3 reasons why people refused to believe Christ: Part 2 - An Unconvinced Mind

Many many years ago, I was enrolled in Primary 1 in an Anglican mission school.  Most of my classmates then did not come from Christian homes.  By the time we left school after 12 years, some of us were converted to Christianity.  After another 30 years, more than half of those non-believers were converted.

The seeds that were sowed in school took time to germinate.  Some took longer, some were faster.  Some remind doubtful and unconvinced in their mind, and that cause hesitation in their heart.

Christianity is a religion that does not provide answers to all questions, particularly difficult questions.  Christianity is based on faith in Jesus Christ.  If all faith's questions have logical answers, then only logic is needed, faith is not necessary. ('Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.')

By the way, I have been reading about other oriental religions.  I found that they are able to provide much more enlightenment to human doubts.  For example, the concept of Karma could explain the cause-and-effect of human sufferings very logically.

The Bible asserts the sovereignty of God.  It does not offer answers to many things, particularly why some prayers were answered, and some were not.  God's simple reply to all perplexing issues confronting humankind is: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." (Is 55:8,9)

If we want to wait till all our questions are answered before we believe in God, the time will never come.  Only the Holy Spirit can open our hearts to God.  Intellectual conviction will never bring us to Christ - because we will never fully understand the higher thoughts of God.

In life, many things require faith, including bungee jumping and travelling on a jet plane.  May the Holy Spirit grant us His grace to accept God's infinite love by faith.

3 reasons why people refused to believe Christ: Part 1 - A Hardened Heart

3 reasons.  Here I give the first reason.

For those of us who had the opportunity to hear the gospel before, we may still refuse to accept Christ because of some difficult and painful experiences.

I once worked with a very intelligent lady.  She had been shared the story of the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  She did some reading on her own.  As usual she was a little doubtful, but was not against Christianity.

Just after she gave birth to a son, her husband died unexpected.  She was devastated.  She doubted the lovingkindness of God.  She told me "I will never become a Christian".

In Christianity, we cannot give a logical explanation to everything and every question.  We only accept that God is sovereign.  That does not mean that when someone dies, God is the one who 'cause his death'.   Death could be caused by humans, or by nature.  But in all cases, God allowed it to happen.

Recently an AirAsia plane crashed into the Java Sea and 162 people perished.  It was not an act of God.  It was an act of humans or an act of nature, although God allowed it to happen.

When some people suffered painful and difficult experiences, they asked God 'Why you allow this to happen to me?  I do not want to have anything to do with you."The bible says:
"Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your Heart."  (Ps 95:7, Hebs 4:7)

God is God.  God does not open the Red Sea or the River Nile for people to cross EVERYDAY.  It was under very special circumstances that God opened the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross under the leadership of Moses.

Similarly, God will not save EVERY crashing plane from crashing.  He may only do so under very special circumstances, which only He knows.

If you refuse to believe because you have suffered an ordeal, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART.

   

Where is God Now? - The Right Answer

There was this guy who went round asking Christians "Since you believe in God, where is God now?"

In the Book of Acts of the Apostles, Jesus ascended into Heaven, but before that, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to us as our comforter.

So the right answer should be "God the Father is in Heaven.  God the Son is also in Heaven.  God the Holy Spirit is here with us, in our heart, in our life, around us, everywhere, omnipresent."

Even though Jesus is in Heaven, He is all-knowing, all-powerful.  He can hear our prayers, understand our feelings, know our thoughts, doubts and aspirations.

This is the marvel of our Triune God.  One God in 3 persons.