Why We Believe While Others Reject

So the search for God in the search for Christ and the search for the truth, and the search to discern whether the Bible is really true and what it's saying cannot begin and end with human reason.

That's why every time you see one of the televisions of Jesus search many of the same influences, maybe even attended the same church but when it comes to Christ.

Your view is completely different from his. Why would that happen. What makes the difference.

How could two people so similar with access to the same truth about Jesus respond to Christ in completely different ways.

John MacArthur explains that today on grace to you with a message titled why we believe, while others reject it's part of his current study, a collection of landmark sermons from John's half century of pulpit ministry. John is titled this series the New Testament beginning to end, and with that, let's get to the lesson here is John, let's look first of all, at why non-Christians do not believe the Bible, start with the fact that they can't. They don't have the capability their void of the life of God. They can't escape the natural they can't escape being in the flash and what it was in the flesh minds on the things of the flesh, and you cannot know the things of the spirit they are unknowable to him and you add the fact the message itself was offensive, unreasonable, unbelievable, incomprehensible. The people were the lowly and the preachers were the week and the unimpressive and the fearful and the trembling and you add the fallen condition, natural darkness, satanic, blinding and divine judgment and nonbelievers cannot on their own. Believe the truth so the search for God, and the search for Christ and the search for the truth, and the search to discern whether the Bible is really true and what it's saying cannot begin and end with human reason.

That's why every time you see one of these. These deals on television the search for the real Jesus search for the truth that always ends up in error fallen mind can't get there on its own. That's why non-Christians don't believe the Bible now assess the second question, why do Christians believe the Bible in spite of all of this go to verse six in chapter 2 yet. That's keyword there in our circle, or underline it. Yet, in spite of what the world thinks about this yet we do speak wisdom among those who are telling voice.

What is that, well, who have been made complete just a way to describe believers.

We speak wisdom, understood, comprehended and embraced and believed among those who have been made complete, we have come to Christ. We have come to the one Paul says to the Colossians, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Is it that were more intelligent. It isn't that we have been subjected to a greater evidences is that we have been made complete in him. Paul says that you are complete in him, and being made complete or mature in him you have been given with that divine work of regeneration and conversion and transformation not only confidence in Jesus Christ and confidence in the true and living God, but confidence in the word of God and so verse six says we do speak wisdom. Paul saying we in an apostolic plural.

We do speak wisdom among those who are mature, a wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age.

This is a wisdom that I've just been telling you is unknown to the best of this world's minds, the greatest of this world's leaders. We speak.

Verse seven God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom.

How in the world did we get to know it all read the rest of the line which God was an expert predestined before the ages to our glory. Why do I understand the Bible because God what predestined me to understand it for my own future glory say hello. Do you believe in predestination. I believe in the Bible and the Bible tells me that the reason I understand the wisdom of God is big because God tree destined me to eternal glory and through regeneration and conversion gave me faith in his son. In the gospel and in his word. Does that mean that I'm now in a situation where I believe the Bible even though it's not reasonable, although everything in it is reasonable, its prophecies are fulfilled.

It's miracles are true and attested to it is scientifically flawless and accurate, its history and archaeology is verifiable down to the smallest detail, but it's not that that convinces my natural reason is that because God has given me faith in his word that I now see all that to be true. Another way to view it at this point might be to look at first John chapter 2 first John chapter 2 just to give you little break from the text, wherein sometimes people hang around the church for a while. They don't stay. Verse 19 describes him.

They went out from us, that's pretty true and almost everybody's religious experience. Christian experience, they went out from us.

Now you know so-and-so used to come here saying acquire served here and there showed up at church so seeming more what happened well. They went out from us, but they were not really of us. For if they had been all of us, they would have remained with us, but they went out in order that it might be shown they are all not of this went out. They left and it proves they never really belong to begin with. But first 2011. You have an anointing from the holy one, and you all know what you know you know what he says in the next verse. I'm not written to you because you do not know the truth but because you know it, and no lie is of the truth. That means no lie leads you astray.

No lie lead you into apostasy. Why, you know the truth, why do you know the truth, you have an anointing from God what is that anointing or better.

Who is that an Holy Spirit I believe the Bible because God gave me confidence in the word of God as part of my salvation and regeneration. I stay with the truth. I believe the truth, I embrace the truth. I continue with the truth.

I stay involved with the truth because the spirit of God has shown me what the truth is, and I know a lie when I see one. The end of that near the end of that same chapter verse 27. As for you, the anointing which you received from him abides in you. This is our security, the ever present indwelling resident Holy Spirit, who is our anchor to the truth he abides in you and you have no need for anyone to teach you, but as his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in him that is just a profound subject to understand when you were saved. You came to confidence in the word of God, and that's where you stay, that's where you stay in the people hang around a while and Galway give evidence of the fact that they never really belong and they never had the spirit of God.

I believe the Bible because God gave me the gift of faith in his son, and faith in his gospel and faith in his word. I continue to that for my justification. I believe the Bible for my sanctification but because the spirit of God, who abides in me continues to lead me into truth and away from her flyer believe the Bible my understand is verse six says that this is different than the wisdom of this age and the wisdom of the rulers of this age, the top minds all that stuff is Qatar get all of it is being rendered ineffective. All of it is impotent.

All of it leads nowhere. All of it is really foolish really foolish, but I believe you believe because God predestined before the ages that we would believe unto glory and we believe a wisdom verse eight says which none of the rulers of this age has under stood. None of them they had, they wouldn't have crucified the Lord of glory, and they wouldn't continue to reject the Lord of glory, who was crucified, sums it up in verse nine by saying this very familiar verse by the way, drawn out of a couple of passages that are being alluded to here in Isaiah things which I has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. We know all that God has for us. We know that we know it by divine revelation. It can't be known any other way. I can't see it, and ear can't hear it and the mind which is in view in the heart can't conceive of it God's truth regarding salvation God's truth regarding spiritual and eternal life is unheard unseen on the thought. It cannot be known by empiricism, it cannot be known by rationalism. They can only be known by divine revelation. In John eight Jesus said this and is talking to the recalcitrant Pharisees.

Jesus said to them in verse 42 John eight. If God were your father you would love me while but since God's not your father left me for I proceeded forth and have come from God. I'm not even come on my own initiative, but he has sent me wouldn't listen to this. Why do you not understand what I'm saying why don't people understand it's because you cannot hear my word because you are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he's a liar and the father of lies but because I speak the truth, you do not believe me you can't sums it up in verse 46. If I speak truth, why do you not believe me while people believe the truth he who is of God hears the words of God. For this reason you do not hear them because you are not of God declares that who believes the Bible. Those who are God's.

It is a divine work.

Go back to first Corinthians chapter 2, and will just wrap it up in verse 10, with a few comments thrown in first Corinthians 210 42 us know this is such a great point of summary for to us God revealed them them what you mean the things God has prepared for those that love him.

The things concerning salvation, spiritual and eternal life.

The kingdom that is to say, all of the wisdom of God. All of the word of the cross. All of the word of God's testimony. All that truth that is in Scripture rated to us God revealed them through the spirit that is the critical thing to understand.

We believe because God chose God predestined us to know so that one day we would come to eternal glory in drawing this to some kind of conclusion that will grip your soul.

Let's just take that idea.

But we know because God chose to show us to reveal to us to regenerate us to give us life to take the scales of blindness off to awaken our hearts to unfold the mystery to bring the truth that was hidden out and reveal it to us. Take that as the background and reread starting in verse 24 to those who are the called anytime you ever see that term the called or calling in the epistles of the New Testament is the effectual call to salvation. We are the called. That is called out of darkness into light called out of death into life.

Verse 26 he says again consider your calling the divine call the vinification. The life-giving call regeneration and why us. Verse 27 God has chosen God has chosen verse 28 God has chosen verse 30 but by his doing you are in Christ Jesus, why are you in Christ Jesus because you saw how clearly it should be apprehended and believe because you went through. The evidence is because your mind ascended to it. You are in Christ Jesus by his doing. He predestined he revealed because he chose and whom he chose. He called and as Paul says in Romans eight, whom he called he justified, and whom he justifies he glorified. So back to verse 30 by his doing you are in Christ Jesus by his doing you believe by his doing you embrace the word of God in your justification and your sanctification by his doing you are in Christ Jesus. Listen who became to us wisdom from God by his doing that we are in Christ and then Christ became to us by his presence and his power and his spirit and his word wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Why did God do it this way.

Why did God do it this way. Verse 29 that no man should.

What boast before God. Verse 31. The just as it is written, but him who boasts boast in the Lord and so we are stunned by the confidence that we have in the word of God and when somebody says where in the world to succumb from. You can say it is by his doing because he placed us in Christ, and Christ became to us the wisdom of God and it is our love for God through Christ that gives us confidence in his word and we believe the truth because we are of God. Martin Luther put it this way man is like a pillar of salt like lots wife gay like a log or a stone like a lifeless statue which uses neither eyes nor mouth. Neither sense, nor heart until he is enlightened converted and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, so I didn't invent this they read in the same Bible I'm reading in the same one you're reading. You believe the Bible dear one, and you live in the light of its glorious truths. Your life is enraptured by its wonders because God for his own glory was well pleased to predestined you and choose you, and to justify you and to sanctify you through his word and when he gave you Christ. He gave you in Christ, his wisdom, for in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I cannot separate my love for Christ. From my love for the word at the end skipping down to verse 16. The last statement we have the mind of Christ. What a statement. What a state and having confidence in the word of God we have access to the mind of Christ grab that it's no mystery to me how God thinks or what he desires.

All that God wants me to know he's put here. I have here the mind of Christ and I know how Christ thinks and what he wills and what pleases him and what he loves and what he hates. And what he commands and what he forbids. I understand it all because he has enabled me to understand and I live my life embracing the wonder of such profound, inexplicable grace on my behalf, as this is what's bound prayer our father. We know that the power of evangelism for justification is not found in clever methods or music or culturally crafted entertainment but in the Bible the power for edification in sanctification is also found in the Bible we are preach Scripture the word of the cross, the wisdom of God. The testimony of God. We are to present it. Proclaim it.

Defendant for this is the only hope in the only means by which you will justify and sanctify your people always, we must use the Scripture not so that the non-Christian can see the reasonableness of it, but so that you may awaken the heart of your own by the divine miracle of grace through the word, we thank you father that a lifetime of study will prove the Scripture is reasonable. It is attainable and understandable believable stands every test we know that because you have given us life and understanding. We thank you that you heard the prayer of Psalm one 1918 open my eyes that I may see wondrous things out of thy law, Lord, that prayer has been answered for us and we praise in the wonders never cease.

Use us Lord as instruments in the proclamation of your truth. Awaken sinners to sanctify saints. Thank you for the privilege of being so used in Christ's name. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us.

John is pastor of Grace Community Church is Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary and our current series is going through the New Testament beginning to end well. John, as you talked about spiritual blindness today. You pointed out that nonbelievers often mocked the gospel and call the cross of Christ foolishness.

So, in light of that, should we as Christians change the way we evangelize should we modify our approach to engage with nonbelievers you're asking a question and that we have discussed that so many times because pragmatism says you have to do that. The gospel is offensive. You gotta get past the offense of the confronting people about their sin and about judgment and be of. Gotta find a positive approach like anything from God. God is a wonderful plan for your life. Any wants to make you happy to God wants make you rich in the prosperity gospel and everything in between so much show. Suppose it evangelism and so much suppose a gospel preaching hides the truth that hides the truth and I was coming to some of the other day and reading acts 24 where Paul is. Before Felix, the Roman governor that that's a powerful powerful man who had control over Paul's life life or death and Paul spoke to him about righteousness, self-control and judgment.

This is this is a guy who could literally take his life and is going to give them the gospel and what is he do say hey feelings, God is a wonderful plan for your life.

You like to make you prosperous know he speaks to him about righteousness and Felix. He was a wicked evil man. What is Paul do he says you understand you need understand righteousness you lack self-control and you're headed for judgment and he said that to somebody who could have created the greatest amount of harm on him of anybody in the Roman world. So you have to follow the pattern of the bold, faithful Paul and you remember the response was that Felix was terrified and he was terrified. I think we don't want to terrify the ungodly, but we need to the terror of the Lord persuades people so that and some other things are included in a book that I wrote some years ago called why one way, the message of the exclusive truth of the gospel. Why one way. It's a small little gift book really ideal to give to someone who doesn't understand there's only one way of salvation. Sincerity isn't the issue.

Truth is title again why one way affordably priced.

You can order today. That's right, John's book why one way gives you the tools you need to proclaim the gospel message to pick up this book for yourself or to get several copies to give to the nonbelievers, you know, get in touch today. You can call us toll-free at 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org. This book why one way is a compelling wake-up call to the power of God's truth. It will equip you to boldly proclaim that Christ and he alone is the only hope for this world to order, call 855 grace or go online to TTY.org. If you're listening to us in your car.

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