Friday, November 2, 2012
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
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