Based on John 3:31-36 (New King James Version)
“He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
I believe that most people do not have much of an issue in believing that there is “something” (per se) beyond us as humans. And with people that believe that there is a god, they believe a little more than an agnostic in reality, because for them, that god can be a thing or a being, not necessarily the Almighty God of the Bible. So then, the majority of people believe in something or someone. And those that have a bit more faith come to believe in a God, but that’s it. The big problem of faith with the majority of people, including with those that say that they believe in God, is to be able to believe and accept Jesus as God. This is a problem for many, even for those that say that they are Christians. All the issues actually start when Jesus is mentioned, and He then becomes a point of contention. Many people are accepting when talking about God, but not about Jesus.
The problem is centered around how the Lord is viewed. They just cannot get it in their heads that the Almighty was able to be concentrated in a human being, in a man. What is ironic (or more so, what is unfair) is that God is penalized for having humbled Himself to that level, that He took our form so that He could give us the greatest service mankind ever needed; of being saved from our own sins and from eternal death. And the issue is that people don’t value what He did while here on earth, nor do they see the incredible prophetic fulfillment in the life of the Lord; the Messiah that Israel was waiting for. It is also not possible for them to believe that He was raised from the dead. And well, it is just hard for people to believe in Jesus in general.
Now, we need to see something very clearly, that it is not a problem of not being able to have faith, because people exhibit faith all the time. For many, it is easier to believe in things and people than to believe in Jesus. People many times justify their disbelief with the idea that they cannot see Him, or that they weren’t present at the time of the Lord. They say they can’t trust the Scriptures either, whether they are credible or not. There are many other excuses, because that’s what they are: excuses.
Think for a moment, “In what do the majority of people believe in?” They believe in money, in other people that are just as fallible and limited as they are, in objects without life and soul, in gods made out of metal, wood, or any other material, in nature, etc., etc. They believe more in a plate of food served in a restaurant where they don’t even know where the food came from (if it’s organic or not, if it was grown with pesticides and insecticides), how it was made, what it actually contains; and whether the server dropped the food on the floor, picked it right up and put it on the plate again. You might say, “How can you say that?” Easy! Because it happens. And there are many other things that happen with food before it gets on the table, all nice and neatly adorned. They would rather trust more in something like that, to the point of putting it in their mouth, without any questions, than to choose to believe in Jesus.
So then, if they could have so much faith and trust in so many other things and people, then what is the problem with believing in Jesus? The problem is choosing to believe in Him; nothing else. Because the person that does not want to believe, they are not going to believe, no matter what Christ does for them. Some say that they would believe if they could just see the Lord demonstrate His power and glory. He did that before coming to this earth, when He was known as Jehovah to the Jews. But they saw Him as harsh, inflexible, that He was only looking to destroy and punish people (which is not true). And well, Jesus also showed His power through the miracles He did with food, healing the sick, casting out demons, and even raising some from the dead. But, it seems like that isn’t enough. And even further, they see the miracles He does every day; the universe, the sustaining of life, the seasons, the light of day, water, and so many other things that can only subsist through Him. But, it’s not enough either. He showed His love and devotion to us, by dying on the cross for us, for our sins, but that too is not enough. He was raised from the dead and seen by His disciples, by the hundreds, but that’s not enough either. He waits for us with open arms, but many turn their backs on Him, being despised and rejected, because even though He is God, He is humble in His calling out to us. So then, the answer that people don’t believe because they don’t want to believe is logical, because the Lord cannot do anything else for them.
The problem with not wanting to believe, or more exactly, in refusing to believe, is that everything has a consequence. And despite His great love for us, if a person refuses to believe in Him as God, as Lord, then salvation is not possible, because they are despising the only One that can save them. That’s why it’s not necessarily punishment, but rather, a natural consequence. The only One that can remove the wrath of God from abiding on us is Jesus. For it is written: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5. Money cannot do it. Your family cannot do it. Your career and your successes cannot do it. Other false gods and idols cannot do it. No one or nothing else can take away the wrath of God from abiding on us.
So then, it’s very simple; either you want to believe or not believe in Him. If you refuse to believe, then nothing can be done for you. But, if you do decide to not only believe, but even more so, to accept Jesus as God (as what He is), and you make Him the Lord of your life, not only will the wrath of God be removed from abiding on you, but you will also see the glory of God. For it is written: “Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’” John 11:40. So, is your faith centered on Jesus, as the God and Lord of your life? Lord bless! John