The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 16:31,
"If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."
Here Jesus taught the horrific reality that there will be those who simply will not embrace him in faith. It is indeed horrific as the certain end of all who fail to do so will spend an eternity in a fiery lake of burning sulfur, Revelation 20:15; 21:8. What makes this even doubly horrific is the opportunity missed: the reality that simply by exercising faith, anyone has an opportunity to be welcomed into God's family, entirely forgiven all sins and accepted as blameless with a full right-standing with God. God's promises of an eternity of bliss and happiness, fulfillment of all that life was originally designed to have, pleasures at his right hand, Psalm 16:11, are magnificent and ours to have freely… if we but embrace him in faith.
One reason Jesus gave as to why folks will not embrace him in faith is that they wish to cling to their sins rather than give their hearts to him. In his conversation with Nicodemus he said, "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:18-21.
Why faith? With so many religions that espouse good works, rehabilitation, a focus on spiritual disciplines, being connected to the right spiritual leader, etc., Jesus presented a far simpler gospel: trust in him, embrace him in faith. He said, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:25. Faith requires us to give our hearts to him. Faith establishes God as the Lord in our lives, our priority and the target of our love and affections. Faith determines that we want him and is the proof we have given our hearts to him.
When God created us, he gave us the capacity for exercising faith. We all exercise faith everyday. This morning, as I came to work, I crossed the Mississippi River on a bridge. I exercised faith that the bridge would hold my weight and that of my car as well as all those who crossed with me. I trusted my car (certainly an ill-advised faith!) to get me here, I placed my faith in the elevator, it is impossible to function without faith. God simply asks us to place our faith in him.
This is too simple for many folks. It is too easy. It doesn't seem enough. Yet, what lies behind the gospel of faith is the miserable death Jesus Christ took upon himself to pay for our sins. He took our punishment due us, substituting himself that we might have an opportunity for eternal life. Many will not embrace him in faith. He said, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." Luke 13:24. And, often, those who do so engage in activities that do little more than attempt to make more perfect the already perfect sacrifice, by attempting to adorn the cross with spiritual disciplines and do-gooder activities that betray the presence of little faith. An insecurity, that somehow the suffering Jesus took upon himself, on our behalf, might not have been enough.
The gospel of faith is under assault in our day by contemporary theology that exchanges salvation by faith for salvation by appointment. Faith is impossible it is said, so rather than man being offered a choice, it is thought God does all the choosing himself and faith merely reflects salvation rather than bringing it. Faith is always under assault. "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, the moral is found at the end. Folks have an opportunity to be "convinced", that is, embrace God in faith, and that comes through the message of God, "Moses and the Prophets". The gospel is the centerpiece of the Scriptures and it is the message Jesus proclaimed. Paul puts it this way in Romans 10:17, "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Here is where faith comes from. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16. Jesus taught that if people will not listen to God's word, then they won't be convinced, have faith, even if he rose from the dead!
What grips my heart this morning is that all have an opportunity to embrace Jesus Christ in faith. It is a simple message that many complicate. Sometimes the things of God are difficult, not because they are so complex, but that they are so simple.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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