Jesus Revealed Pt. 12 - This Is Why I Came...Sample

People struggle to believe  

Thoughts on the Passage

Seeing… but choosing not to believe.

That is what Jesus faced with many people. What does that look like?
First, it is a situation that happens all the time. It happens with people who do not like Jesus. It happens with religious people who claim to love God. It happens to followers of Jesus who like part of His message but refuse to follow all of it.

 

Second, it is not a physical issue. They hear. There is nothing wrong with their physical abilities. However, they choose not to act.

 

Third, there is a spiritual component. God does not grant spiritual insight and understanding to people who choose not to believe. That is hard to understand. Think of it this way. 

· God provided opportunities for everyone to hear and see the good news. That is what Jesus did everywhere He went. He healed – demonstrated the power of God. He did other miracles as well and set people free who were in spiritual bondage. He taught truth that was transforming. He lived life the way He taught – following God’s Spirit in everything He did. He prepared Himself to be the sacrifice for sin.

· People chose whether they would believe what they saw and heard. If they chose to not accept it, then they either ignored it (not try to understand), rejected it (denied it), or they will made up some explanation for what they saw and heard.

· For those who chose to not believe, God does not open their understanding. Everyone understands their need for help, but understanding God’s truth takes the Spirit of God enlightening our minds.

Finally, there are people who believe – but choose not to be a disciple because they are afraid of the cost. The fear of man is a terrible master. It robs us of so much. It robs us of understanding God. It robs us of joy. It robs us of courage to stand. It robs us of heavenly reward. One day we will stand before God, and Jesus will expose whether we chose to fear God or fear man. His answer will crush many people.

Application

Take a moment and look at a time when God showed us His power, love, Word – and we did not respond with faith and trust in Him. It stopped us from receiving truth and blessing from God. Repent and ask for forgiveness for this failure. Ask for God to stand boldly and to open up our understanding of Him and His ways.

Ask God for strength today to not walk in the fear of man. It is such a terrible bondage.

Time to Pray

Father, I take time today to go back and remember any truth that I just chose to ignore, reject or explain away. Open my eyes to that I pray. I want to have You speak truth into my life and it starts with being obedient. We all need Your truth spoken over us and our lives. It releases life and blessing. That is what we need. At times that truth is hard. At times that truth takes a lot of courage. At times that truth sets us apart in a world that is violent in its opposition to Your truth. I need help to follow Your truth wholeheartedly. Your truth brings life – even when it brings challenge. That is what I want. In Jesus’ name, Amen.