02. why do people reject the gospel

Why Do People Reject the Gospel?

What is the Gospel?

“The good news is that the one and only God, who is holy, made us in his image to know him. But we sinned and cut ourselves off from him. In his great love, God became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law himself and taking on himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever turn and trust in him. (continued)

What is the Gospel?

He rose again from the dead, showing that God accepted Christ's sacrifice and that God's wrath against us has been exhausted. He now calls us to repent of our sins and to trust in Christ alone for our forgiveness. If we repent of our sins and trust in Christ, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God.”

Mark Dever

Why People Reject the Gospel

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

John 3:19-20

Face in Shadow


The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

Jeremiah 17:9


For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man…

Matthew 15:19-20


The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.

Psalm 14:1-3


For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them...

Romans 1:18-19


For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans 1:20-21


…He has put eternity in their hearts…

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Black Stone Heart


And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works…

Colossians 1:21


This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;

Ephesians 4:17-18

Finger Pointed at Head


The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

Psalm 10:4


“The atheist does the opposite of the regular idolater. He quote-mines the Scriptures and searches out the harsher judgments of God, and builds an image of God he finds to be repulsive. Then, once he has made his idol, he flatly rejects it. And so he should. The image that he has made of God is evil. It is without love and mercy. And so the atheist has the same problem as the idolater. The image only exists in the atheist’s place of imagery...in his imagination.” Ray Comfort

Angry Face Statue


“Being unable to cure death, wretchedness and ignorance, men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things. We run heedlessly into the abyss after putting something in front of us to stop us from seeing it.”

Blaise Pascal

In the Abyss


But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

Blindfolded

Why People Reject the Gospel• Their hearts are deceitful, wicked, darkened and hard.• They love sin and darkness; hate God and the light; want to be their own god.• They are alienated from God and His life.• Their minds are corrupt, they suppress the truth, their thinking is futile, they are ignorant and are enemies in their minds.• They are not thankful.• They are prideful and arrogant.• They are blinded by Satan.

What Can We Do?

What Can We Do?

1. We can pray for them.

… The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

James 5:16

What Can We Do?

2. We can love them.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

What Can We Do?

3. We can ask them questions.

“If God is real and if the Bible is His Word, would you want Him in your life?”

What Can We Do?4. We can show them that no one

comes to God in their own power or thinking.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Romans 8:29-30

What Can We Do?4. We can show them that no one

comes to God in their own power or thinking.

… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Ephesians 1:4-5

What Can We Do?

5. We can encourage them to seek God.

… for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

1 Chronicles 28:9

What Can We Do?


And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

What Can We Do?


And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;

Acts 17:26-27

What Can We Do?


For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. ”

Romans 10:12-13

What Can We Do?


But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

Light at End of Tunnel

The Mystery

The Sovereignty of God

vs.

Free Will

Missing Puzzle Piece

Out of Place Puzzle Piece

Gold Crown

Treasure

The Mystery

… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:12-13

What is Needed Most?

A humble and sincere heart

… God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

James 4:6

“God, if You are real, I want You in my life. I beg You, please open up my heart to You and give me understanding of You and the truth.”

Your Choice

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14

Narrow Gate

God’s Desire

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

Sunset

Website Resource

despreisus.ro

02. why do people reject the gospel

Spiritual

god god

life of god

wrath of god

headwhy people

shadowwhy people

mark deverwhy people

black stone heartwhy

gospelthe heart