Romans 11:25-32

To be ignorant is not the same as being stupid. Ignorance is not the inability to learn, it is the lack of knowledge. Ignorance can have deadly consequences. If you are eating wild mushrooms, ignorance can literally kill you. Ignorance can also have deadly spiritual consequences. Ignorance can lead to conceit, and it is impossible for a conceited person to live righteously.

Conceit leads to all manner of spiritual sin. A conceited person has false pride and an exaggerated sense of self-importance. They will act with an attitude of arrogance and egotistical disregard of others. Once swollen by conceit, they become unfit for spiritual service. Their actions and attitudes become arbitrary and vain. Paul does not want the ignorance of the gentile Christians to give birth to conceit. He knew that if allowed to grow, conceit could, and would, destroy the church. Therefore, he educated them to the truth. Yes, the Jews had rejected Jesus, but that does not mean the gentiles were better than they were. The Jews had rejected Jesus, but Jesus would never reject the Jews. Someday through evangelism, the Israelites would come to recognize and have faith in Jesus as the messiah. No one who is right with God has room for conceit. God did not pardon any of us because we are better than someone else. God saves everyone by grace.

Ignorance and conceit are still a danger to the church today. Christians need to know many things. Material prosperity does not make us better. The size or success of our ministry does not make us more valuable to the kingdom. Our Christian heritage does not give us a step up on anyone else. Our nationality (American) does not make us God’s favorite. The least sinner is no better than the greatest sinner is. We all stand in the need of mercy and grace. There is no basis for conceit in God’s kingdom. As sinners, we are all equally lost, and as Christians, we are all equally loved and redeemed.