FAITH—Is a Choice a person makes
Doubt is a decision in a person’s mind.
- Unbelief is a position of the will.
- Unbelief is a choice a person makes.
To the person who is listening to the truth of God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, it is up to that one to believe.
But to the person who is refusing to listen to the truth of God, it is up to him to not believe.
Thus, the REAL REASON people reject Jesus is NOT BECAUSE they don’t have evidence or proof.
No!
People reject the truth of God & Jesus, the Messiah and Savior—
- Because they DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE.
- Because they WANT TO LEAVE THINGS JUST AS THEY ARE.
In the Gospels, we read about the life of Jesus when He walked upon the earth. One encouraging avenue in our journey through the season of Lent, as we look toward Resurrection Day—Easter Sunday—comes by reading through the four Gospels. In doing so, we see the person of Jesus. For a moment, let us see Jesus on the day He began teaching in parables, a day when His disciples wanted to know WHY.
“That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.
(The Gospel According to Matthew 13: 1-3a & 10-13 NASB)
And large crowds gathered to Him,
so He got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.
And He spoke many things to them in parables, . . .”
. . .
“And the disciples came and said to Him,
“Why do You speak to them in parables?”
Jesus answered them,
“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,
but to them it has not been granted.
For whoever has,
to him more shall be given,
and he will have an abundance;
but whoever does not have,
even what he has shall be taken away from him.
Therefore I speak to them in parables;
because while seeing
they do not see,
and while hearing
they do not hear,
nor do they understand.”
How can a person know that which he needs if the person is unwilling to SEE THE ONE WHOM he really needs?
- FAITH is impossible when one sees only with his physical eyes!
- HOWEVER, FAITH IS POSSIBLE WHEN ONE SEES WITH SPIRITUAL EYES!
A person must have Faith to see THE ONE WHOM he cannot physically see.
FAITH—Is a Choice a person makes.
Therefore—
- How can a Lost Person know that which he Needs? &
- How can a Saved Person understand that which he has Received?
For the answer to these questions, we look to the words of Jesus.
“Jesus answered them,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 13: 11-12 NASB)
“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,
but to them it has not been granted.
For whoever has,
to him more shall be given,
and he will have an abundance;
but whoever does not have,
even what he has shall be taken away from him. ”
TRULY, the REAL REASON people reject Jesus is NOT BECAUSE they do not have ample evidence of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
&
TRULY, the REAL REASON people reject Jesus is NOT BECAUSE they do not have ample proof of Jesus, the Savior and Messiah.
No!
The REAL REASON people reject the truth of Jesus is—
- Because they DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE.
- Because they WANT TO LEAVE THINGS JUST AS THEY ARE.
Within the discourse Jesus spoke in the explanation to His disciples, He referred to the prophet Isaiah and the calling, the commission he received on his life.
“Then I heard
(The Book of Isaiah 6: 8-11 NASB)
[Isaiah speaks of the words the Lord spoke to him]
the voice of the Lord, saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
He said,
“Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive;
Keep on looking, but do not understand.’
“Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”
Then I said,
“Lord, how long?
And He answered,
“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,”
We may not understand what God is doing OR why He’s doing it, but always, God is at work!
PRAISE GOD!
- God’s Mercy daily gives to us who believe through Faith—NOT what we deserve:
Death & Separation from HIM.
- God’s Grace continually gives to us who believe through Faith—that which we could NEVER earn:
Life & Eternity Within His Presence.
Truly, there is no in-between, no grey area. One either believes—OR—One chooses to not believe!
FAITH—Is a Choice a person makes
Doubt is a decision in a person’s mind.
- Unbelief is a position of the will.
- Unbelief is a choice a person makes.
To the person who is listening to the truth of God—it is up to him to believe.
But to the person who is refusing to listen to the truth of God—it is up to him to not believe.
“For whoever has,
(The Gospel According to Matthew 13: 12a NASB)
to him more shall be given,
and he will have an abundance; . . .”