A Few Thoughts About Why People Do Not Believe the Gospel

Some believe that if Christians answered every question, meet every need, bring justice to the world, then people will believe.

B1 Most questions are already answered, but people think their answer is better. Sometimes they have a favorite answer already, or they don’t like or agree with that answer.

B2 The world is unjust and evil. Many times what is a need is really only a desire. The real needs of shelter, food, safety might be already met, but they have a need of more money, or better food than they have, or ______.

B3 People define justice differently. Today many (maybe most) define justice as the “equals.” Everything must be provided as health care, nutrition, safety, education, etc. But different solutions are offered. Some want the socialist answer of central planning. Some want the libertarian solution of minimal government. The standard is not fixed and agreed upon.

B4 The Lord Jesus did all this in His ministry of earth, yet very few believed.

Others find the reason for rejection resulting from their particular bias, that is, their idea of God, their idea of punishment, their idea of Christianity, their idea in worldview and lifestyle, etc.

Some find the reason for rejection is that God only choose a small number to understand, be regenerated, then given faith to be born again. I say this sarcastically. It is the idea of selective predestination and regeneration preceding faith.

Personally, I find the Scriptures to show that it is pride and love of sinful pleasures.

B1 Pride:

C1 “I’m a good person.”

D1 Luke 18:10-12 NKJV Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'

D2 Romans 10:21 WEL But to Israel he says, “All day long I have stretched out my hands to a people who refuse to believe and defiant people.”

C2 Resist (because of pride)

D1 John 3:36 WEL “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, but he who refuses to believe the Son will not see life, on the contrary the fierce anger of God remains on him.”

D2 Hebrews 3:18 WEL Or to whom was it that he swore that they wouldn’t enter into his rest? Wasn’t it with those who refused to believe?

C3 Peer pressure (because of pride and fear)

D1 John 9:22-23 NKJV His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him.

D2 Acts 5:12-13 NLT The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon's Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them.

C4 A greater love for something (because of pride in something)

D1 John 12:42-43 WEL Nevertheless, even of the leaders many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess, lest they should be thrown out of the synagogue, 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

D2 2 Timothy 4:10 NRSV for Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

B2 Love of sinful pleasures:

C1 John 3:19-21 NRSV And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.

C2 Revelation 9:20-21 NKJV But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Some other verses that may apply see here.

We must not: Romans 1:18-22 NIV The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…

We must: Romans 10:9-13 NIV If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.