The Bible - Why few believe and most do not

There are many who are very educated in theology but do not believe the Bible is literally the word of God. They have doctorate degrees in theology and can quote the scriptures word for word. They know all the tenses, moods, participles, verbs – all the elaborate parts of speech the Bible contains. Yet they refuse to submit to its commands. Why? Because the words of God are spiritual life, and the natural man is spiritually dead. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit. They are foolishness to him. Neither can he understand them for they are spiritually discerned.” 

So, you see, no matter how much education one has regarding Biblical truth, unless God places his Holy Spirit inside the corpse (I.e., the spiritually dead), they will never believe. I’m not saying non-believers cannot understand the natural revelation in the Bible such as how to treat your fellow man or how to care for one’s family.  But the natural man cannot understand supernatural revelation because that comes from heaven above. And due to their spiritual ignorance, no one will ever believe the truth unless God reveals it to them, and they receive it. Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again (I.e., born from above), he cannot see or enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3,5). Man must have a rebirth, a spiritual birth in order to enter heaven. So, in order to believe the gospel God must open the eyes of the blind, the spiritually blind. 

Paul declared in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that, “The god of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”   

Verse three of the same chapter says if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In other words, those who are currently on their way to hell cannot see the truth because they have been blinded by their father the devil (John 8:44). 

Here is the sum of the matter: those who are currently lost in their sins are blind to the truth. How can they be healed of their blindness? The power of the word of God has to invade their soul. The sinner also must be willing to hear the truth or else they will remain in darkness. When one is unwilling to hear God’s truth, they are left to their own evil ways, and they will perish as a fool for lack of wisdom (Proverbs 10:21). 

By contrast, those who do believe the gospel have a willing heart to do so. How does their heart become willing? Once again, the Spirit of God has to compel them to see their need for repentance – that is acknowledging their sinfulness and trusting Jesus Christ as their sin bearer. When a person fully understands that God loves them and that He is willing and able to take away their sin and grant them Christ’s righteousness, they will humbly believe. They will understand that they were dead, but now they are alive. They were lost, but now they have been found.  

 

It ultimately is the way see ourselves. If one believes in their own goodness then the word of God will be to them old, antiquated stories, fantasy or maybe just academia. One will not look at it as the power of God unto their salvation (Romans 1:16). 

If one views themselves the way God views them spiritually bankrupt and unable to come to God on their own, they will be blessed because the kingdom of God will be theirs when they believe (Matthew 5;3).