Has your faith in your false religion (Buddhism, Atheism, Islam, Satanism, etc.) been strengthened by Christian apologetics or by reading the Bible? If so, you have reason to be concerned.
I wish it could be otherwise, but the Bible teaches that its message will have one of two effects on people: Either it will stir their hearts to faith, or it will harden them and drive them away. As the apostle Paul said in II Corinthians 2:15-16:
What St. Paul is saying is that the Gospel is not merely information that one can accept or dismiss. It is a living thing that draws some people near and pushes others away.
God recognizes that many people who hear His words will reject them, to their own destruction. As He told the prophet Ezekiel:
Jesus Himself warned us that most people will not reach Paradise, and exhorted us in Matthew 17:13-14:
Does that mean that God's Word is weak, or that it has failed? Not at all. For the Bible is not only a call to belief; it is a discerner, a witness, and a judge. As Hebrews 4:12 tells us:
How do you respond to the Bible? Do you rejoice at its message, or do you consider it foolish and corrupt? Is it the aroma of life to you, or the smell of dead things? Either way, your heart has been laid bare - and your future has been revealed to you, unless you change.
Moreover, Jesus warns us in John 12:47-48 that this very Word will judge us on the Last Day:
Therefore, do not think that you have defeated or nullified this Word when you or your fellow adherents reject it. I tell you, you have not defeated this Word, it has defeated you:
I pray that God's blessing will be upon you as you consider this warning. May He give you eyes to see, ears to hear, that you may understand and turn and He would heal you.
Amen.
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