THURSDAY March 21, 2024
Are You Persuaded to Believe in Christ?
And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers....”
Acts 28:24-25
Paul preached the Gospel, but here we see two different camps. Some were persuaded by the Word of God and agreed with Paul, and others disbelieved and did not agree with Paul’s preaching. They rejected the knowledge of the truth and walked away.
Whenever I have the opportunity to preach, whether proclaiming the Gospel at a Crusade, a church service, or any other outreach or event, I know that within the crowd, there are two camps––those who will be persuaded and believe, and those who will not believe.
No one can force people into the Kingdom of God; it only happens by the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Some individuals will come forward and accept Jesus, while others hesitate, thinking to themselves that another time will come, when in actuality, they might never have another chance. There are no guarantees for tomorrow!
I felt conviction come into my heart on the night I was going to kill my family. As I listened to Chuck Smith teach, the Holy Spirit brought conviction to my heart for the different areas of my life that were not right. I was broken. The Word of God deeply penetrated my heart like arrows hitting their mark. I surrendered and accepted Christ.
People are convicted by God’s Spirit and respond, while others sit and hear the Word of God, and nothing happens. Something is wrong, because if you can sit and listen, but fail to be stabbed by the Lord in your heart, you have either become dull of hearing, or perhaps you are harboring disbelief in your heart. Be fully persuaded by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah, your Savior, and surrender your life to Him.
Some shy away from Christianity because they know they cannot live perfect lives. But according to the Bible, the Christian life is not for perfect people. It’s for people who are imperfect, like you and me. Jesus said, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” A Christian is not one who is sinless, but one who has had sin forgiven.
~Billy Graham~