truth. There is a difference between not knowing something and refusing to accept something. Whenever someone refuses to accept a certain truth, they are willingly ignorant. They were given light, but they chose to reject it. This is not a passive ignorance but an active ignorance.
Our text reminds us that the same word that created the heavens and the earth is the same word that sustains them. God needed no assistance or tools to create this world, but He did it by the power of His own word. His word not only created the world but also put it in order. This teaches us that to reject the Word of God is a serious matter. We are saved and kept by His Word.
A sinner can open his eyes to behold the world around him and know that there is a God in Heaven. If he responds to the light he is given, then God will increase the light. But if he rejects the light, there is no promise that he will receive more. Ignorance is not necessarily a lack of information, but it can also be a willingness to reject the information you are given.
Devotion is not just reading and studying, but responding. To those of us who have been given much light, we must remember to respond positively to that light. Believers can also be guilty of willful ignorance. Many sit in good churches hearing the truth week after week, yet they do not apply it to their lives. Think about those who casually attend Sunday School or church, who come unprepared to hear the truth, without a Bible and no thought of prayer for the services. Their hearts are not prepared, and they leave the same way they came. Many in this condition are ignorant by their own will. They could have learned more about the things of God, and the opportunity for spiritual growth was available if they had wanted it. The Lord gave them a Bible and a preacher, but they chose not to take advantage of these blessings.
What about those who are saved but choose not to surrender some area of their lives? When the Spirit of God speaks to them about a specific matter, they ignore Him. They behave as if He had never spoken to them. There is a great danger in going your own way and not heeding His voice. Dear reader, I want to encourage you to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life. Obey the Word of God, and you will be blessed.