Living in Obscurity

Romans 1:21 “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

If we can’t see ourselves in the light of God’s wisdom, we are left without the ability to see at all.

The glory of God is impossible to miss. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, from the majesty of the heavens to the imperceptible complexity of life, Creation shouts of God’s magnificence. People who have encountered the Lord give an account of His faithfulness, and many today concur with the testimony of those who have gone before us.

There are certain people in the Bible that get lots of attention, the fool and the simpleton. What characteristics do we observe in these types of people that give us wisdom for today?

The Fool

As a general definition for a fool, the fool is someone who knows what to do and chooses to do otherwise.

James 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;  for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it,and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

Having knowledge is useful if it is used in wisdom. Many people have great knowledge without understanding, partly since it is revealed through practice.

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”

Charles Spurgeon

By neglecting the knowledge of the Lord, the fool despises the revelation of God.

Psalm 74:18 “Remember how the enemy has mocked You, O LORD, how a foolish people has spurned Your name.”

• The fool ultimately despises God’s name. The revelation of God’s name is a revelation of His character. The myriad of names God has revealed displays the wisdom of who God is, demonstrated by His actions and interventions. Creation was meant to be a revelation of His glory. Look at the ways a fool treats God’s glory and you’ll see a heart that despises God’s love.

Psalm 10:4 “In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.”

• The fool may look like he seeks God, but his heart is far from Him. There are so many people who claim to seek God for enlightenment or some other form of religious observance, only to tickle their ears and make them feel spiritual. In the end all who play the spiritual charade will be condemned as those who never knew Jesus.

The Simpleton

There are those who knew what to do and chose to go their own way, this describes the fool. The simpleton doesn’t know the way to go, they have no knowledge of God’s truth and go by way of ignorance.

“The knowledge of our ignorance is the doorstep of the temple of knowledge.” “The first link between my soul and Christ is, not my goodness, but my badness; not my merit, but my misery; not my standing, but my falling; not my riches, but my need.”

Charles Spurgeon

The simpleton may or may not understand their need, all they recognize is their lack. Hopelessness befalls many for lack of knowledge.

Our Role

John 8:55 “Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His Word.”

For those who know Christ, there is an obligation to uphold. The light that is within God’s people is meant to illuminate the darkness of the ignorant. All were ignorant and simpleton’s at one point in life, but once the knowledge of God’s Truth permeates a life the believer chooses to accept it and believe—such is the testimony of the faithful.

Jesus made it clear what belief looks like-belief is made evident by obedience.

John 8:51 “Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”

There is a fine line that many have crossed over in thinking works leads to salvation. Works is evidence of salvation, not the process by which to be saved.

There is clarity in the Spirit, not confusion. For those who walk in the Spirit, their desires become like-mannered with God’s desires. Obedience to God’s leading is a joy for those who enter into His work. Working in the flesh is the attempt to justify oneself before God by doing works by man’s strength and wisdom, not God’s wisdom–this type of work can be done by believers and unbelievers alike.

A fool may have knowledge of truth but chooses not to walk in it. Having knowledge doesn’t indicate salvation, nor does the declaration that a person “believes” in Jesus. Belief is revealed by following the Lord and His ways. Trusting in the Lord is a process of belief that acknowledges God’s way is good, even if the way before them is unknown.

Doing Good

1 Peter 2:15 “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—”

The fool denies the goodness of God by demonstrating a knowledge of Truth while proving a lack of understanding. The fool blasphemes God’s name and moves apart from His grace by denying the holiness of Christs sanctifying power.

Believers can silence foolishness by the way they live their lives. By living according to God’s moral law, the faithful live righteously in Christ and their lives become a model of God’s goodness working through them for His glory.

You can argue philosophy, you can argue interpretation of God’s Word, but you can’t argue results. When godly lives model the Truth of God, they are given the opportunity to take the written Word and make it real to others. There is an expectation of loving others that must be taken into account when a person lives under the name of Christ—it is important to remember that believers aren’t trying to prove God by living in righteousness, but rather by seeking Him and showing love for Him their lives become an expression of God’s grace revealed in and through their lives.

The prayer of David is a good statement for all who love the Lord…

Psalm 141:8 “But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; In You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute.”

The fool who claims to know Christ and yet walks in darkness only lives a lie. True believers are called to bring light into the darkness, to allow the springs of life to flow through them in the world, while their testimony removes all doubt before the fool who walks in falsity.

The life of a fool brings confusion to a world that yearns for Truth. The fool may say he believes in Christ but joyfully lives in such a way that offends God’s good name—obscuring the glory he claims to represent.

If you are a true follower of Christ, allow others to see Christ in you, be a testimony of His goodness by living faithfully and return praise to the One who shined on you.

The Lord will see your faithfulness and reward you.