Overcoming Ignorance: The Call to Repentance

 

Summary

In reflecting on the passage from Acts, we are reminded of the profound grace and mercy of God, even in the face of ignorance and sin. Peter's sermon, delivered after the miraculous healing of a man unable to walk, serves as a powerful call to repentance and conversion. The crowd, initially astonished by the miracle, is confronted with the reality of their actions against Jesus. Peter acknowledges their ignorance, echoing Jesus' own words from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." This ignorance, however, is not an excuse but a call to action. It is a reminder that while ignorance may be present, it is vincible, meaning it can be overcome through repentance and turning to God.

The distinction between vincible and invincible ignorance is crucial. Vincible ignorance, where knowledge is available but ignored, does not excuse us from responsibility. In contrast, invincible ignorance, where knowledge is unattainable, may excuse us. Yet, in matters of faith, the ignorance of those who crucified Christ was vincible. Despite this, Jesus and Peter offer a path to forgiveness through repentance.

The sermon also touches on the unforgivable sin, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This sin is not about ignorance but a willful rejection of the truth revealed by the Spirit. It is a sobering reminder of the seriousness of our response to God's revelation. However, for those who repent, there is hope and forgiveness. The metaphor of having our sins "blotted out" is a beautiful image of God's grace, erasing our transgressions when we come before Him with a contrite heart.

Ultimately, the call is to listen to Jesus, the prophet like Moses, as affirmed by the voice from heaven at the Transfiguration. Ignorance will not save us; only repentance and faith in Christ will. As we continue to explore these themes, we are reminded of the divided response to the Gospel, a pattern that persists today.

Key Takeaways:

- Ignorance is not an excuse for sin, but a call to repentance. While ignorance may be present, it is vincible and can be overcome by seeking God and His truth. We are responsible for the knowledge available to us and must diligently pursue understanding to avoid spiritual negligence. [09:22]

- The distinction between vincible and invincible ignorance highlights our responsibility to seek truth. Vincible ignorance, where knowledge is available but ignored, does not excuse us from accountability. We must actively pursue understanding and not rely on ignorance as a defense before God. [07:32]

- Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a grave sin, emphasizing the importance of our response to God's revelation. This sin is not about ignorance but a willful rejection of the truth revealed by the Spirit. It serves as a warning to take seriously the work of the Holy Spirit in revealing Christ to us. [11:33]

- Forgiveness requires repentance and a contrite heart. God's grace is not automatic; it demands a response of humility and acknowledgment of our sins. We must come before God with honesty and seek His mercy to experience the erasure of our transgressions. [18:01]

- Listening to Jesus, the prophet like Moses, is essential for salvation. The call to "hear Him" is a reminder that ignorance will not save us. We must heed the words of Christ and respond in faith to have our sins forgiven and our ignorance overcome. [22:52]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:34] - Introduction to Peter's Sermon
- [01:18] - The Healing at the Gate Beautiful
- [02:03] - Peter's Scathing Denunciation
- [02:50] - Ignorance and Forgiveness
- [04:24] - Vincible vs. Invincible Ignorance
- [06:00] - Illustration of Ignorance
- [07:32] - Ignorance and Accountability
- [09:22] - The Role of Repentance
- [10:49] - The Unforgivable Sin
- [12:18] - Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
- [13:43] - The Resurrection and Conviction
- [15:08] - The Hope in Ignorance
- [16:53] - The Metaphor of Blotting Out Sins
- [18:51] - The Price of Forgiveness
- [20:27] - A Personal Story of Repentance
- [22:15] - Listening to the Prophet Like Moses
- [24:02] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Acts 3:17-26

Observation Questions:
1. What was the reaction of the crowd after the healing of the man at the Gate Beautiful, and how did Peter use this opportunity? [02:03]
2. How does Peter describe the ignorance of the people and their rulers in relation to the crucifixion of Jesus? [03:31]
3. What distinction does the sermon make between vincible and invincible ignorance, and why is this important? [05:15]
4. What does Peter say is necessary for the forgiveness of sins, according to the sermon? [16:53]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of vincible ignorance challenge the way individuals approach their faith and understanding of God? [09:22]
2. Why is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit considered an unforgivable sin, and how does this relate to the response to God's revelation? [11:33]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that ignorance is not a valid excuse before God, and how does this impact one's responsibility to seek truth? [09:22]
4. How does the metaphor of having sins "blotted out" illustrate the nature of God's grace and forgiveness? [16:53]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you acted out of ignorance. How did you respond once you became aware of the truth, and what steps did you take to correct your actions? [09:22]
2. Consider the distinction between vincible and invincible ignorance. Are there areas in your spiritual life where you might be ignoring available knowledge? How can you actively seek understanding in these areas? [05:15]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of repentance for forgiveness. Is there a specific sin or area in your life where you need to seek God's forgiveness and turn away from? [16:53]
4. How can you ensure that you are listening to Jesus, the prophet like Moses, in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to hear and respond to His teachings? [22:15]
5. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a serious matter. How can you cultivate a heart that is open to the Holy Spirit's conviction and guidance? [11:33]
6. The sermon mentions the divided response to the Gospel. How do you handle situations where your faith is met with opposition or indifference? [22:52]
7. Reflect on the story shared in the sermon about the woman who finally understood the Gospel. How can you be more open to hearing God's message, even if you've heard it many times before? [20:56]

Devotional

Day 1: Ignorance as a Call to Action
Ignorance is not an excuse for sin, but a call to repentance. While ignorance may be present, it is vincible and can be overcome by seeking God and His truth. We are responsible for the knowledge available to us and must diligently pursue understanding to avoid spiritual negligence. Ignorance, in this context, is not a passive state but an active challenge to seek out the truth and align ourselves with God's will. The crowd in Acts was astonished by the miracle but was also confronted with their actions against Jesus. This confrontation serves as a reminder that ignorance can be overcome through repentance and turning to God. [09:22]

Acts 17:30-31 (ESV): "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have been ignoring God's truth? How can you actively seek understanding and repentance in this area today?


Day 2: The Responsibility of Vincible Ignorance
The distinction between vincible and invincible ignorance highlights our responsibility to seek truth. Vincible ignorance, where knowledge is available but ignored, does not excuse us from accountability. We must actively pursue understanding and not rely on ignorance as a defense before God. This means that we are called to be proactive in our faith journey, seeking out knowledge and understanding of God's word and His will for our lives. The ignorance of those who crucified Christ was vincible, yet they were offered a path to forgiveness through repentance. [07:32]

James 4:17 (ESV): "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

Reflection: Is there a truth about God or His teachings that you have been avoiding? What steps can you take today to confront this and seek deeper understanding?


Day 3: The Gravity of Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a grave sin, emphasizing the importance of our response to God's revelation. This sin is not about ignorance but a willful rejection of the truth revealed by the Spirit. It serves as a warning to take seriously the work of the Holy Spirit in revealing Christ to us. This is a sobering reminder of the seriousness of our response to God's revelation and the importance of being open to the truth that the Holy Spirit reveals. [11:33]

Hebrews 10:26-27 (ESV): "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries."

Reflection: Have you ever felt resistant to a truth the Holy Spirit is revealing to you? How can you open your heart to His guidance today?


Day 4: The Necessity of Repentance for Forgiveness
Forgiveness requires repentance and a contrite heart. God's grace is not automatic; it demands a response of humility and acknowledgment of our sins. We must come before God with honesty and seek His mercy to experience the erasure of our transgressions. The metaphor of having our sins "blotted out" is a beautiful image of God's grace, erasing our transgressions when we come before Him with a contrite heart. This highlights the necessity of repentance in our spiritual journey. [18:01]

Isaiah 1:18 (ESV): "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."

Reflection: Is there a sin you need to confess and repent of today? How can you approach God with a contrite heart and seek His forgiveness?


Day 5: Listening to Jesus for Salvation
Listening to Jesus, the prophet like Moses, is essential for salvation. The call to "hear Him" is a reminder that ignorance will not save us. We must heed the words of Christ and respond in faith to have our sins forgiven and our ignorance overcome. This is a call to actively listen to Jesus and follow His teachings, recognizing Him as the ultimate source of truth and salvation. [22:52]

Deuteronomy 18:18-19 (ESV): "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him."

Reflection: How can you make space in your daily life to listen more intently to Jesus' teachings? What changes can you make to ensure His words guide your actions and decisions?

Quotes



"Repent, therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of the restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." [00:17:12]

"And if you remember two weeks ago we saw that the content of this sermon was a scorching denunciation of those who had gathered around on this occasion. Peter pointed the finger in their faces and said, “You are the very people who betrayed Christ, who delivered Him, who screamed for His blood and are guilty of His murder. It’s that by the power of that same Jesus, that you murdered, that this man was made whole.” [00:16:01]

"Let me just pause for a moment here and talk about this whole business of ignorance. In the Roman Catholic Church in their historic moral theology, Rome makes a distinction between two kinds of ignorance. One is called “vincible” ignorance and the other “invincible” ignorance. That which is vincible is that which may be conquered or overpowered. That which is invincible, of course, cannot be defeated, cannot be overpowered and the distinction in moral theology is for this reason." [00:49:10]

"If I do something out of ignorance where I had no knowledge and had no way of knowing what was right or wrong, that would be invincible ignorance, and that kind of ignorance would excuse me. On the other hand, if I did something out of ignorance for which there was plenty of knowledge available, plenty of opportunity for me to learn it, but I was not diligent in my study, I was slothful, I was negligent, and I ignored that knowledge that was available to me and then – I can then, at the end of the day, cannot say, “Well I am sorry I didn’t know. I had no way of knowing.” [00:55:08]

"There are countless millions of people in this world and in our own country who are counting on their ignorance to get them past the Judgment Seat of God. “I never went to church. I never read the Bible. I never studied the things of God. How could you possibly hold me accountable for being a disciple of Christ when I didn’t know anything about Him?” How much do you think that’s going to wash on the Judgment Seat of God? No. That’s vincible ignorance that does not excuse." [01:31:24]

"Now the ignorance that those who stood at the bottom of the cross and cried for the blood of Christ was not invincible; it was vincible, and despite that it was vincible, our Lord said, “Forgive them.” And despite that the ignorance that Peter acknowledges here of these who had screamed for the blood of Christ was vincible, he still sees that they have a chance still to be forgiven, but the only chance they have is if they repent." [01:37:24]

"Well there is an unforgivable sin, and our Lord warned His contemporaries about it. What was the occasion of that? Not only did these people not recognize Him as the Messiah as they should have had they been diligent students of the Word of God, but they actually accused Jesus of being in league with the devil. Now Jesus put up with an awful lot of insults, an awful lot of hostility from His contemporaries, but at this point He draws a line in the sand, and He says, “Stop. Hold it right there fellas. You need to be very, very, very, very careful because you’ve already come perilously close to committing that sin for which there is no forgiveness.” [01:44:52]

"Now if you notice later on in the New Testament, particularly in the book of Hebrews, that distinction between sinning against the Son and sinning against the Spirit evaporates. And the reason for it is this: on the occasion when Jesus was killed, the people that were blaspheming Him all over the place really didn’t know what they were doing. That was Friday, but on Sunday, by the power of the Holy Ghost, God raised Him from the dead. And the point is this: that once the Holy Ghost convicts you of the truth of the identity of Jesus, if then you call Him a devil, you’re finished." [01:50:28]

"Forgiveness by God is simply not automatic. The grace that is taught in this day and age is the cheapest thing that the church has ever heard. The idea is that God just automatically forgives everybody. No! As long as you remain impenitent, as long as you refuse to confess your sins before Him, He will not forgive you. That’s why Peter says, “I know you didn’t know it, but you should’ve known it because what would happen here was fulfilled, and what was taught ages and ages and ages ago, time and time and time again by the Gospel.” [02:04:44]

"I remember going on an evangelism call in Cincinnati many years ago when I was working with Evangelism Explosion. I had two of my elders with me and we went to this apartment, and all I can tell you was it was some kind of hippie pad with black strobe lights and everything. This one girl was dressed to kill and she was leaving, she excused herself and the other one was home, and she had visited the church for some musical event. She invited us in, and one of my elders began to tell her the Gospel, and she stopped him right in mid sentence." [02:12:32]

"One last point, when he quotes Moses, he says, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.” Does that bring to mind anything? Moses said, “There’s going to come a day where God’s going to send you another prophet just like me, another mediator, and what you have to do is listen to Him, hear Him.” Doesn’t that take your mind right back to the Mount of Transfiguration when Moses appears with Jesus there with Elijah, and the glory of Christ begins to shine through the veil of His humanity, and the disciples are falling on their faces in terror before them." [02:20:24]

"The glory cloud surrounds them, and they hear the voice from heaven. What does that voice say? “This is my beloved Son. Hear Him.” That’s what Peter’s saying. “This is the Son of God. Listen to Him, because if you don’t, your sins will not be erased, and your ignorance will not save you.” Now next week, God willing, we’re going to see the response. And like every time the Gospel is preached, the response is divided. Again a huge mass of people fled to the Gospel, embraced Christ, had their sins forgiven, while the rulers arrested Peter and John, but we’ll look at that next week." [02:28:52]

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Transcript
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