02.06. Why some people don't trust Christ

Why some people don’t trust Christ

It seems unreasonable. God wants to give salvation as a free gift to those who will accept His Son by faith, yet people refuse the invitation. Why? There are several reasons.

·In their colossal pride, they are ashamed of Jesus. Christ says to them, whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38).

·They are afraid of a violent reaction from their family. The Lord Jesus anticipated this when He said, He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37). In other words, Christ must come first.

·They love their sins more than they love Christ. That is an irrational choice that will be regretted forever.

·They love the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:43).

·They are not as desperate as they should be. Eternal life is not their top priority.

·They are afraid that the cost is too high, that they would have to give up too much. They should consider the cost of not trusting Christ.

·They are afraid that they wouldn’t be able to hold out. In their own strength, they would not be able. But when the Lord begins a work in a person’s life, He holds that person in His mighty hands.

·They are too busy. When a Christian visited a businessman, the latter asked what he wanted. “Just to speak to you about your soul and where you will spend eternity.”

“But can’t you see that I’m busy?” The Christian put out his hand to say goodbye and then said, “Suppose I had been death!”

Excuses, excuses, excuses Well-worn excuses abound whenever the claims of Christ are presented to people.

Here are a few of them and the answers to them.

·“There are so many hypocrites in the church.” The Lord doesn’t ask you to believe in other people but in Him.

·“All the church wants is your money.” Christ doesn’t want your money; He wants your trust.

· “What about people who have never heard the Gospel?” The Judge of all the earth will do right (Genesis 18:25). The question now is not about the heathen. It’s about you who have heard the Gospel. What are you going to do with it?

·“Why does God allow so much evil in the world?” Through the atoning work of Christ, more glory has come to God and more blessing to man than if sin had never entered.

·“If Christians are right, why are there so few of them?” At the time of the flood, only the eight people who entered the ark were saved. All the rest perished in the water. It is not true that the majority is always right.

·“How can a God of love send people to hell?” People choose to go to hell by willfully refusing the offer of salvation.

·“Isn’t it narrow-minded to think there is only one way?” As mentioned already, if there was more than one way, then the Lord Jesus didn’t need to die. Why would He pay the greatest price if a lesser price would do?

·“It seems too easy.” It has to be easy if salvation is going to be available to all. Everyone can believe on Him, whereas not everyone could meet any other condition.

These are excuses. The problem is not in the mind; it’s in the will. Jesus made this clear when He said, You are not willing to come to me that ye might have life (John 5:40). On another occasion He said to Jerusalem, How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, but you were not willing (Luke 13:34)!