Causes of Ignorance
The will of God is often obscured by evil instruction, wicked association, and terrible society, leading to error and unbelief.
Clement of Rome emphasizes the obscurity of God's will due to evil influences like wicked associations, ungodly conversations, and wrongful prejudices, leading to various sins and hindrances that prevent people from truly knowing and pleasing God. He urges truth-seekers to cry out for help and open the door to let the light of God's truth in and drive out the smoke of worldly influences, allowing them to see and understand God's will clearly.
Text
The will of God has been kept in obscurity in many ways. In the first place, there is evil instruction, wicked association, terrible society, unseemly discourses, wrongful prejudice.
Thereby is error, then fearlessness, unbelief, fornication, covetousness, vainglory; and ten thousand other such evils, filling the world as a quantity of smoke fills a house, have obscured the sight of the men inhabiting the world, and have not suffered them to look up and become acquainted with God the Creator from the delineation of Himself which He has given, and to know what is pleasing to Him.
Wherefore it behooves the lovers of truth, crying out inwardly from their breasts, to call for aid, with truth-loving reason, that some one living within the house which is filled with smoke may approach and open the door, so that the light of the sun which is without may be admitted into the house, and the smoke of the fire which is within may be driven out.
Sermon Outline
- Causes of Ignorance
- Effects of Ignorance
- Error and Fearlessness
- Unbelief and Fornication
- Terrible Society
Key Quotes
“Thereby is error, then fearlessness, unbelief, fornication, covetousness, vainglory; and ten thousand other such evils, filling the world as a quantity of smoke fills a house, have obscured the sight of the men inhabiting the world,” — Clement of Rome
Application Points
- We must seek truth and call for aid to clear the smoke of error from our minds.
- Reason plays a crucial role in seeking truth and understanding God's will.
- We must be careful of the company we keep, as wicked association can lead to error and unbelief.