One of the passages in Scripture that was a wake up call when I began to use the Bible as a lens to judge other forms of knowledge rather than the either way around was Jesus’s exhortation about the Narrow Gate or the Narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14; 21-23). It inspired me to write this blog on a weekly basis for over two years, at first, to explain how my spiritual life was before I reached a point of determined surrender to Christ and afterwards. Now it has been constant drum beat of sharing the gospel and the wisdom from Scripture from various angles, hoping one title may draw someone closer to Christ when I realize mosts articles will not attract anyone.
It’s not unusual that someone who is not a follower of Christ will tell me they are not. It’s a little ambiguous what they actually believe, but they definitely cannot believe in the person who declared themselves God and backed it up with evidence. I do not judged them. I may share a relevant point with them. Nevertheless, I am not surprised, despite my witnessing that someone, including those I know closely, that they remain in an apparent state of being unsaved by the Gospel of Christ. The free gift of God Almighty that cost His Son’s life.
In honor of these unsaved wide path people, I’ve selected some relevant passages about how “Some will not believe.”
Let’s begin with the people who knew Jesus first hand and still could not believe, the refused to believe, they were absolutely afraid of Him. He was a danger to their power. Little did they know that God was using them for His divine purposes which lead to Jesus suffering for our sins, suffering God’s wrath for our sins, and dying on a cross.
But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. 48 If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. -John 11:46-53
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made“
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Even when faced with first hand evidence of the power exhibited by Christ, many people did not believe. Jesus did not meet their expectations of a conquering hero, or there was so much pressure applied to the jewish populace by the idolatrous religious leaders, that the common “temple-goer” of the day were influenced enough to refuse belief in the God incarnate.
Not all the Pharisees remained opposed to Jesus, for example, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea became followers of Christ and they publicly cared for the body of Jesus after His death on the cross.
As believers, as challenging as it can be, we must come to peace with the fact that although we may plant evangelistic seeds among those in our social circle, it is not our personal responsibility to bring the actual conversion of people. Aside from sharing the gospel and doing our best to live Godly lives, we have the responsibility to communicate the truth of God’s laws and of God’s character as declared in the Bible.
The actual conversion of a sinner to becoming declared as righteous, that is the work God through the Holy Spirit. As believers (and inasmuch as God can work through non-believers) there is no guarantee that those we know who are unsaved will do become saved with our knowledge. Sure, it’s a blessing if that does happen.
As believers, we also need to trust the Bible as the inspired and inerrant Word of God. Without the firm foundation offered by God’s Word through scripture, we are easily led to believe our own personally acquired way of thinking which is strongly influenced by the world’s accumulative un-Godly values, every day.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1, Why many in the greater society won’t believe
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 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. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things… “ – Romans 1:18-23
Nowadays, there are plenty of material idols to replace the “birds and four-footed animals” though people may very well place the lives of animals of greater importance than the Creator Himself.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. – Romans 1:24-25
Paul speaks about the age old and proliferation of corrupted social practices and the lack of sanctity of sexual and familial relations, where often deviant sexual behavior is elevated unabashedly to idolatrous levels.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. – Romans 1:26-27
There comes a time when a people become so engrossed in immoral behavior and turning away from God that judgment is evident when society approves of evil and shows rebellious disdain for what is good.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. – Romans 1:28-32
And yet, some will believe
And yet some will believe and this is a big reason why: God works with long-suffering in the lives of sinful people. God desires that none should perish but have eternal life in Christ. We who were once dead dry bones, now have spiritual life and a transformed heart. We who were enemies of God, were save by Him. We who identified ourselves by our self-passions, self-righteousness and arrogant worldly pride, now have been awaken to seek raising high the Cross of Christ and understand only the truth of God and Christ is worthy of worship.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. – John 3:9
2 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:1-10
For a one minute explanation of the Gospel, watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCP9UcC7BzE
For a review of the Ten Commandments: https://www.challenyee.com/the-ten-commandments/
CKY
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24.01.13