1293. Some Believed, and Some Believed Not

Some Believed, and Some Believed Not

"And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

"Many of them also which used curious, arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver" (Act_19:18-19).

Paul had been holding a series of services in Ephesus. He had opened and alleged that Christ must have died, and have been raised from the dead, and that the Jesus he preached was Christ. He had told the story of the Cross with no uncertain sound. He had preached in the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and of power. He had preached, first, in the synagogue, and then in the school of Tyrannus. For more than two years his testimony rang true to the Word.

The Holy Spirit is giving the results of Paul's mission. There were some who believed the things which were spoken, and there were some who believed not.

1. Faith is a vital thing. There are those who think it strange that eternal destinies can be fixed upon so slight a basis as faith. They imagine that the sinner must do more than to simply believe.

On one occasion, a minister was said to be pressing the need of salvation, upon a miner. The miner said: "But preacher, this believing in Christ is too dead easy, I want to do something hard." Just then they approached the shaft. The miner touched the button, and, as the elevator soon stood ready, the miner bade the preacher to step in. The minister saw his opportunity, and he said, "It's too dead easy, I want to do something difficult, something hard." The miner pertly remarked, "It is not so dead easy as you think, preacher. It cost the company thousands of dollars to sink this shaft, and to perfect this elevator; but the hard work is done; all you need to do, is to step in."

"Wait," said the minister, "salvation cost a great deal also; it cost the Blood of Christ. When Christ died, He said, 'It is finished.' Thus, all you need to do is to believe, to accept the atonement, to step in."

2. Faith concedes the fact of sin, and the power of the Saviour. Faith seems to say, "I acknowledge my need–I am sick and I want a physician; I am blind and I want my sight; I am lost and I want to be found."

Faith also says, "I acknowledge the Saviour." Faith says, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ; I believe He is all that He claimed to be; I believe in His Blood and its power to save; I believe in the Risen Christ and His power to keep; I believe in the Coming Christ and His power to glorify."

3. Unbelief denies everything that faith concedes. Unbelief refuses to take the suppliant's place; to pray the sinner's prayer; to confess the sinner's sin. Unbelief refuses God's testimony concerning His Son; it does not accept God's Word as trustworthy; nor, the Blood of Christ as of sufficient power to save.

Unbelief is black with the frown of God. In fact, "all unbelievers shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

There is a vast distinction between the believer and the unbeliever. There is an impassable chasm between the works of faith, and the fruitage of the unbelieving heart.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR