They Will Not Be Persuaded...

How often do we ponder the idea that if we could only find the right string of words, truths and historical accuracies to put together about God, then we would be able to convince even the greatest skeptics of the absolute certainty of His existence?

I was reading the Gospel of Luke (16:19-31) and was quite amazed by the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The story is simple, and it's one that is often used to provide proof of both heaven and hell.

In this parable, Lazarus is a poor man who sits outside the gates of a rich man's home waiting and begging for scraps. He is covered with sores on his body that the dogs would lick and he was in desperate need. The rich man on the other hand had everything that anyone could ask for. He had power, glamour and glory. He had an abundance of fancy clothes and was not in need for anything...Well almost anything.

The story goes on to talk about how after both men had passed on, they found themselves in two very different places. Lazarus was in heaven and the rich man in hell. It is quite an interesting story if I might say so myself.

Anyway, I was mainly caught up on v. 31 where father Abraham is conversing with the Rich Man and in response to a favor from him says the following:

"if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone raises from the dead"

So what can we take from this? What is Jesus telling us in this story?

I can't tell you how many arguments (friendly debates of course) I have gotten into with atheists who have attempted to convince me that they would gladly believe in God if only he would produce just one miracle that would reveal himself to them. But scripture tells us something quite different. Jesus was speaking directly to the Pharisees whom he knew would plot his very death. And he also foreknew that he would be crucified on a cross and rise from the dead 3-days later and yet they would find excuses to explain naturally why he was no longer in his tomb.

Unbelief is a moral problem not an intellectual one. You can use as much wit, charm, proof, and intellectual arguments as you want to try and convince someone of the existence of God, but until their heart is melted by the power and truth of the scripture they will not be changed.

It is the power of the Word of God alone that changes a heart, and only through the revealed Word of God can 'unbelief' be changed into a true faith in God.

So don't waste time with foolish arguments or debates. Christian Apologists are wonderful and important, but we must stand firm on what the scriptures tell us is true. Preach the Word, and pray that the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of the unsaved to the truth and beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


For His Glory.