Scripture Focus: 2 Peter 3:5 “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.”
Most of us don’t enjoy being called ignorant. It sounds harsh, almost insulting. But Peter is not talking about people who never had a chance to learn, or who simply lack information. He’s talking about those who choose not to know what they could know—especially when it comes to God’s truth. This is not the ignorance of never being shown, but of quietly turning away from what has already been revealed.
That’s a serious thought. It means there’s a difference between not yet understanding something and deciding you don’t want to understand it because it might cost you something. Scripture tightens the lens even more: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). God isn’t unfair. He doesn’t condemn people for light they never had. But He does hold us responsible for truth we could have known, and especially for truth we already know but refuse to follow. That’s what makes “willing ignorance” so dangerous.
This touches every part of life—our beliefs, our daily choices, our habits, and our relationships. It is possible to be “willingly ignorant” in very ordinary ways. We avoid certain passages of Scripture because they cut a little too close. We quiet the tug of conviction by saying, “Everyone struggles with something.” We tell ourselves we’re “too busy” to study a topic that makes us uncomfortable. Sometimes we even make jokes about not wanting to know, because knowing might mean changing. In reality, we are putting our fingers in our ears while God is gently calling our name.
This can happen in any season of life. A young person may sense God speaking about entertainment, friendships, or purity, but quickly brushes it aside. A couple may avoid talking honestly about spiritual priorities because deep down they worry that truth might rearrange their plans. A family may sense the need to make changes in worship, lifestyle, or use of time, but keep kicking the decision down the road. A believer may feel convicted about a long-cherished habit and try to drown that conviction in busyness. In all these cases, the danger is the same: we are choosing not to see what the Holy Spirit is trying to show us.
Yet there’s also comfort here. God does not go looking for reasons to condemn us. He’s not hiding truth behind a curtain and then punishing us for not finding it. On the contrary, He invites us, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3). The very God who warns against willing ignorance also promises willing revelation. He longs to teach, to guide, to correct, to comfort, to lead us step by step into a clearer understanding of His will. He is not threatened by our questions. He is not impatient with our honest confusion. What He asks is that we be willing to listen—and willing to follow as He makes things plain.
Truth is never our enemy when it comes from God. It may confront us. It may rearrange our priorities. It may call us out of comfortable patterns or familiar sins. It may put a cross where we hoped for an easier path. But it will never harm our souls. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). If a “truth” leaves you more bound to sin, more enslaved to self, more careless about righteousness, then it isn’t the truth of Christ. The truth He gives may cut, but it cuts like a skilled Physician, only to heal.
The real question, then, isn’t whether God is speaking, but whether we are willing to hear—and to respond. Are we reading Scripture just to confirm what we already prefer, or to discover what God actually says? Are we asking the Lord to show us any area where we’ve chosen not to know, not to ask, not to study, because we suspect it might be uncomfortable? Are we willing to pray, “Lord, if I am resisting light in any part of my life, show me, and give me grace to follow what You reveal”? That’s a brave prayer, but it’s also a safe one—because the hands that hold the light are nail-scarred.
In your personal life, in your family, in your friendships, and in any relationship that matters to you, truth will sometimes feel like a sharp edge. It may expose selfishness, compromise, or spiritual carelessness. But if you let it do its work, it will also build a foundation that can stand when life shakes. Avoiding truth now won’t protect you later; it will only make the fall harder if the foundation gives way. Receiving truth, even when it stings, is an act of trust in the God who loves you too much to leave you as you are.
So ask the hard questions. Open your Bible with a willing heart. Talk honestly with those you love about what God is showing you. Don’t hide from the passages that disturb your comfort. Don’t be afraid of what will happen if you fully surrender something God is touching. He isn’t trying to strip you of joy; He’s trying to lead you into a deeper, cleaner, freer kind of life than you have yet experienced. What you choose not to know can hurt you—but what you choose to know, and follow, in Christ will never lead you wrong.
Reflection Questions:
- Can you think of an area where you have quietly avoided searching out God’s will because you suspect it might call for change? What would it look like to bring that area honestly to Him?
- When you read Scripture, do you look mainly for comfort, or are you also open to conviction and correction? How might you invite God to speak more freely to your heart through His Word?
- Have you ever experienced a time when facing a hard truth from God eventually led to greater peace or freedom? What did that process teach you about His character?
- Are there topics—prophecy, lifestyle choices, relationship boundaries, use of time, or anything else—that you tend to avoid studying or discussing? Why do you think that is?
- What is one practical step you can take this week (a passage to study, a decision to revisit, a conversation to have, a prayer to pray) to move from “willing ignorance” toward “willing obedience”?
Prayer Prompt:
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are a God of truth and mercy. Please forgive me for the times I have chosen comfort over conviction or turned away from light You were trying to give. Soften my heart and make me willing to learn whatever You want to show me. Help me not to be afraid of truth, but to trust that all You reveal is for my good and Your glory. Teach me to listen, to follow, and to love what You love. Show me any area where I am resisting Your voice, and give me grace to walk in the light You provide. In Jesus’ name, amen.
If this devotional stirred your heart to follow Christ more closely and to walk with purpose, take the next step in His Word—“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalms 119:11). Keep your eyes on Jesus and let Scripture dwell richly in you day by day.
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