Why Don't People Believe?
In Psalm 78, Asaph
the Psalmist is reciting some of the awesome things which the Lord has done for
the people of Israel. He reminds them of many of the wonders and miracles God
performed on their behalf – like parting the Red Sea, leading them with a cloud
and fire, cracking open a rock to produce water in the desert, raining down food
from heaven, routing their enemies from the Promised Land, and many more. After
all of this, why didn’t they believe? Why did they continue to sin and rebel
against God?
Why didn't everyone
believe in Jesus during His lifetime? He did so many miracles that it seems like
everyone would have believed in Him, and yet they didn't. John 12:37 says, “Even after Jesus had performed so many miracles in
their presence, they still would not believe in him.” Why not?
Why wouldn’t
they believe? For the same reason some people today don’t believe, although
they’ve heard the Bible’s message that God loves them, and that Christ died to
give them new life, both now and forever. Many have seen the miraculous work of
God as He transforms the lives of people, yet they still do not believe. It is
a strange paradox found in Scripture – seeing a miracle does not always produce
faith.
The
problem is inside of us — in the stubbornness of our hearts and wills. We want
to run our own lives — and we know that if we yield ourselves to Christ, we
can’t keep on living the way we once did. So, we hold on to our
notions and imaginations and false belief systems and we refuse to believe the
truth.
In
reality, of course, people today come up with all kinds of excuses not to
believe in Jesus or yield their lives to Him — just as they did in Asaph’s time
and in Jesus’ time. Pride, a favored sin, doubt, peer pressure, fake science - these
and countless other excuses keep Jesus out of peoples’ lives. Jesus taught us
that, “Light has come into the world, and people loved the
darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone
who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his
works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).
But
it doesn’t have to be that way, because He alone offers us lasting hope in the
midst of a world of despair and sin. Don’t let these things — or anything
else — keep you from Christ. Instead, realize who He is and what He has done
for you by His death and resurrection. Then by faith open your heart and life
to Him. He wants to do a miracle in your heart and life today! “Then you will
know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
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