Those who are naive are often mocked for their innocent ignorance. Yet Scripture affirms that there are some things not worth knowing. Even more, knowing them is a detriment to our hearts. That’s why God said to Adam and Eve not to eat from that one tree in the middle of the Garden — the disobedience in their act of rebellion would not be to their benefit. Their eyes would be open to the horror of sin.
And for that same reason Paul warns the Romans that while their obedience to date was commendable, they were to continue in it to the extent that they would be “wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil” (16:19). In other words, there is a time when ignorance and innocence and naiveté is commendable and worthy.
Ignorance of sin — both in our experience and in our minds is always to our benefit. One test of whether something is worth knowing is this — would you expose your child to that particular piece of information or knowledge? In general, if it is unworthy for a child to know, it is not worthy of your meditation and contemplation either.
Tim Challies affirms this when he writes,
It must be noted that nowhere does the Bible give us permission to toy with evil. We do not need to invest a great deal of effort in knowing and studying false doctrine…But we must take care that we do not give undue time and attention to that which is evil. John MacArthur writes:
Scripture does not give believers permission to expose themselves to evil. Some people believe the only way to defend against false doctrine is to study it, become proficient in it, and master all its nuances — then refute it. I know some people who study the cults more than they study sound doctrine. Some Christians immerse themselves in the philosophy, entertainment, and culture of society. They feel such a strategy will strengthen their witness to unbelievers But the emphasis of that strategy is all wrong. Our focus should be on knowing the truth. Error is to be shunned.
Words of Grace 