Why Do Some Believe and Others Do Not?

                                     "The disciples came to him (Jesus) and asked,
                                      'Why do you speak to the people in parables?'
                                      He replied, 'The knowledge of the secrets of
                                      the kingdom of heaven has been given to you,
                                      but not to them. 
                                     "Whoever has will be given more, and he will
                                     have an abundance.  Whoever does not have,
                                     even what he has will be taken from him.  This
                                     is why I speak to them in parables:  Though
                                     seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do
                                     not hear or understand.
                                    "In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
                                    'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
                                    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 
                                    For this people's heart has become calloused;
                                    they hardly hear with their ears, and they have
                                    closed their eyes.
                                   "Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear
                                   with their ears, understand with their hearts and
                                   turn, and I would heal them.  But blessed are your
                                   eyes because they see, and your ears because they
                                   hear."
                                                                                 Matthew 13:10-16


          The people were spiritually dull because of sin and even though they saw
     the mighty deeds Jesus had performed, and had heard the words spoken, they
     didn't understand them, and refused to turn from their sins, and to God for salvation.

          Their hearts had never been awakened or quickened by the Holy Spirit, and
     they were hardened by God and were unable to come to Him for redemption.

          However, the Holy Spirit had changed the hearts of the disciples and many
     others so that they could turn from their sins and trust in Jesus and be saved.


                               "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;
                                I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you
                                a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move
                                you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
                                ... you will be my people, and I will be your God.
                               I will save you from all your uncleanness."
                                                                            Ezekiel 36:26-29a


           The Holy Spirit marks those who believed with a seal, guaranteeing their
     salvation.


                               "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the
                                word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having be-
                                lieved, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised
                                Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
                                until the redemption of those who are God's possession --
                                to the praise of His glory."
                                                                               Ephesians 1:13-14


          The Holy Spirit was sent to teach them and cause them to remember Jesus'
    words.


                              (Jesus said), "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the
                             Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and
                             will remind you of everything I have said to you."
                                                                               John 14:26


          The Holy Spirit convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness
     and judgment.


                            "When He (The Holy Spirit) comes, He will convict the world of
                              guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:  in regard
                              to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to rightoues-
                              ness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no
                              longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world
                              now stands condemned."
                                                                                   John 16:8-11


          The Holy Spirit points people to Christ.


          Not only is the Holy Spirit necessary for salvation, but the entire trinity is involved.


                            "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ
                                     To God's elect ... who have been chosen according to the
                                     foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying
                                     work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and
                                     sprinkling by His blood:
                                     Grace and peace be yours in abundance."
                                                                                    1 Peter 1:1-2


           "Salvation is the work of the triune God -- election by the Father, redemption in
     the Son, calling by the Spirit."
                                                                                Steve Lawson
                                                                                Foundations of Grace


          The preaching of God's word leads people to Him, through the power of the Holy
     Spirit, and not clever words spoken by men.


                                   "My message and my preaching were not with wise and
                                    persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's
                                    power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom,
                                    but on God's power."
                                                                                  1 Corinthians 2:4-5


          The Holy Spirit reveals the important things to His people.


                                  "However, it is written:
                                            'No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
                                             no mind has conceived what God
                                             has prepared for those who love
                                             Him -- but God has revealed it to
                                             us by His Spirit.
                      
                                  "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep
                                    things of God.  ... We have not received the
                                    spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from
                                    God, that we may understand what God has
                                    freely given us.

                                  "This is what we speak, not in words taught us
                                    by human wisdom but in words taught by the
                                    Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual
                                    words.

                                  "The man without the Spirit does not accept the
                                    things that come from the Spirit of God, for they
                                    are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand
                                    them, because they are spiritually discerned.  The
                                    spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he
                                    himself is not subject to any man's judgment:

                                   "For who has known the mind of the Lord
                                    that he may instruct him?
                                    But we have the mind of Christ."
                                                                           1 Corinthians 2:9-10,12-16


               The Holy Spirit opens our eyes and ears, and minds and hearts, to see
     and hear, and understand and trust in God.

               The Holy Spirit opens our minds, eyes, ears, and hearts to the rational
     and the truth, and not the irrational and lies.

               The Holy Spirit gives us inspiration, illumination, regeneration, in-
     dwelling, sanctification, and guidance.


               The only reason we see and hear and believe is because of the Sovereign
     grace of God.

                            
                                       Source:  Sermon by Al Mohler