JANUARY 9 "IGNORANCE IS BLISS"

  Our Old Testament reading in Genesis today,  gives us insight into what we may already know, and that is that there's grace for us when we sin in ignorance. Honestly, as long as I was a sinner I really did think I was Heaven bound, I knew I was not the best, but surely my sins were not ones that would cause be to be hell bound, but when it was revealed to me that I was a sinner and that my sins were not minor in the eyes of God, then I was faced with a decision, continue in my sin with full knowledge or repent and stop. Well, needless to say, I stopped! Thank God there is Grace for us when we sin in ignorance, but unfortunately, most often, that is not the case, more often than not it is premeditated sin, willful disobedience, just as the child who knows the rules and intentionally breaks them. Even the courts have lesser sentences for crimes of passion than premeditated murder. Even a secular Judge will rule that a person deserves a higher punishment for purposely having planned and carried out wrong doing. As Christians, the days of planning and carrying out "premeditated sin" should be a thing of the past. Not that we are perfect and do not sin, we all sin, but I would hope and according to the bible, that our sin is more a case of falling and stumbling, rather than purposely planned and carried out sin.  I find it interesting that Abraham has a reasonable explanation for why he lied.  I don't think I've ever lied either without a perfectly good reason, at least in my mind.  We are not much different than Abraham in our reasoning;  we Fear that if we do the right thing events will not play out in our favor, we fear that we absolutely  can't tell the truth, God will not cover us; therefore we must lie! I have "no choice" but to sin, I have "no choice" but to lie, but there's always a choice. When we sin in ignorance, there's often abundant Grace with God; however when we purposely set out to sin, as a Christian, there will be very little Grace, but much consequence and judgement by God. "4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” 6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart (ignorance)".  The question we must ask ourselves is ARE WE sinning in ignorance or is this willful sin we are engaging in? If it is in "ignorance' there will be Grace, if it is not, you can know that consequences and judgement are on the way!