And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (1 Timothy 1:12-13)
The Apostle Paul confesses that was once the vilest of men - a blasphemer, a persecutor, and incredibly violent, especially toward the people of Christ's church. Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws attention to something else the apostle mentions: his ignorance. Paul did all that evil because he acted in ignorance, and yet Paul was among the most learned men of his day. He was among the best educated, but with all his knowledge, Paul was bankrupt without Christ. Before coming face to face with Christ, he rested in the power of his intellect and his scrupulous observance of the Jewish laws. But when confronted on the road to Damascus, the apostle saw his wrong.
Paul represents many people today. They place their trust in mortal knowledge, and they call Christians ignorant for believing in something they see as outmoded. But no human knowledge has ever solved spiritual problems: What happens after death? How should a person live? These are questions worldly understanding cannot answer.
Dear listener, where are you in this picture? If you are trusting in anything or anyone else, the Holy Spirit calls on you to come into the knowledge of God that can only be gained through Jesus Christ and His written Word, and to trust in His everlasting love and grace.