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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Why Don't They Believe? ...

 There is "no excuse," says Paul in Romans 1:20 and "God has made it plain to them" in Romans 1:19 that God exists. The "heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows forth His handiwork." Indeed, we can learn the laws of nature by studying the atmosphere and outer space. Job 38:33 is where God challenges Job to make us of the laws of the universe (presumably the laws of nature or some 50 universal constants that make reality as we know it possible and the Anthropic Principle or that God has designed or made a fine-tuned earth specifically for the sustaining of life per Isaiah 45:18. (He formed it to be inhabited!) 

All those laws of nature imply a divine Lawgiver.   Einstein in his humble and simple faith saw God as a great Mathematician and the Designer of the laws of nature that are in such harmony that it makes us seem feeble; the universe seems to him as "one vast mathematical equation."  If you see design or purpose as demonstrated in nature, you can assume a Designer or Purposer. Design doesn't happen by itself; it's planned that way or fixed. 

No amount of evidence can force, coerce, or make someone who doesn't want to become a believer, and God will not change your mind it it's dead set against His will: "If any man is willing  to do His will, he shall know...." John 7:17  We see this premise established in the history of Israel which saw many miracles from Moses and still disbelieved and rejected God. Psalm 78:32 says that they refused to believe despite the many signs of Moses.  

We do not commit intellectual suicide to become believers nor does God expect us to kiss our brains goodbye.  As believers we are to cater to a person's intellectual integrity but not pander to their intellectual arrogance, according to theologian John Stott.  Most intelligent or educated don't believe for the same reasons others don't: they don't want to believe (it may mess up their lifestyle or they might think they may not have any "fun").  What people do is feign intellectual problems or issues to mask      emotional, moral, or heart-felt problems.  People give pseudo reasons for disbelief and there are many (these are known as smoke screens that hide the real issues): thinking science has undermined the Bible; thinking faith is irrational; thinking the Bible is not historical and even unscientific; thinking its ideals or moral expectations are too high; thinking that religion is all "pie in the sky;" and especially when a person loves his sin too much so they won't repent.

Jesus was in the same predicament with the hardened Pharisees who refused to believe at least in the miracles themselves as from God (they believed they were from Satan) John 12:37 says that even though Jesus did many miracles, they would [not could not] believe. "I did tell you but you don't believe.  The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me."  John 10:25  We are to believe on the evidence of the miracle themselves.  John 14:11  Remember, miracles do not make faith, but only a thirst for more miracles and often evoke skepticism and unbelief, but faith makes miracles. 

Note that they might have believed if they had not already decided against it. Jesus told them to "believe for His works' sake."   But nothing could convince them, even the mighty works, signs, wonders, and good works, and miracles of Jesus who "was a prophet mighty in word and deed."  That means He practiced what He preached and preached what He practiced for an undeniable witness. 

Jesus called them to Him but they would not because their heart was not right before God. "You are slow of heart to believe..." Luke 24:25  Is your heart in the right place? The fact of the matter is that the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. Jesus calls us in love but will not force us to come to Him. God "is at work within us to do and to work of His good pleasure."  Phil. 2:13 

The fact of the matter is that people are blinded by Satan and don't see the wonderful news of the gospel and that their problem is sin, not being unenlightened or uneducated. "Satan has blinded the minds of the that believe not...." 2 Cor. 4:4  But God can open the heart as He did to Lydia (Acts 16:14) and do a work of grace.  

People are ignorant all right, but God can open the eyes of the blind and the eyes of our hearts and set us free from the power of the devil.  The whole world is in his influence unless they are saved, then he cannot touch them. 1 John 5:18  Point in fact: It is that people will not believe, not that they cannot.  God doesn't owe them any more proof than is in nature, His natural revelation, and the Bible, His supernatural or special revelation.  Jesus would do no miracles on demand or a biggie miracle to dispel doubt and unbelief, but expected us to be believing.  Soli Deo Gloria!

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