{"id":6257,"date":"2021-10-01T15:21:11","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T13:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/?page_id=6257"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T12:00:17","slug":"eight-reasons","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/faq\/eight-reasons\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight Reasons why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"\">One question that keeps popping up is that of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.So, what than are the reasons people don\u2019t accept the Gospel? The reasons can be all sorts of things such as religious traditions, peer pressure within the family or within friendships, the work of Satan, or even doubting of God\u2019s Word. These are all legitimate reasons, but I will not tackle these in particular. I came across an eighteenth-century Scottish Presbyterian church leader, theologian and philosopher, named Thomas Boston. Boston said in one of his sermons that people reject the gospel because of actual sinful vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"index\">Index<\/h1>\n\n<ol>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-intro\" >Why this series?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-1\" >Reason 1 \u2013 \u2018No Due Sense of Spiritual want.\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-2\" >Reason 2 \u2013 \u2018Men have no true sight and sense of their own sinfulness.\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-3\" >Reason 3 \u2013 They have no idea about \u2018the clouds of wrath which are hanging over their heads\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-4\" >Reason 4 \u2013 \u2018They are strangers to their utter inability to help themselves\u2019<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#Reason-5\" >Reason 5 \u2013 They do not feel their need of Christ<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-6\" >Reason 6 \u2013 They see not their own unworthiness of a Saviour\u2019s help<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-7\" >Reason 7 \u2013 They have no anxiety for the supply of their soul-wants<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-8\" >Reason 8 \u2013 They are not content with Christ but on terms of their own making<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"scroll\" href=\"#reason-conclusion\" >Conclusion \u2013 They have proven Boston\u2019s points<\/a><\/li>\n\n<\/ol>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-intro\">Introduction<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/eight-reasons-why-people-won-t-accept\/de622a89034f92a07f296579523a3779f0f6cb1a?\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">I\u2019ve been making 20 videos in which I tried to give simple\nanswers on regular critical questions. I called this series the\n\u2018silly Christian series\u2019. Some, especially my kids, were\nwondering why I did that. One of them said that it is kind of\noffending to her. And she is quit right. I am not sure whether\nChristians are nicknamed as being silly in English-speaking\ncountries, but in the Netherlands I\u2019ve heard it pretty often. In\nthe Netherlands some use the word <i>\u2018silly\u2019<\/i> in a patronising\nway. It is hard to translate but it sounds a bit like \u2018<i>oh you\nsilly boy!\u2019 <\/i>in the sense of <i>\u2018oh, that\u2019s cute, you still\nbelieve in a sky-daddy\u2019<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I have never had any problem with that attitude towards\nChristians. I mean, take the name \u2018Christian\u2019. The name,\n<i>\u2018Christian\u2019,<\/i> used to be a scolding name towards the\n<i>\u2018Followers of the Way\u2019<\/i>. \n<\/p>\n\nActs 9:2 (ESV)\n\n<p class=\"cite\">&#8230;and [Saul]\nasked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he\nfound <b>any belonging to the Way<\/b>, men or women, he might bring\nthem bound to Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You see, that was the original name of Christians, people of the\nWay. I do prefer that name, people of the Way, but I don\u2019t mind\nwhen people call me Christian because the first believers received\nthat name in a time of great persecution (Acts 11:19-26). It was, and\nin some countries it still is, a nickname which is used with honour\nby believers but with contempt by many anti-believers. In any case, I\nbelieve Christians shouldn\u2019t be so quickly offended and that\u2019s\nwhy I came up with the title <i>\u2018silly Christian\u2019<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Now, after 20 videos, I guess I can do something new. One question\nthat keeps popping up is that of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel\nof Jesus Christ. To some, this is a rather easy question to answer.\nIf you accept the Calvinistic view on the Gospel you might just say:<\/p>\n\n\u201c<i>It did not please the Father to\ngive them saving faith (Matthew 11:25). If you do not believe, it is\nbecause God did not elect you.\u201d<\/i>\n\n<p class=\"\">Now, if that would be the case I\nwould not have to live and work as missionary in the middle\nof nowhere on Madagascar,\nwould I?\nIn that case my wife would still be working as a lawyer and I would\nprefer to live in a fancy house with two cars in the garage. The fact\nthat we decided to trade that fancy life for a sober life in a wooden\nhouse in a noisy village betrays that I definitely do not believe the\nCalvinistic view on salvation.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So, what than are the reasons\npeople don\u2019t accept the Gospel? The\nreasons can be all sorts of things such as religious traditions, peer\npressure within the family or within friendships, the work of Satan,\nor even doubting of God\u2019s Word. These are all legitimate reasons\nbut I will not tackle these in particular. I came across an\neighteenth-century Scottish Presbyterian church leader, theologian\nand philosopher, named Thomas\nBoston.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-intro-1anc\" href=\"#note-intro-1sym\"><sup><b>i<\/b><\/sup><\/a>\nBoston said in one of his\nsermons that people\nreject the gospel because of\nactual\nsinful vulnerabilities.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-intro-2anc\" href=\"#note-intro-2sym\"><sup><b>ii<\/b><\/sup><\/a>  <a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-intro-3anc\" href=\"#note-intro-3sym\"><sup><b>iii<\/b><\/sup><\/a>\n\n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Working in a different culture\nall together, I have been placed in a position where it is easier to\nlook critically\nat our own culture in the west. Then reading through Boston\u2019s\nsermon I was amazed by his insights. In\nthe videos to come I will\ncite from\none of Boston\u2019s eight\nmain findings\neach time, and\nthen add my own ideas and\ncomments as well. Obviously that means I will approach it from my own\nbackground as well as from the background we work and live in right\nnow.<\/p>\n\nThis video was just to introduce the\nnew series of eight on the question of why people reject the Gospel.\nYou can follow me on Odysee or subscribe to my channel on YouTube so\nyou\u2019ll never miss out on any new video!\n\n<p class=\"\">Stay\ntuned for the next one! The\nfirst of the eight\nreasons\nwe will discuss is that people have <i>\u2018No due sense of\nspiritual wants\u2019<\/i>. \n<\/p>\n\n<h3>Endnotes<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-intro-1sym\" href=\"#note-intro-1anc\"><b>i<\/b><\/a>   Thomas Boston, <i>wikipedia.org<\/i>, internet &lt;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Boston\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Boston<\/a>&gt; (accessed 11-02-2021).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-intro-2sym\" href=\"#note-intro-2anc\"><b>ii<\/b><\/a>   Thomas Boston, <i>digitalpuritan.net<\/i>, internet &lt;<a href=\"http:\/\/digitalpuritan.net\/thomas-boston\/\">http:\/\/digitalpuritan.net\/thomas-boston\/<\/a>&gt;, Digital Puritan Press, Westfield Indiana, (accessed 11-02-2021).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-intro-3sym\" href=\"#note-intro-3anc\"><b>iii<\/b><\/a>   Thomas Boston, <i>digitalpuritan.net<\/i>, internet &lt;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitalpuritan.net\/Digital%20Puritan%20Resources\/Boston,%20Thomas\/The%20Whole%20Works%20of%20Thomas%20Boston%20(vol.9).pdf\">http:\/\/www.digitalpuritan.net\/Digital%20Puritan%20Resources\/Boston,%20Thomas\/The%20Whole%20Works%20of%20Thomas%20Boston%20(vol.9).pdf<\/a>&gt;, Boston on Isaiah 61:1 (<i>Works, vol. 9, pp. 540-541)<\/i>, (accessed on 11.02.2021).<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-1\">Reason 1 &#8211; &#8216;No Due Sense of Spiritual want.&#8217;<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/eight-reasons-why-people-won-t-accept-2\/c355335145a6933ef5e6c6837c2fde6ff81679a4?r=DnVf2JoHc7hnX96if8sUaVa46JNj1WMS\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">So here we go, this is part one of eight reasons why people won&#8217;t accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The first reason:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">&#8216;No due sense of spiritual want.&#8217;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And I\ndo apologize for the noise in the background it started to rain here\nand you know how it is with tropical rains&#8230; Well this is not\neven a big rain but it already caused me to have some visitors in my\nstudio. I&#8217;ll show you the visitors<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So how about that having some good friends, some goats.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So Boston said:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">No due sense of spiritual wants: \n<br>\n<i>Proverbs 27:7 &#8220;The full soul loatheth the honey-comb.&#8221; <\/i>\n\n<br>\nMost men are sick of a Laodicean disease, saying in their practice as they\nsaid in their hearts, that \n<br>\n<i>&#8220;they are rich and increased in goods, and stand in need of nothing,&#8221; (Revelation 3:17) <\/i>\n\n<br>\nThey are not mourning under their want of light, of life, and of holiness. They reign as kings with what they have, though, as with King Saul,\nGod is departed from them. Hence they do not value that treasure which is hid in the field of the gospel.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Back in 1997 my wife and I started in a lower class neighbourhood because we\njust couldn&#8217;t afford a more expensive house but interestingly we had\ngreat conversations with many in the neighbourhood. Many, not all,\nhad low paying jobs or weren&#8217;t even working at all some couldn&#8217;t work\nbecause of illness but others were just too lazy. Especially those\nwho didn&#8217;t want to live in that neighbourhood, those who have had a\ngood education, but for some reason got stranded with almost nothing,\nespecially these people recognized that they were in need. They\ndidn&#8217;t feel great about themselves or even about the things they had.\nAnd on top of that, often their marriage came to an end and they lost\ntheir last sense of self-worth. They looked at that treasure in the\nfield and realized they could very well use it.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">A few years later we moved house. The old house needed too many repairs so\nwe moved. And for Dutch standards we moved to a big house. We had two\ncars and received our first child. The new neighbourhood was the\nopposite of the old one. Many of our neighbours were very content\nwith their lives. And most of them had their own business or were\nactually enjoying a very nice pension. Telling my neighbours about\nJesus and why they need him too was sometimes like preaching to the\nbirds.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">On the internet I found this example of what these people could have said:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\n&#8220;I do not sense any great hurt or lack or failure in my life. I have a\ngood education; I have achieved vocational success; my marriage and\nchildren are fine; my personal life is one of morality and integrity.\nI have respect for the church, I believe in God, but I do not see any\noverwhelming need in my life&mdash;nothing that compels me to cry out to Jesus Christ to save me.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You see, the people who think like this (because normally they will not\nsay it aloud) look at the treasure in the field and argue that many\npeople could really use that treasure. Oh yes, the treasure is just\nwhat some people need. Yes, it looks like a fine treasure but they\nare sure they don&#8217;t need it themselves. And you might ask why not,\nwell isn&#8217;t that obvious? They believe they have enough treasure of\ntheir own. Sometimes they even believe that the Gospel is just a\ncrutch for the weak people.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And strangely enough this attitude can be found worldwide. You\nmight say that the Malagasy people belong to those who can value the treasure for what it is. I\nmean, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. In\nour area an adult man earns between 75 euro cents or one euro fifty,\n depending on the the work and on the day&#8230; When they have a job that is. I mean most of the time they don&#8217;t even have\na job. And they live in little houses with barely space enough for the whole\nfamily, let alone any property. Still, even here I come across people who see themselves as spiritual rich.\nSo now and then they bring the necessary offers to please the spirits of their ancestors. They\nare sure that the ancestors are very much willing to plead their case at the throne of God.\nAlso many of them already got baptised in a protestant church when they were still babies, so, like the\ngroup of our rich neighbourhood, they say something like <i>&#8220;I have respect for the church. Oh\nyes! I even believe in god. I mean I have been baptized after all right?&#8221;<\/i>\nSo this false sense of security makes them believe that they are not in need of the treasure even when it is visible in plain sight. But\nin reality they are seeing blind. They suffer, like many people in the west, of the Laodicean disease. They\nsee themselves as rich in goods, or rich in spiritual feelings and think they don&#8217;t need salvation.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You know I very much love the parables of Jesus. They make you think and when you are done thinking about them they make\nyou realise how great the work of Jesus actually is. So let&#8217;s read about the aforementioned treasure, shall we? \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Let&#8217;s go to Matthew 13:44<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up then in his joy he goes and sells all that he\nhas and buys that field&#8221;.<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So let me ask you are you suffering from the  Laodicean disease? Do you feel like king Saul of the Old Testament?\nReigning over your goods, over your household. Ruling over your spiritual belongings, and not knowing that God actually departed from you?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">If so, please read what happened to the people in the bible who suffered the same disease.\nYou might hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and realise that for many this Gospel is like a treasure worth owning.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Don&#8217;t be dumb and think your that your own treasure is bigger and better. Your own treasure will not carry you into everlasting life with God.\nIt will not save you. It might make you feel good here and now, but it will not create a private heaven for you where you can go when you die. You\nwould be wise to pursue the treasure of the Gospel with all your might, even if that would mean that you have to give up your own hard-earned wealth. Be\nlike that man in the parable Jesus used. Don&#8217;t let the treasure of the life of Jesus slip through your fingers!<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-2\">Reason 2 &#8211; &#8216;Men have no true sight and sense of their own sinfulness.&#8217;<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/eight-reasons-why-people-won%27t-accept\/1f61e77ecb5f3328b6d1c4368dd778597fffdde9?r=6RkkWM5UgCkvmSiTHePQLaQ2Bo4g93p3\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">Okay! We&rsquo;re on a roll here! This is the second reason of why people\nwon&rsquo;t accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I&rsquo;ve been pretty busy in the week after the introductory video about this\nseries. I didn&rsquo;t say much about anything but still it received\nhundreds of views and a lot of comments. Many positive responses,\nwhich is nice and encouraging. But it also looked like YouTube\nemptied its special bucket, full of sceptics, atheists and other &lsquo;we\nwill always argue against religion&rsquo; type of people. I am used\nto see that on YouTube, but didn&rsquo;t notice this group on Odysee\nyet.  It was bit of a challenge to open the comments with our\ninternet connection, but in the end I hope I&rsquo;ve replied to\neverybody.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Anyway, the second reason of why people won&rsquo;t accept the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">&lsquo;<b>Men have no true sight and sense of their own sinfulness.&rsquo;<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>Boston said:<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Men have no true sight and sense of their own sinfulness. They see not\nthe sinfulness of their nature, of their hearts, lips, and lives, but are like Samson, without his two eyes:\n<br>\n<i>Matthew 4:12 &lsquo;They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.&rsquo; <\/i>\n\n<br>\nThey are pining away in their sins ; their sickness has not yet taken them\nby the heart ; their wounds are not lanced ; the law has not had its effect upon them, and therefore the Gospel is not relished. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I would\nhave liked it to meet mister Boston. He sounds like a smart man. A\nman that could easily teach me some good stuff about the Bible.\nAgain, his observation is spot on. And again, it is not only talking\nabout his time but this attitude towards sin can be found throughout\nall ages and in every corner of the world.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Let&rsquo;s\nstart by looking at the word <i>&lsquo;sin&rsquo;<\/i>. Yuck! That&rsquo;s\na ugly and nasty word to use, isn&rsquo;t it? It sounds so much like\na qualification of a very bad person. A sinner! Yes, that&rsquo;s\nwhat you would call a dictator or a rapist. Whenever I start to talk\nabout sin, people immediately back away from the conversation.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">&ldquo;<i>Sure,\nI have done wrong things in my live&hellip; But that doesn&rsquo;t\nmake me the same as a serial killer!&rdquo;<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You\nsee? The word &lsquo;sin&rsquo; knows categories in the minds of\npeople. You have little sins and you have big sins. The little ones\nare okay and they don&rsquo;t make you a sinner. Like\nthe man or woman who said: <i>&ldquo;Sure,\nI have lied before&hellip; But&hellip;&ldquo;<\/i>\n. There is almost always a &lsquo;but&rsquo; right after the\nacknowledgment of having done things\nwrong.<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n\n<li>But, that doesn&rsquo;t make me flawed..<\/li>\n\n<li>But, Stalin was way worst than I am..<\/li>\n\n<li>But, &egrave;verybody lies so now and then..<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"\">Sometimes\nI watch the videos of Ray Comfort, aka the banana man. He doesn&rsquo;t\nmind that nickname and it happens to be that I love bananas. We eat\nthem all day, every day.  Anyway, he meets many who just don&rsquo;t\nunderstand the severity of sin. They come up with all sorts of\nexcuses, but Comfort has a handy trick. He starts asking people\nquestions about the 10 commandments. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> Have you ever lied?<br>\n\n<i><b>Person:<\/b><\/i> Yes.<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> what does that make you?<br>\n\n<i><b>Person:<\/b><\/i>  A liar.<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> Good, have you ever hated somebody<br>\n\n<i><b>Person:<\/b><\/i> Yes.<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> The Bible says that whoever hates his brother, it is like he has\nmurdered him in his heart. What does that hatred make of you?<br>\n\n<i><b>Person:<\/b><\/i> A Murderer.<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> Have you ever used God&rsquo;s name in vain?<br>\n\n<i><b>Person:<\/b><\/i> Yes.<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> What does that make you?<br>\n\n<i><b>Person:<\/b><\/i> Uuuhhh.<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> Let me help you. The Bible calls it blasphemer.<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> Have you ever looked at o woman with lust?<br>\n\n<i><b>Person:<\/b><\/i> Of course!<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> What does that make you according to God&rsquo;s word?<br>\n\n<i><b>Person:<\/b><\/i> A man?<br>\n\n<i><b>Ray:<\/b><\/i> Well, yes but also an adulterer of heart. So by your own admission you are a lying, adulterous, blaspheming murderer. You tell me: Innocent or guilty..<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Well, at that point the situation is clear. The person understands that his or her wrongdoings are more than &lsquo;just&rsquo; a mishap.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">When I go to the villages and talk about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I do\nnot follow the unwritten handbook of an evangelist. This is basically a collection of ideas\nabout how to approach people. It is the standard of what you learn during Bible studies.\nListeners are being asked whether they admit that they have sinned.\nMost people will answer this honestly and they would say yes. That\nsounds wonderful but it doesn&rsquo;t mean they understand how severe\ntheir situation in front of God is. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Mostly I quote <i>Romans 3:23 &ldquo;For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God&rdquo;.<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Then I tell the people that sin is nothing more and nothing less than your\nwrongdoings. Little fibs, gossiping, anger, not\ncaring for one and other, selfishness, not respecting your parents,\nusing foul words etc. Seemingly small things compared to major things\nlike murder, adultery, and other big sins that can be seen by\neverybody. Still, these\n&lsquo;little&rsquo; sins are more than enough to miss out on the\nglory of God. God\nis perfect and He cannot allow anything less into close proximity.\nAnything less would ruin perfectness. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is amazing that God the Father provided a solution. He was not obligated\nto do anything, still He came down from heaven and became flesh. He\nwas born in a poorman&rsquo;s hotel, a stable. He became human and\nlistened to the name Jesus, also known as the Christ, the anointed\none. The Lord Jesus walked\nthis earth, He suffered the same problems as you and I. He knew\ntemptation but did not fall for it. He lived a perfect life. As being\nthe perfect human He could substitute for our wrongdoings. And\nHe did! He took all\niniquities,\nbig, small, seen and unseen upon Himself and He died for it. The\nultimate punishment. Then after three days He came back to life\nagain. He\ndefeated death and became\nthe\nultimate ruler over everything.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Paul says in Colossians 2: 10<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all\nprincipality and power [&#8230;]&rdquo;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Did you here that? In Christ you will be complete. The\nother way around goes the as well. Without Jesus you are incomplete. Not because you miss an arm\nor leg, no you miss the necessary glory of being without sin. Sin\ncauses you to be incomplete but through Jesus Christ, Who is above\nall, through Him you can become complete. This\namazing Saviour wants to save you too. Don&rsquo;t be like the fool\nin the Bible who build his house on the sand. Be like the smart guy\nwho made sure that his house was build on a good foundation. Jesus\nChrist is the best foundation you can ever get for you life! And I\nguess your life is worth more than just a sandy underground, right? \n<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-3\">Reason 3 &#8211; They have no idea about <i>&lsquo;the clouds of wrath which are hanging over their heads&rsquo;<\/i><\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/eight-reasons-why-people-won%27t-accept-2\/8f0a84e683c902059bbef823c795c466ece04be4?r=F8TbDJ5wAgabZbNo4tHUx5ueUMAHJsr6\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">The third reason of why people won&rsquo;t accept the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>They have no idea about <\/b><i><b>&lsquo;the clouds of wrath which are hanging over their heads&rsquo;<\/b><\/i>.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Boston said:<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Their eyes are veiled, so that they see not their misery by sin, and as being without Christ : \n<br>\n<i>Hosea 7:9 &quot;Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon hira, yet he knoweth not ;\nand they do not  return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this.&quot;<\/i>\n\n<br>\nDid they see the clouds of wrath which are hanging above their heads, the  quick approaches which death with its sting is making towards them, \ntheir separation from God, and from all the privileges of the covenant, they could not be at ease. The gospel-tidings would be to them as life from the dead.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Occupation of the Netherlands<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">What did we, the Dutch, know 85 years ago? The Nazi party took over Germany and we were still thinking that we could\nremain neutral, just like during the first world war. Still, the German army attacked the Netherlands on the 10<sup>th<\/sup>\nof May 1940. The Dutch soldiers were poorly equipped and were overrun quickly. but, they resisted fiercely and\nabove all expectation they managed to hold of the invasion of the Hague. 525 German planes got destroyed. Four days later the German army demanded that Rotterdam\nwould surrender, if not they would release their bombs and destroy the city. The Dutch gave in and surrendered Rotterdam. However, the\nGerman air force bombarded the city anyway. 800 people died and 7800 people became homeless. After this attack the Dutch surrendered completely. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Although the Nazi regime showed it&rsquo;s true face by destroying Rotterdam,\nmany still didn&rsquo;t <i>have an idea about the clouds of wrath which where hanging over their heads<\/i>.\nThe first year of the occupation was not the most terrible one.\nPeople could still do business and economically things weren&rsquo;t\nhorribly bad either. Many continued their daily routine. Somewhere\naround June 1941 the Germans realised that  the war wasn&rsquo;t going as expected and  the occupation in Holland became more grim. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The Netherlands counted 140.000 Jews before the war. 107.000 got\ntransported to the east. Of this group plus minus 101.800 were\nmurdered or died due to forced labour and bad living conditions in\nthe camps. Although I only mention the Jews, you need to realise that many others died\nand got murdered as well. \n<\/p>\n\n<h3>Human nature<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is human nature to think that it will not happen to them. It is\nalways the other. I call that the <i>&lsquo;things like that do not happen to me&rsquo;<\/i>\nsyndrome. You know, like that frog, sitting in a bowl of water that slowly get cooked. The\nwater is getting warmer and warmer but the frog is getting used to\nit. Then, when it is to warm, the frog passes out and dies.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Like the frog we think we&rsquo;ll be alright. We have no idea about our\nterrible situation towards God. We&rsquo;ve got no idea about our\nwretchedness. Why not? Because we do not understand a thing about the\nglory of God. Everything fades away compared to His Glory. The same\ngoes for our understanding of our sinfulness as discussed in a previous video.\nIt is the complete opposite of God&rsquo;s holiness. \n<\/p>\n\n<h3>No true understanding<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">So, what would happen when we confront a non-believer with Boston&rsquo;s\nquote? There are clouds of wrath hanging above your head. Many\nunbelievers can simply not believe that these clouds are coming from\nGod. They say that this is the old-fashion view of God. No way! God\nis a sweet guy who will satisfy our needs. He is there for us&#8230;\nalways!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You see, we humans, just refuse to recognise that which is staring us in the face. We rather make up our own god. A god that suits our needs,\na god who enjoys it to bless each and everyone of us, no matter whether the person is still living in sin. But I&rsquo;ve got some\nbad news for people who like to believe in such a god&hellip; He only exists in your imagination!<\/p>\n\n<h3>God&rsquo;s wrath is real<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">God&rsquo;s wrath is very real. Romans 1:18 says this:<\/p>\n\n<p style=\"margin-left: 1.25cm\">&ldquo;<i>For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and\nunrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.&rdquo;<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">What I said earlier, the thing about &lsquo;refusing to recognise that which is staring us in the face&rsquo;, becomes painfully true if we read on in Romans 1:19<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is as simple as that. I can&rsquo;t make it more beautiful than this, I am sorry&hellip; It is even worst than just ignoring the facts. We\nhumans willingly persevere in our own stubbornness. We want to do it our own way, whether that\nroad is sinful or not, we do not care because we have no understanding of God&rsquo;s wrath which comes forth out of His\nholiness.  What many people struggle with is the idea that God can be love, and at the same time God can impose\nwrath. I&rsquo;ve made a video about that so I advise you to watch it. You&rsquo;ll find the link in the description below.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I&rsquo;ll give you two more Bible verses.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Romans 2:5<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are\nstoring up wrath against yourself for the day of God&rsquo;s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">And John 3:36<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son\nwill not see life, for God&rsquo;s wrath remains on them.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In the aforementioned verses, we read about the wrath of God. God&rsquo;s\nwrath is responding to godlessness, wickedness, stubbornness, unrepentant hearts, and rejecting Jesus as saviour.\nIn other words, God&rsquo;s wrath is in response to sin. God will be the\njudge of all. All humans will have to give an account for what they have done and how they\nhave lived. We have the freedom to choice how we live our lives, however, whatever decision we make, we must be conscious of the consequences\nof our choices. \n<\/p>\n\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">In John 3:36 we also read that we don&rsquo;t have to worry about God&rsquo;s wrath as long as one condition is\nmet. We have to put our total faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ. His death gives us complete confidence that the requirements\nof God&rsquo;s wrath have been met.<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-4\">Reason 4 &#8211; &#8216;They are strangers to their utter inability to help themselves&#8217;<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/eight-reasons-why-people-won%27t-accept-3\/68efd830c9551893f9c6f41e80242228201cadde?\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">The fourth reason of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>They are strangers to their utter inability to help themselves<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>Boston said:<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\nThey\nare like Samson, in another case, who knew not that his strength was\ndeparted from him. \n<br><br>\nWe may see how corrupt nature changes itself into various shapes on this\npoint. If you urge men to ply the work of their salvation. Alas! say\nthey, we can do nothing; they thus make it a covert for their sloth. \n<br><br>\nUrge them with the necessity of reformation and repentance, they say, It\nis time enough, they will attend to this afterwards; as if it were in\nthe power of their hand to do this business at any time: They\nthus make it a covert for their delays, and still have no relish for\nthe gospel. \n<\/p>\n\n<h3>Offensive<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Wow! Boston was not really political correct, was he? He\ntakes \u2018utter inability\u2019 and a \u2018corrupt nature\u2019 as almost\ninterchangeable facts. These truths are not only offensive, but\ninexplicable to the unbeliever.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Still, I think Boston\u2019s analysis is very accurate, how offensive that may\nbe. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. But\nthat is absolutely not in our nature. We want to do it ourselves.\nJust go on the internet and do a quick search with the letter DIY (Do\nIt Yourself). We love those tutorials right? And honestly, I have\nused them very often. However, there is no DIY salvation. People may\ntry to make you believe there is but that just proves Boston\u2019s\npoint: They are like Samson who did not knew that his power left him.\nIn other words: Powerless!<\/p>\n\n<h3>Evangelist Handbook<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">I already mentioned the unwritten handbook of an evangelist in part 2\nof this series. I like use it again. This time I want to look at the way we wrap up our\nevangelistic events. After we\u2019ve made sure that people understand\nthe basics we try to move the plot along. We like to tell the people\nhow they should pray, and we teach them the sinners prayer. It is\nokay in itself to give people an example but the danger is that many\nwill say to themselves that they now understand all the steps they\nneed to take to be saved. They\nmight go home and think that they can pray the prayer when it suits\nthem best. Next time an evangelist asks them about their faith they\nwill smile and tell that they know exactly what to do. They think\nit is just that last little step, into the kingdom. Just\none prayer, but that \u2018final step\u2019 is a giant leap.\nIt is not possible for an unbeliever to take this step flippantly. It\ndemands total repentance, a\nhumble heart, and submission to the Lord. In other words, this last\nstep demands that the unbeliever turns away from his or her own works\nand starts to obey God in everything. Yes,\nthe unbeliever needs to repent, but no, the unbeliever cannot be\nsaved when it suits him or her best. Would this be the case the\nunbeliever could say that he or she told God what to do.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Ephesians 2:8-9 explains this wonderfully well:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">For\nby grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of\nyourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that\nno one may boast.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Villages<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">When I visit the villages in our area, I see this attitude pretty often.\nAfter hearing the Bible stories, most listeners understand the basics\nof the Gospel. I then give them an example of how to pray. However, I\ndo not end the visits there. At that point I am only halfway. The\nnext 15 stories are about how a Christian should live. It is about\ngiving your life to Jesus in everything. Sure, there are beautiful\nthing to share but I also tell the people that one cannot follow\nJesus in their own strength. They need to give up their ideas of\nbeing capable themselves. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Mostly people love the first 24 stories as they all narrate about what\nhappened to humanity and how God came to earth in His Son. They love\nto hear these stories because now they understand, somewhat, how they\ncan be saved. But when I start with the other stories I see less\nlisteners every week. It is rare to see listeners who have been attending the\nmeetings from the beginning till the end.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">When I see one of them who attended the first series they almost always\nexplain that by now they understand the Gospel and that they know\nwhat to do. One even said that he fully understood the Gospel, but\nthat he wanted to wait till the time was right for him to be saved.\nHe is like a man trapped in a burning house. He senses no dire need,\nbecause he is just one doorway from his garden and from safety. But\nhe does not realise that the door is locked and he has no key.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So,\nhow about you? Are you still thinking you are able to be saved? Like\nbuying something on the internet you think it demands only one click?\nThan realise that it was the Holy Spirit calling you to repent, not\nyou own brainwaves. Not answering to call of the Holy Spirit is like\nstaying in that burning house and not realising that you do not have\nthe key of that outer door. The key of true and sincere repentance.\nTrue repentance can only be given by God Himself <i>so\nthat no one may boast.<\/i><\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-5\">Reason 5 &#8211; They do not feel their need of Christ<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/eight-reasons-why-people-won%27t-accept-4\/0c2b5652ab009c01d6e59312f6029c4b609e8724?\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">The fifth reason of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>They do not feel their need of Christ<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>Boston said:<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\nRevelation 3:17 <i>&#8220;Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.&#8221;<\/i>\n\n<br><br>\nThey need his blood and Spirit, but they are not duly sensible of their need.\n<br><br>\nTheir own works are big in their own eyes, and appear to them sufficient in order to obtain God&#8217;s favour. Their natural and acquired abilities are also with them sufficient in order to their sanctification; they are by no means shaken out of themselves; therefore the offer of the gospel is but an offer of food to the full soul, and so is loathed.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This reason leans closely to the reason of of the second video: No true sight and sense of their own sinfulness. You\u2019ll find the link to that video in the description.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">People might say they understand that Jesus can help them in many ways. Yes, they might even admit that He is the way for their sins to be forgiven. Jesus appears to them to be a handy tool to get through life without to much trouble. <\/p>\n\n<h3>Prosperity preaching<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">You could say that this problem emerges because of faulty preaching. Obviously the so-called prosperity preaching can cause this idea. Preachers who say that life will become better in every way when you accept Jesus. Well, tell that to poor people and they will love the preacher. But I am not even thinking about this heresy of prosperity preaching. That\u2019s what it is, a heresy.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Different images of the Gospel<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">No, I am more thinking about the incomplete preaching of the Gospel. Throughout the ages evangelists have tried to make the Gospel as appealing as possible. In itself that\u2019s not wrong. The Gospel can easily be explained in different settings. In Europe it might be more applicable to emphasise the fact that Jesus took the punishment for our sin. In theology this approach is called the \u2018penal substitution theory\u2019, and it is the most used image of the Gospel in Europe.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Example Bible text:<\/p>\n\nGalatians 2:2\n\n<p class=\"cite\">I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, <b>and gave himself for me.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">However, here on Madagascar one might use a different image of the Gospel. Here, in the country side, people are extremely afraid of the spirits. It is reasonable to preach, besides the other works of Jesus, that He actually overcame the spiritual world. Jesus is the ultimate winner. He conquered the grave and He is victorious over all spirits. This image of the Gospel is called the \u2018Christ-victor theory.\u2019<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Example Bible text:<\/p>\n\nColossians 2:15\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, <b>triumphing over them in it<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I\u2019ve placed two links with explanations about these theories in the description below. Mind you, these are just some notes a friend of mine took many years ago during our lectures. So they are not an extended explanation but just a brief overview.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Personally I do use this image of the victorious Christ quit often. I visit witch-doctors and walk through the forest after dark. Just two things people are very much afraid of. The witch-doctors are known for their ability of poisoning people and to cast curses. The forest? Well, the forest is just teaming with bad spirits, especially after dark. When I tell people that I am not afraid because Jesus is the most high and that all demons will have to leave when He tells them to, I right away got their attention.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This doesn\u2019t mean of course that I can skip all the other wonderful aspects of Jesus\u2019 work on the cross. His work is way more than what we in theology try to capture in one image.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Nasty parts of the Gospel<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">I am afraid that, even though most evangelists are very diligent, they can be too careful in what they preach. You might have found out by now that evangelists, but also preachers and missionaries are all human, just like you and I. They also, just like you and I, want to be liked by other people and sometimes they will adjust their preaching a little to achieve that. Some tend to leave out the nasty parts of the Gospel. The parts that narrate about eternal hell, the parts that say that if you are not for Christ you are against Him. The parts that say that people are already lost and will spend their lives and afterlives living in separation from the Almighty when they don\u2019t accept His solution to salvation. You know, that part that says that they will have to share eternity in the same place as Satan and all the demons.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Example Bible texts:<\/p>\n\n2 Thessalonians 1:9\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power<\/p>\n\nMark9:48\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.<\/p>\n\nRevelation 20:10\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">When an unbeliever hears an incomplete Gospel he or she might not feel the horrible realisation that if Jesus does not do the all important saving work, he or she is going to an eternal hell of fire. The unbeliever does not feel that he or she is bound as a slave in which his sins have chained him.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Encourage each-other<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Normally I try to end by encouraging unbelievers to put their trust in Jesus. This time I would like to end this video by encouraging all Christians watching. I am fully aware of the challenges we face when we want to be radical. When you go to your daily job it might be very difficult to be bold and to stand for the whole Gospel. It is so much easier to sherry-pick. Trust me, I know! However, the Lord has set you apart to do His works. You are a follower of the Most High and when the Lord is for you, who can be against you? Let us start praying for each-other! In one of the comments on a earlier video a brother clearly didn\u2019t agree with me on a example I gave. Nevertheless, he concluded the short chat with the words that he will continue to pray for me. Isn\u2019t that great! We should do that. Try to find a brother or sister who wants to lift you up in prayer. Let\u2019s ask the Lord to strengthen us through His Spirit so that we will be bold and preach the Gospel in it totality.<\/p>\n\n<b>1 Timothy 1:17<\/b>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-6\">Reason 6 &#8211; They see not their own unworthiness of a Saviour&#8217;s help<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/eight-reasons-why-people-won%27t-accept-5\/66d830784802e6fe8f2b203e49debac901e2cb22?\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">The sixth reason of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>They see not their own unworthiness of a Saviours help<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>Boston said:<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">They come to the market of grace with their money in their hand. They look on themselves as worthy of what Christ should do for them. \n<br><br>\nLuke 7:4 <i>[Boston refers to this text and I will come back to it later in this video]<\/i>\n\n<br><br>\nThough they be perhaps so far humbled as to see they must have mercy and help from the Lord, yet they look on their reformation and duties as what cannot but recommend them to Christ beyond many others. They cannot see how the Lord can reject those who come so far a length as they do. Hence the doctrine of free grace is but tasteless to them.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Look at me!! Am I a hotshot or what? I feel so good about myself\u2026 And so on. Isn\u2019t that what we hear day in day out. We should feel proud of ourselves. We can buy a nice cosmetic cr\u00e8me because we are worth it. It is the language commercials, of popular psychology, popular media talk and popular paperback books. It is even the language we often hear in the modern day churches. When you know Jesus you also should know that you are wonderful! I\u2019ve even heard a preacher telling his listeners that they shouldn\u2019t have a poor image of themselves because that will hurt their spiritual growth. It would keep them from the richness of God\u2019s blessing.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But if that is the Gospel, why than is Boston telling us something else? He talks about people who \u2018cannot see how the Lord can reject&#8230; [them] &#8230;who come so far a length as they do.\u2019 In other words: Why should the Lord reject them, while they are so wonderful? Can Boston be wrong here? Can it be that, because he is from a different century, he doesn\u2019t understand the Gospel. I mean, obviously we are much more advanced in knowledge than he is, right?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Wrong! Nowhere the Gospel mentions the idea that we, as humans, are great, wonderful and worthy to be called children of God. It is true that the Bible teaches that we can become holy, but only because Christ is willing to save us. Only when we\u2019ve received forgiveness of sin and only when we put our full trust in Him, Who \u00ecs Holy. We are worthy, not because of the things we do, but because what He has done for us.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Ephesians 2:8-9<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Listen to the story in <b>Luke 7:2-10<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Now a centurion\u2019s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. When he heard of Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they asked Him earnestly, saying, <i>\u201cYou should do this for him for he is worthy, for he loves our nation, and he has built us a synagogue.\u201d<\/i> So Jesus went with them.\n<br><br>\nWhen He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying, <i>\u201cLord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. Likewise, I did not think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to one, \u2018Go,\u2019 and he goes, and to another, \u2018Come,\u2019 and he comes, and to my servant, \u2018Do this,\u2019 and he does it.\u201d<\/i>\n\n<br><br>\nWhen Jesus heard these words, He marvelled at him, and turned and said to the people who followed Him, <font color=\"#ff0000\"><i>\u201cI tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.\u201d<\/i><\/font> Then those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This is the attitude Jesus is looking for. The centurion could have said something else. The people were talking highly of him. It would have been so easy for him to adapt that attitude. But instead of using his given authority, he acknowledges that Jesus is more worthy than he is. We hear people say that Jesus should do this healing miracle for him. Not because they think about Jesus as being kind hearted or merciful, but because they feel that the centurion is worthy of Jesus\u2019 compassion. The centurion may have achieved many wonderful things but he knew that he was but a humble man compared to the Christ.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You might be a very good father and husband or a sweet mother and wife. You might excel in your work. You might even be a great humanitarian worker who helps people without making any profit. People around you might say that you are worthy of being saved by Jesus. If there is one worthy enough it must be you! Even our \u2018good deeds\u2019 are not all that good. Sure, we may think we are doing something noble, but there is generally something in it for us; some hidden, self-serving motive. And even our best efforts pale by comparison to the standard of righteousness existing in the God of the Universe.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Isaiah 64:6<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The Bible paints a pretty nasty image of our human nature. We are lost and wandering, incapable of seeking God and incapable of impressing God with our own \u2018good\u2019 works. It is very bad news. But there there is Good News: the God of the Bible, the Creator of the universe is not going to judge us on our fallen nature or our inadequate attempts. Nope, He is going to allow <i>Jesus<\/i>\nto pay the price for our sin and save us as an act of <i>grace<\/i>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Ephesians 2:4-5<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-7\">Reason 7 &#8211; They have no anxiety for the supply of their soul-wants<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/eight-reasons-why-people-won%27t-accept-6\/a90b8e95367626cf4a35d1d04f53a9182a766a15?r=D1mPfMhfksYDDvCNRJQynDChDDj5roJa\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">The seventh reason of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>They have no anxiety for the supply of their soul-wants<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>Boston said:<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\nThey have no anxiety for the supply of their soul-wants.\n<br><br>\nThey want grace and holiness, but they can be easy without them. Like foolish virgins, they sleep on at ease, while they have no oil for their lamps:\n<br><br>\n<b>Proverbs 6:10<\/b> <i>&#8220;Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,&#8221;<\/i>\n\n<br><br>\nTheir desires are keen after the world, but weak, faint, and languishing after spiritual good things. They have no hunger and thirst after them. Hence, they value not the gospel, nor the fountain of living waters.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Do you know the story of the foolish virgins? You can find it in <i><b>Matthew 25:1-13<\/b><\/i>. Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God and how it will be for many people when it comes. He talks about ten young women who are all waiting for the bridegroom to come. Yes, there was a wedding about to happen. The women all had their oil lamp with them in case the bridegroom would be later than expected. Five of the young ladies decided not to bring some extra oil for their lamps and when finally the bridegroom came their lamps already ran out of oil. They couldn\u2019t see a thing! The had to get oil from a shop that was still open. Well a 24\/7 shop seems to be normal now but back then\u2026 Never mind. They missed the party because they didn\u2019t pay attention earlier that day.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Now, let\u2019s assume that these foolish virgins were in fact very busy during the day. I mean, nowhere Jesus says that they were lazy. And to back my story a bit, the parable says that they all fell asleep. So, they were tired, probably from their activities during the day. Why else do you fall asleep while knowing that the bridegroom is coming.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Anyway, the young ladies might even have been very diligent during the day. Taking care of the house and family. Maybe doing some good business. I mean, it is always good to have some extra cash, right? Who doesn\u2019t want to have financial security! Of course, they had to maintain their good standing in the village. After all, they were the ones who got invited to the wedding. One needs to be in a good standing when you&#8217;re so important. But what about their supply of \u2018oil\u2019?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The five wise women prioritised their activities. They knew things can always turn out a bit different from that what you would have expected. The foolish women didn\u2019t felt the need to be anxious about the oil. Surely, they could lift along with others, if they needed to that is! No need to be nervous, there is time enough.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This is a very dangerous attitude! Many will ease their minds by coming up with fancy variants of the Gospel.<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n\n<li><i>&#8220;God will never make me feel guilty!\u201d<\/i><\/li>\n\n<li><i>&#8220;The sleepless nights I have can not come from God\u201d<\/i><\/li>\n\n<li><i>&#8220;God wants us to have a total peace in our hearts, so, that spiritual anxiety I experience, can never\n    come from Him\u201d<\/i><\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"\">They deceive themselves with these lies. That\u2019s what they are, lies!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">How often have you heard it before?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><i>&#8220;No worries, I\u2019ll turn my life to Christ when I am ready. I want to make promotion first, then I would like to marry a beautiful man or woman. Of course, we are going to get children, preferable two or maximum three, as we also need to stay busy to get even more security in life.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It is the typical excuse coming from someone who doesn\u2019t have a clue about the importance of the Gospel, about that what their soul really needs. Like the five young ladies in our story, they have been diligent, thoughtful to many things, except towards the most important thing of all, oil!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In the story the oil was the refill the lamps. In real life the oil points to God\u2019s grace which saves and fills the soul. It is God\u2019s Spirit who will direct you to God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n\n<p color=\"#2a6099\" size=\"2\" style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic; color: #2a6099;\">CORRECTION:  In the video I mention the text in which Jesus talks about the coming of the Spirit. I said that He said that in Matthew 16 but that should be John 16!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>John 16:7b-11<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\n&#8230;if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">The Spirit of God Himself wants to supply the soul and nurture it. Ignoring the Spirit, or thinking that He is there for the take whenever it suits, is a grave mistake. Because somewhere down the line you get tired and might say what the preacher in proverbs already saw around him:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Proverbs 6:9-11<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\n&#8220;How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth [like an approaching prowler] , and thy want as an armed man [making you helpless]\u2026<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Don\u2019t ignore that voice which is telling you  that you should turn to Jesus! Make sure you have your lamp filled to the neck with that oil of God\u2019s grace and just make sure you will never run out.<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-8\">Reason 8 &#8211; They are not content with Christ but on terms of their own making<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/8-eight-reasons-why-people-won%27t-accept\/c249bd2ad3ccc62555d0f1acfa5edda1d29cc043?\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">The eight reason of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>They are not content with Christ but on terms of their own making<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>Boston said:<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"cite\"><b>They are not content with Christ but on terms of their own making.<\/b> They are like those who seek to buy a commodity which, yet they can be without. If they can get it at their own price, they will take it; if not, they can want it. There are right-eye sins, yet they will by no means part with them. They are not pleased with the covenant, some things are in it which they must have out; there are some things out which they must have in, else they will not come into it. Hence, they care not for the gospel, or that covenant which it reveals.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">That\u2019s quite something, isn\u2019t it? Boston says that many unbelievers do realise they need the Gospel, but they have a fixed price of what they are willing to pay for it. When it demands a little more than that what they want to give, they will willingly go without it. Like Boston said: \u201cThey can want it.\u201d In other words: it is just another thing on their list. If it suits them and when the demands change they may reconsider.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This is exactly what I did before I became a follower of Jesus. At one point I believed the whole story. God created the world. Humans sinned against Him. We needed to be saved. Jesus died and rose again. Salvation was only possible through Him. Oh yes, salvation sounds nice\u2026 Nope, I am not going to give up my life. Say what? That\u2019s the price. Okay, in that case I can go without! It\u2019s a good thing God\u2019s Spirit is more stubborn than I am.<\/p>\n\n<h3>The precious pearl<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Our children loved the story of the precious pearl.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Matthew 13:465<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">We read them this story from a children&#8217;s book. The merchant is rich! He\u2019s got a huge house with a pond and fountain. He\u2019s got 15 rooms with furniture and six fridges with food and bubbly lemonade. He is literally sleeping on stacks of money. But then he sees a beautiful pearl! He goes home and sells his furniture, the fridges, his food and lemonade. Then he also sells his house with the pond and all the fish with it. Yes, he even sells his lovely coat. Then he goes back to the shop to buy the pearl\u2026 Oh bother! He is six coins short. The seller says that if the man gives his hat with the wobbly feather he may have the pearl. Deal! Says the man. And happy as could be he goes his way with the precious pearl in his hand.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-8-1anc\" href=\"#note-8-1sym\"><b><sup>i<\/sup><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n<h3>Is the price to high to pay?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">The unbeliever\u2019s mistake \u2018numero uno\u2019 is that he or she is looking at the price it will cost to be saved, and, if the asking price is too high, they will go without. Or else, they will look for a \u2018saviour\u2019 who is less demanding. If following Jesus means they have to pluck out the right eye, the price is too big. They will either continue their way on the broad road, or, they will see whether they can find a gospel which allows him to keep the \u2018eye\u2019\u2014 and for that matter, also their \u2018right\u2019 hand, their lusts, and their riches\u2014and still go to heaven. You see, the road to heaven is narrow. A narrow road is very difficult to travel when you want to keep all your belongings. The unbeliever might think he can bring a shovel and start to widen the road! That way they believe <i>they<\/i> can set the terms of the gospel.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Let\u2019s quote another scholar from the old times, shall we:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Stephen Charnock, who lived from 1628-1680, wrote:<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\u201cThe happiness the gospel proposes is naturally desirable and desired by all men, but it is not entertained by men, because of their natural enmity against it, not against the good things proposed in it, but against the means and methods, which God hath ordered for the attainment of them. [\u2026] It is man\u2019s enmity, and not his ignorance makes him reject that in the Gospel, which he desires by his natural constitution as a rational creature. And this is such a folly\u2026 to refuse those things\u2026 for a vanishing trash, a lust, which is but a magazine of torments, and treasure of everlasting wrath.\u201d<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-8-2anc\" href=\"#note-8-2sym\"><b><sup>ii<\/sup><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Now you might think this only plays a role when someone has a lot to lose. Like the rich merchant in our story. Also, people with a huge ego don\u2019t want to give up that ego and admit they too need to be saved. People who love certain habits of which they know they have to give it up when they accept the Gospel.Their love for these habits might be bigger than their love for eternal salvation.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I even see the same attitude here in the in-lands of Madagascar. People here don\u2019t have much and an adult man makes about 1 Euro a day, when he has a job that is.  People love the rituals that come with ancestor worship. Mind you! They are petrified of many aspects of their religion, but some things are just to sweet. Getting intoxicated of plants during ceremonies. Getting drunk during funerals or any other party for that matter. Sexual behaviours that are more or less accepted as part of life. Giving those habits up is way too expensive for many. Just like many in Europe, they might decide to go to church on the Sunday morning but during the rest of the week they quickly run back to their much treasured live style.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Very hard to preach to them<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Personally I see this as one of the most stubborn and frustrating reasons of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That might be different for you but for me, it is like looking in a mirror. I have been there. I just flat out refused Jesus\u2019 salvation because my ego was way too dear to me.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Like I said, I am happy that the Holy Spirit is more stubborn than I am. In the end I gave in. I could not save myself and needed Jesus. I was close to the words of <b>Proverbs 29:1<\/b>   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">A man who hardens his neck after much reproof Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Are you like someone who hardens his neck? In other words: Are you someone who knows the Gospel but hardens in the fact that you are not going to give up your own treasure? Let me give you some advice! Stop it! You\u2019ll end up broken beyond remedy. You\u2019ll end up like one of the many unbelievers who have hardened their hearts in such a way that it almost impossible to heal. I do say \u2018almost\u2019, because I know that for God nothing is impossible.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>Matthew 19:25-26<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, <font color=\"#ff0000\">With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible<\/font>.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Endnotes<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-8-1sym\" href=\"#note-8-1anc\">i<\/a>   Butterworth, N., Inkpen, M., <i>Acht verhalen van Jezus<\/i>, (trans.) Marijke Bleij, Ark Boeken \u2013 VVHS\/BKV, Amsterdam, 1995.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-8-2sym\" href=\"#note-8-2anc\">ii<\/a>   Parsons, E., <i>The Works of the Late Rev. Stephen Charnock: With a Prefatory Dedication and Memoir,<\/i> Vol. 6, Baynes, London, Leeds 1815, pp. 406.<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h1 class=\"multi\" id=\"reason-conclusion\">Conclusion &#8211; They have proven Boston\u2019s points<\/h1>\n\n<div class=\"iframe-container\">\n<iframe id=\"lbry-iframe\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/$\/embed\/conclusion-eight-reasons-why-people\/daa1eef5cac590906484953cf46625afb8a89999?\" allowfullscreen frameBorder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"\">The\nconclusion\nof why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><b>They have proven Boston\u2019s points<\/b><\/p>\n\n<h3>Introductory video<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">The first video was an introduction to this series. And yes! Right\naway I made a mistake. Not a huge one, but I did misrepresent\nCalvinism by stating that Calvinism says that <i>\u2018it is all\npredestined thus we don&#8217;t need to evangelise\u2019<\/i>. A good thing\nthat a brother from my home country pointed out that this is actually\ncalled hyper-Calvinism, which is by no means mainstream among the\nCalvinists.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Anyway,\nI didn\u2019t even start talking about the reasons Boston gave, but some\nalready\nfelt\nthe urge to comment in\na way that gives away their dislike of faith.\nOne\nviewer said:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">There is only one reason needed to reject religion\u2026 Not needing your emotional needs met by fantasy &amp; delusion.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">It\nis a rather funny way in which the little chat went it\u2019s way, but\nyou can read that for yourself. Nevertheless, the comment made one\nthing clear. Many unbelievers mistakenly assume that following Jesus,\nwho\nis a divine Person,\nis the same as following a religion, which is a system. Then, also\nthe assumption is that someone who believes in Christ basically does\nso because it feels emotionally good. This\nlast thing might be true for Christians who don\u2019t have anything to\nfear but how about those who follow Christ, knowing that it can cost\ntheir lives? Do they do that because they like to feel all fluffy\ninside, or do they actually have good reasons? I\u2019ll let you decide\nabout that.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">There\nwas another interesting comment: \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">I\nreally don&#8217;t understand why Christians\nsay non-believers feel guilty or just want to keep sinning. That is\nabsolutely nonsensical to me how someone who doesn&#8217;t believe in a\ndivine creator, would for some reason still believe in the rules set\nby that creator.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So,\nnow the questions arises who actually decides right from wrong? If it\nis dependent on humans we are in big trouble! That would be the end\nof our civilisation. Look at the past what happened when humans\nstarted to decide what was good and what not. So, the moral giver\nneed to be above the rules. It needs to be someone who is mighty\nenough to ultimately enforce the rules. Sounds like God to me. An\nunbeliever who still obeys these moral rules is thus simply obeying\nGod without him or her realising it. This comment came from someone\nwho was very honest about his or her past. He or she used\nto\nbe a believer and read the whole\nBible but\ncould not get satisfying answers on hard questions. The result is\nsad, and I feel sorry for this person.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Overall,\na very interesting start of a series. There were many very positive\ncomments as well. Let\u2019s\nconclude this one with the comment given by Grumpy:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">All\nwe can do is strive to live our lives according to Christs teachings.\nShare the message of salvation and pray for all mankind, believers or\nnot.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Video 1 &#8211; No due sense\nof spiritual want<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Boston in essence stated that humans are inherently in love with\ntheir own belongings and that they believe they have enough. That\nwhat they have might help them in the here and now, and because of\nthis they think they don\u2019t need anything else. In fact, an\nunbeliever doesn\u2019t have a clue about that what he or she is\nmissing. They don\u2019t see that they lack the treasure of eternal life\nand the spiritual richness that comes with it. In other words, they\ndon\u2019t know what the miss.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Among the comment there was one from a fellow Dutch man. It is\nwritten in Dutch, but I will translate some interesting points.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">When I read the Bible I get the\noverarching feeling to stay away from this figure [God]. Plagues,\ninfanticide, drowning everybody, and at the end the only comfort one\ngets is for not being tortured for eternity.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">After this he says something about my\nbehaviour and that I am not on the right track to receive the\nsalvation I preach. I leave that bit aside because I never received\nan answer when I asked him about it. The first part, that bit about\nthe horrible God, is what I call a typical Dawkinian move. Richard\nDawkins is doing this all the time. He portrays the God of the Bible\nas a horrible being, not worth any worship. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Two things\nwrong with this approach. Firstly, the god who\u2019s\nbeing portrayed\nlike this doesn\u2019t sound like the real Biblical God. So, together\nwith apologist John Lennox, I\ndon\u2019t believe\nin the god as described by\nDawkins. It is just a wrong\npicture of the Biblical God and indeed, such a god doesn\u2019t deserve\nany praise. This approach can\nbe categorised under the logical fallacies, and it is called the\nstraw-man fallacy. Secondly,\nwhen I tell you about emperor Nero you would be a bit bonkers\nto say that he didn\u2019t exist right? However, if\nI follow the line of the argument given, I would say that Nero was\ncrazy, a murderer and complete lunatic, so\nyou should not believe he\nexisted at all.\nWell, I hope it is clear that this line of argument doesn\u2019t work.\nNeither does it with God. Even if God is like my fellow Dutch man\nsays He is, it doesn\u2019t make Him disappear or go away. He still\nexists, whether you like it or not.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I would also read this comment: \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Which religions\nare the wrong ones and how do you know?<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I can be short about this one.\nI\u2019ve already made a video about this question, you\u2019ll find the\nlink in the description below.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-1anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-1sym\"><b><sup>i<\/sup><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n<h3>Video 2 &#8211; No\ntrue sight and sense of their own sinfulness<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Reason two given by Boston is the lack of correct self reflection\namong many unbelievers. They have no clue about the terrible state\ntheir in because of their own sin. Many are masters in sweet talk\naway their own bad behaviours. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201c<i>Oh yes, I do lie so now and then. Who doesn\u2019t? We all lie\nbut that doesn\u2019t make me as bad as Stalin.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201c<i>Sure,\nI have done wrong things in my live\u2026 But that doesn\u2019t make me the\nsame as a serial killer!\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">As\nlong as the unbeliever thinks he or she is doing fine, they don\u2019t\nsee the need of a Saviour.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In\nthe comment section this one made me laugh:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Christianity\nwas a way to destroy our culture and Pagan Gods which were part of\nour tribe\/genetic heritage. Christianity is communism, ill pass.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Christ\ndid not order us to destroy cultures and the rituals that comes with\nit. Actually, He came to set us free from oppressing belief systems.\nChanging\ncultures is not the task of an evangelist. Christ can be worshipped\nin many different settings and in many forms. The rural Africans can\nworship Him with their drums and dances and the \u2018stiffer\u2019\nEuropean can remain seated while singing. It doesn\u2019t matter because\nGod wants to be worshipped by people who do so with all of their\nhearts. For\nthose who are interested, I\u2019ve written an article about this topic.\nYou\u2019ll find the link in the description below.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-2anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-2sym\"><b><sup>ii<\/sup><\/b><\/a>\n\n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Then,\nto say that Christianity is communism\u2026 O boy! Someone needs to get\nsome history lessons here. Communism is all about abolishing\nreligions, especially those nasty followers of Christ. You know,\nthese people who want to give away their money to the work of God\ninstead of to\nthe work of the communist party. Those people who want to teach you\nthat you are created in God\u2019s image which means you are an\nindividual and not just a link in a society that needs to produce.\nAlso,\nwhat sets communism apart from Christianity? Right! Freedom of\nspeech. Christians have always challenged regimes concerning\nfreedom of speech. Again, you\u2019ll find a link to a video about this\nin the description.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-3anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-3sym\"><b><sup>iii<\/sup><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n<h3>Video 3 &#8211; They have no idea about &#8216;the clouds of\nwrath which are hanging over their heads<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Many\nunbelievers seem to be at ease with their world-view. Seemingly\nrelax, they live\ntheir lives. Not nervous about the things that are coming. They\nbelieve that this life is all there is and that they need to make as\nmuch as possible out of it. If they only realised that the anger of\nGod is as real as can\nbe. God\u2019s anger about all the wrongdoings has been satisfied by\nChrist\u2019s offer. The solution is there, but many unbelievers just\ndon\u2019t realise they need His offer to avoid being under God\u2019s\nwrath.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Many\nnasty comments on this video and also many very encouraging comments\nas well, which is nice. How about this comment:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">And\nthe reason people do not believe in god now is because most people\ncan read, lol. (well, it&#8217;s a main reason, most people are becoming\natheists\u2026 they are atheist because they read the bible, finally).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">To\nsay that people become atheists because they can read is ludicrous.\nWe live in a rural setting on Madagascar and I know many people who\ncan read\u2026 When I ask them to proofread some of my translation work\nthey hesitate. Why? Because they read, but they have a hard time\nunderstanding. Just\nstarting to read the Bible without having a clue about the historical\nand cultural setting in which something has been written, is akin\ntowards misunderstanding. We\ncan find an example of this\nin Acts 8. An\nEthiopian official bought a scroll with the writing of Isaiah 53. On\nhis way back he is reading it aloud and Philip hears this. Apparently\nthe Ethiopian had no trouble reading different languages. However,\nwhen Philips asked him whether he understood what Isaiah was saying,\nthe Ethiopian had to admit he didn\u2019t. So, Philip explained him\nabout the Messiah and short after the Ethiopian knew enough and\nwanted to be baptised.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-4anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-4sym\"><b><sup>iv<\/sup><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Also,\nI found that one\nwho\nreads\nthe Bible and uses\natheistic sources to have\nexplained to him\nor her\nwhat they just have read, tend\nto lose their faith more easily.\nDo I say that the Bible can not be understood without a proper\nteacher? No, not at all. But there are parts in the Bible that demand\na little more background information. People tend to become sceptical\nwhen they read about the Old Testament laws or about the\nIsraelites\nwho needed to conquer Canaan. And without a proper guide toward these\nwritings one may end up totally confused about God. I\nwill put a link to an article about the so-called genocide episodes\nin the description below.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-5anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-5sym\"><b><sup>v<\/sup><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n<h3>Video 4 &#8211; They are strangers to their utter\ninability to help themselves<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">The unbeliever is under the impression they can help themselves.\nThis video exploded! More than 4000 views and about 59 comments. Who\nam I to say that somebody is unable? And true enough, many of us are\nperfectly fine when it comes to help ourselves. We know how to repair\nour car, how to stand for our rights, how to make a good deal when\nbuying a new washing machine. And so on and so forth. We\u2019ve become\nso good at helping ourselves that we end up thinking we can help\nourselves when it comes to salvation as well. And this last point is\nexactly where it goes wrong. When it comes to our salvation we are\nutterly unable. We need Jesus!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Now for the comments. Obviously I\u2019m not going to read them all\nbut I will highlight some parts in which people actually proof the\nfact that they are indeed unknowingly about the fact that they are\nutterly unable to help themselves.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">I have never relied on a sky-daddy to help me, and I&#8217;m only\nwilling to seek help when I actually need it, specifically from\npeople who exist and are willing. Atheists are much more likely to\nhave financial stability, better health, and longer lives. That\ntranslates to taking better care of (our) children.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This is precisely\nwhat Boston said. They believe they can do all things themselves and\nin the process they don\u2019t need help. This person said he is only\nwilling to seek help when he really needs it. Totally oblivious of\nthe fact that he is in desperate need of salvation he continues by\nstating that atheists are mostly better off in live. This is quit a\nremark to make without giving any citation to a survey or\ninvestigation. But no worries, I did a quick search. Besides the\nnumerous articles written by atheists, who all claim that they are\nmuch more successful than religious folk, I found a post in which\nsomeone actually did some\nproper research. The\nblogpost doesn\u2019t seem to be online any more, but hooray for the\nWayBackMachine on\nArchive.org.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">According\nto Sean Thomas, the writer of the post,\nreligion is good for your mental health in a variety of ways. He\nstates that believers\ntend to have better immune systems and lower blood pressure, and in\nsome circumstances recover from hospital better. Not only that, but\ntheists are happier and have more children.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You\nmight want to discuss\nwhy this is the case, but that is besides the point. Fact remains\nthat religion improves quality of life. In\nother words: being an\natheist does not make sense even practically speaking. I\nmean, even if atheists\nare right and there is\nno God, they\nstill tend to have worse wellbeing\nand less happy lives. Think\nabout it, and atheist has nothing to\ngain except the possibility of\nbeing lost for ever, and\nthe reality of poorer quality of life.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Even\nwhen atheists are right in their idea that there is no god, the\ntheists will stay happier, healthier, more generous and more\nresistant against bad behaviour. Finally, the Christian would look at\nlife with the hope that is within him. The hope in something lasting\nand meaningful, eternity in heaven.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-6anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-6sym\"><b><sup>vi<\/sup><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Because\nthis video is the number one concerning the view count, I will\nrespond on an extra comment.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">I am almost 70 now,\ncouldn&#8217;t have gotten there without helping myself (very few helped\nme) unless you mean that my inability to believe in your biblical\nyarns makes it so in your book. I was born into christianity but when\nI grew up and started doing my own thinking I soon became an\nX-christian for what to me are obvious reasons. Do you know how big\nthe known universe is&#8230; well the people who wrote all those yarns\nthousands of years ago with the help of the all-knowing had no idea\nor concept of it else they would have at least mentioned it. Instead,\nwhat we got was a flat Earth and a celestial dome sprinkled with\nbright lights.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Well,\nage is of no concern of course. I know people who are well in their\neighties and just accepted Christ. They walked around, all these\nyears, thinking they could do without Him. Then\nI also know people who have been Christians from a very young age.\nThey never left Him despite\nall the reading they have done or because they came to a point where\nthey realised how big the universe is.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">One\ncannot be born INTO Christianity. Imagen a chicken pen. What would\nhave happened if your mother gave birth to you in that pen? Would\nthat make you a chicken? You can only be a chicken when you are born\nout of one\u2026 Likewise, you can only be a real Christian when you are\nborn again. Not out of your mother but out of God. You\ncan read about this in John 3:1-18. Jesus said to Nicodemus <font color=\"#ff0000\"><i>\u201cThat\nwhich is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the\nSpirit is spirit.\u201d<\/i><\/font> So, there should be a moment in your\nlife where you make the decision. You cannot simply say that you are\na Christian because your parents are, or because you go to church.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Finally, how on\nearth can you say that there is no God when you marvel at the\nuniverse. To say that the writers of the Bible had to mention it is\nactually betraying a lack of knowledge of the Bible on the part of\nthe commentator. The Bible is cramped with references to the fastness\nof the universe. The flat earth idea is nowhere to be found in the\nBible. It was Washington Irvings who wrote a book about Columbus in\n1828. He said that the church fathers warned Columbus that he could\nfall of the earth when he would sail too far. It was absurd what\nIrving wrote in his book.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-7anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-7sym\"><b><sup>vii<\/sup><\/b><\/a>\nBoth Columbus and his competitors knew that you could sail west to\nIndia. Not a flat earth but the sturdiness of the ships where\nquestioned. They simply did not know for sure whether their ships\ncould handle such a large distance. The myth of a flat earth was most\npopular between 1870 en 1920, because mostly the anti-religious folk\n(such as Darwin and Leyll) used it to discredit the Biblical\nnarrative. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">What\u2019s more,\nEratosthenes, a mathematician and astronomer from Alexandria, who\nlive in the third century before Christ, already calculated the\ncircumference of the earth.<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-8anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-8sym\"><b><sup>viii<\/sup><\/b><\/a>\nMany early church fathers just believed that the earth was a round\nball<a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-9anc\" href=\"#note-conclusion-9sym\"><b><sup>ix<\/sup><\/b><\/a>\nand in the Middle Ages almost every scientist said that the earth had\nto be round.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So, by all means,\nstay sceptical if you like. I don\u2019t mind if you call yourself an\natheist or whether you think of yourself as being very bright! But if\nyou really want to be serious you should stay away from the typical\nslander. These arguments have been disproven time and again, and\nusing them doesn\u2019t really help your case\u2026 \n<\/p>\n\n<h3>Video 5 &#8211; they do not feel their need of Christ<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">So why do\nunbelievers don\u2019t feel their need for Christ? Boston said that\u2019s\nbecause many of them are so full of themselves that they think\nthey\u2019ve got it all. What more, than that what they already have,\ncan Christ offer them? And because they have a very high esteem of\nthemselves they have a hard time to understand that their abilities\ndo not qualify to save their lives. If the unbeliever begins to\nrealise that they need salvation because they sin and have sinned in\nthe past and that they will sin again tomorrow, he or she might start\nto grasp the huge problem they are in. No amount of good works can\nsave them from eternity without God. That last bit is also part of\nthe Gospel, you know! The Gospel does not only talk about heaven and\neventually the new earth. No, it also explains precisely what it is\ngoing to be like to live for eternity in the place without God\u2019s\npresence. Traditionally we call that place \u2018hell\u2019. Jesus used the\nname of the biggest rubbish dump near Jerusalem, the Gehenna. We, as\nChristians, should not be ashamed to share the whole Gospel. True,\nsome will ridicule you, but others might actually listen and start to\nrealise that they are in need of a Saviour!<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">So how about the\ncomments on this video? Well, that\u2019s easy! It is like my Canadian\nbrother @KC9UDX said:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\nThe comments are peaceful on this one. Blessed be the\nPrince of Peace, the LORD most high, for ever and ever[\u2026]<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">You might want to\nread the comments made by @AceTheologicalCompanyComments. He or she\nexplained nicely what the cross is standing for. He or she\u2026 Is\ndoing so by quoting several Bible texts and in his own words:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">\nI suggest you put on your sunglasses when you read these verses\n\u2014 they are that bright<\/p>\n\n<h3>Video 6 &#8211; They see not their\nown unworthiness of a Saviour&#8217;s help<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">At first, I had some difficulties to\nunderstand Boston\u2019s\nidea on this one. But after some thinking it dawned on me. It is all\nabout the way many think. Many, and not only unbelievers, think in\nterms of rights. I have the right to be happy, to have food, to have\na job, to go to heaven\u2026. Uhh, hold on! Says\nBoston! Nobody is worthy enough to even\ncome close to God. Let alone to go to\nheaven.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Imagine this,\nlast year you have beaten someone and robbed him from his money. You\nleft the guy half dead behind. It took this person, your\nvictim, 6 months to find you. Did he come\nto punish you? No, he wanted to bring you a gift and with the gift\ncomes forgiveness. Would you feel like being worthy receiving\nthat gift and the person\u2019s forgiveness?\nI think you would feel very small and wouldn\u2019t have much to offer\nexcept a thankful heart.\n \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">As long as the unbeliever cannot understand\nhis low position towards the Creator of the universe, he is in a bad\nsituation.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">In the comment section my friend from Canada\nwas sharing again. This time he said:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">It is Sunday\nmorning; I am awake before everyone else, watching your video as the\nsun rises. This is becoming a satisfying routine [\u2026]<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">O boy! I don\u2019t even dare to say that I would\ndo the same\u2026 Sunday morning! Normally I am always the first to get\nup. I set the table, make tea and coffee. Then I wake up the kids and\nwhen everybody is having his breakfast, and I, my coffee, my brain\nbegins to work. No, I am still not a morning person. For many that\u2019s\na surprise because my first career was that of a bread baker. But I\nam happy to hear that others are more active in the morning.<\/p>\n\n<h3>Video 7 &#8211; They have no\nanxiety for the supply of their soul-wants<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">Look around you. How many people do you know who spend all of\ntheir time on spending more money. They are very diligent. They look\nat all the stuff they have, or they look at the wonderful traditions\nthey have build into their lives. Likewise, they are by no means\nworried about that what they really need, salvation! There is always\ntime to work on that right? It is like those five foolish virgins in\nthe Bible. They did not take care or their future and when the big\nmoment finally came they weren\u2019t ready! So, to all my followers and\npeople who are watching this video. Please do not ignore that voice\ninside of you which is telling you that you need to be saved! It is\nthe most important decision you need to make in your entire life!\nThat feeling of anxiety isn\u2019t there to annoy you but to warn you!\nDon\u2019t neglect the moment.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">A good way to conclude this section is by quoting\n@AceTheologicalCompanyComments\u2019s comment:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Keep in mind\u2026 That one day\u2026 Every knee will bow\u2026 and\nevery tongue will confess. To the glory of God<br\/>\n[Philippians\n2]<\/p>\n\n<h3>Video 8 &#8211; They are not\ncontent with Christ but on terms of their own making<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\">The last video is a bit of a shocker. At least, that is what I\nthink. It hasn\u2019t been online that long yet, so it doesn\u2019t many\nviews and comments yet. Still, I believe this reason is very real,\nand I\u2019ve seen it all the time. Most unbelievers will flat out deny\nthis reason. What reason am I talking about? The fact that many will\nlook at the price it will cost to be\nsaved, and, if\nthe asking price is too high, they\nwill go without. In other words: Many\nunbelievers do realise they\nneed the Gospel, but\nthey have a\nfixed price of what they are willing\nto pay for it. When it demands\na little more than that what they want\nto give, they will willingly go without it. Is\nfollowing Christ telling them not to look at other women any\nmore? To bad, they can do without Christ.\nDoes it mean that they need to chance their lifestyle?\nGiving up their beloved secret habits that our not honouring God? No\nway! If getting saved means giving up certain behaviours and\nfollowing Christ on the narrow path, then\nthey can do without. Without any shame they even brag about it,\ntelling other that they are fine on their\nown.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This is the sad truth and belief me, I\u2019ve\nbeen there! It takes courage to give up that what you think you have\nand start following Jesus. Maybe, just maybe, that\u2019s the whole\npoint. Isn\u2019t God looking for people who\nare really courages. People who dare to trust in Him. People who know\nthat they can only be the person God wants them to be, when they\naccept Christ\u2019s salvation and start living life without fear, full\nof the Holy Spirit. \n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I am already looking forward to the comments\u2026\nMight be a lot of fun to read them.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Speaking of comments. I just received one on\nthis video:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\">Reason #1:\nI&#8217;m an adult, and I am not going to live my life believing in\nfairytales.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">He is an adult! Yes, that might be a problem\nindeed. Many adults already have a fixed idea about life. They are\nwilling to learn new things as long as these things don\u2019t disturb\ntheir tranquillity. So, studying the things\nthat concern eternity is per definition disturbing for many adults.\nImagine changing your life! So, they rather just tell you that they\nare really smart and just can\u2019t believe in a fairy-tale like\nyou do. End of discussion. No disturbance\nof their nice and cosy lifestyle. Then\nthey walk away, proud about the super smart comment they just have\nmade, and thinking that they leave you behind as the dumb one.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">But really! If that\u2019s the only reason one\nwants to use to avoid having to follow Christ, then they have proven\nBoston\u2019s points all together. This is exactly what the apostle Paul\nalready said in Romans 1:18-20. I\nwill read it from the Amplified version for clarity:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"cite\"><sup><b>18<\/b><\/sup>For\n[God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from\nheaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in\ntheir wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, <sup><b>19<\/b><\/sup>because\nthat which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner\nconsciousness], for God made it evident to them. <sup><b>20<\/b><\/sup>For\never since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His\neternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being\nunderstood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful\nthings that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust\nin Him] are without excuse and without defence.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><br\/>\n<hr>\n<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">This is\nthe end of this series called <b>\u2018Eight\nReasons Why People Won&#8217;t Accept The Gospel.\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I\nfully enjoyed it myself because many of Boston\u2019s point were\neye-openers for me as well. The videos received a lot of attention\nand many commented on them.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I\nam still thinking about what I going to discuss in the next videos. I\nalways wanted to make a little series about Romans 13. You know, the\npart of the Bible that seems to teach us that we need to obey the\ngovernment. That\u2019s the part that has been used by the most\noppressing regimes to tell their subjects to behave.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">I\nam also thinking about a series about the strongest apologetic\narguments. There are some pretty sturdy arguments to be used but at a\nfirst glance they can be a bit overwhelming in their complexity. It\nmight be a nice job to explain them and to break them down in a way\nthey are easy to understand.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">Anyway,\nI still have some time to think about it. Let me know what you think\nin the comment section. That might help.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\">God bless you and be strong in the Lord!<\/p>\n\n<h3>Endnotes:<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-1sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-1anc\"><b>i<\/b>   <\/a>How about other religions: <a href=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/@apologeet:3\/silly-christian-how-about-other:3\">https:\/\/odysee.com\/@apologeet:3\/silly-christian-how-about-other:3<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-2sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-2anc\"><b>ii<\/b>   <\/a>Why Mission Matters: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/faq\/010_why-mission\/\">https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/faq\/010_why-mission\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-3sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-3anc\"><b>iii<\/b>   <\/a>Freedom of speech: <a href=\"https:\/\/odysee.com\/@apologeet:3\/silly-christian-christianity-is-against:8\">https:\/\/odysee.com\/@apologeet:3\/silly-christian-christianity-is-against:8<\/a>\n    <br\/>\nAlso read this article about free will: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/faq\/013_free_will\">https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/faq\/013_free_will<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-4sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-4anc\"><b>iv<\/b>   <\/a>Images from: <a href=\"https:\/\/freebibleimages.org\/\">https:\/\/freebibleimages.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-5sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-5anc\"><b>v<\/b>   <\/a>Genocide in the Bible: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/faq\/what-about-the-canaanite-genocide\/\">https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/faq\/what-about-the-canaanite-genocide\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-6sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-6anc\"><b>vi<\/b>   <\/a>Are atheists mentally ill? <a href=\"https:\/\/orthochristian.com\/63476.html\">https:\/\/orthochristian.com\/63476.html<\/a>\n    <br\/>\nOriginal blog: <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/seanthomas\/100231060\/are-atheists-mentally-ill\/\">http:\/\/blogs.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/seanthomas\/100231060\/are-atheists-mentally-ill\/<\/a>\n    <br\/>\nArchive.org:<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130817051639\/http:\/\/blogs.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/seanthomas\/100231060\/are-atheists-mentally-ill\/\">https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20130817051639\/http:\/\/blogs.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/seanthomas\/100231060\/are-atheists-mentally-ill\/<\/a>\n    <br\/>\nResearch Shows Religion Plays A Major Role In Health, Longevity: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/1999\/05\/990517064323.htm\">https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/1999\/05\/990517064323.htm<\/a>\n    <br\/>\nNew Study of College Students Finds Connection Between Spirituality, Religiousness, and Mental Health: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spirituality.ucla.edu\/docs\/news\/release_health.pdf\">https:\/\/www.spirituality.ucla.edu\/docs\/news\/release_health.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-7sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-7anc\"><b>vii<\/b>   <\/a>Russell, Jeffrey Burton. <i>Inventing the Flat Earth: Columbus and Modern Historians<\/i>. Praeger Paperback, 1997.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-8sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-8anc\"><b>viii<\/b>   <\/a>Eratosthenes: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Eratosthenes\">https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Eratosthenes<\/a>  and <a href=\"https:\/\/famous-mathematicians.org\/eratosthenes\/\">https:\/\/famous-mathematicians.org\/eratosthenes\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"\"><a class=\"scroll\" id=\"note-conclusion-9sym\" href=\"#note-conclusion-9anc\"><b>ix<\/b>   <\/a>Church father believed in a round Earth: <a href=\"https:\/\/krisispraxis.com\/archives\/2019\/01\/did-medieval-church-teach-that-the-earth-was-flat\/\">https:\/\/krisispraxis.com\/archives\/2019\/01\/did-medieval-church-teach-that-the-earth-was-flat\/<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One question that keeps popping up is that of why people won\u2019t accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ.So, what than are the reasons people don\u2019t accept the Gospel? The reasons can be all sorts of things such as religious traditions, peer pressure within the family or within friendships, the work of Satan, or even doubting of God\u2019s Word. These are all legitimate reasons, but I will not tackle these in particular. I came across an eighteenth-century Scottish Presbyterian church leader, theologian and philosopher, named Thomas Boston. Boston said in one of his sermons that people reject the gospel because of actual sinful vulnerabilities.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6247,"parent":1086,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[225,308],"tags":[258,242,239],"folder":[98],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6257"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6257"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23400,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6257\/revisions\/23400"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1086"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6257"},{"taxonomy":"folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.apologeet.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/folder?post=6257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}