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For various and compl"ex reasons, some people do not believe the Bible to the infallible and inerrant Word of God. The reasons that will be given here, are by no means complete, simple because there are to many of them, and we would have to know the mind of every person who does not believe the Bible. That is an impossible task to give everyone's reasons, therefore we will simple give some reasons that are known to us.
Ignorance of the Bible
This is the root cause of why many do not believe the Bible. People who offer excuses for their unbelief, reveal that they do not know very much about the Bible. In some instances, they have accepted and believe only what other unbelievers have said. They have never taken the time nor put forth the effort to study the Bible itself. The people of Berea "... searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ' Acts 17: 1 1. When the Bereans were told something about what was in the Bible, they went to their Bibles and checked to see if what they had been told, was true. How can one reject the Bible when they have never studied it?
Accepted the wrong information
Many people gather all the information they can find which is against the Bible and accepted that as fact. They overlook other facts that may refute those arguments. Those who adopt this method of investigating the Bible, is certain to arrive at the wrong conclusion. Unbelievers should be willing to put forth the energy and effort to prove that the Bible is untrue.
Wrong method of investigation used
Some have known people who claim to be teachers of the truth and found them to be liars, and they conclude that all who claim to be Bible teachers are false. This would be like one looking at a road map and saying, there are thousands of road on this map that do not go to New York City; and then concluding that, no road goes there. The reasonable person will realize that each claim one makes, must stand or fall on it own inerit, or evidence. What one needs to understand is, have the historical facts reveal in the Bible about Jesus Christ proven to be true? The fact that He lived, died, and rose again. If these are historical fact (and they are), then one ought to believe that what He said, and what He taught about Himself, is TRUE!
The conduct of professed Christians
Some people look at the conduct of others who profess to be Christians, and say, if they are followers of Christ, I don't want to be like them. When one does this, they confim the unchristian lives of professed believers with the fruits of a true Christian's life. What they point to, with the finger of accusation is not Christianity, but rather a lack of Christianity in ones life. One should not.'hold the Bible responsible for those things which are the result of a failure on the part of some human being to follow the instruction found on its sacred pages. Furthermore,, one should not overlook the fact that the very standard they are using to judge unbelievers, has been borrowed by them as their own standard. Neither should one forget that no one has more emphatically condemned the hypocrisy of professed Christian than Jesus Christ Himself.
Division in the religious world
Division in Christendom is a stumbling-block to many. The Bible does not sanction or approve a sectarian concept of Christianity. 'Now I beseech vou, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith., I am of Paul, and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas, and I of Christ. Is Christ dieded? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?' I Corinthians 1: 10-13. The obvious answer to these questions of Paul is, NO!
Jesus said, in His prayer to His Father: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. " John 17:20. Division in the religious world should certainly not be used as an objection for not believing the Bible. Division has come because people have NOT followed the teaching found in the Bible!
Starting in the wrong place
Many people start at the wrong place in their efforts to learn the truth. If that is true,, then they must change their minds and their attitudes in order to come to the right place. What are some of these Wrong Attitudes?
One, is the attitude that we need to discover all of the mysteries in Christianity before considering the evidences for Christianity. There are things in Christianity which are not derived from human reason unenlightened by the revelation of God's Word. These things are dependent beliefs: that is, whether or not one accepts them depends on whether or not the evidence for Christianity is sufficient. One must first weigh the evidence for Christianity, and see if it is sufficient; then he accepts the mysteries of the faith because he is convinced that the Bible speaks with authority.
Second, one starts in the wrong place when he thinks that he must consider all of the objections to faith without first considering the positive evidence for it. To consider first the positive evidence enables one to deal fairly with the objections. To look at the objections apart from a consideration of the things in its favor, is to get a distorted view that causes one never really sees the evidence.
Third, the failure to emphasize and act on what one does believe, combined with an emphasis on what one does not believe, is certainly beginning in the wrong place.
Fourth, the false impression that one can weigh the evidence of Christianity without Serious study certainly constitutes a wrong beginning.
A failure to prove all things
A failure to know when a thing is proved will cause one not to believe. Some think that a thing is not proven as long as there is any question unanswered, and as long as there are any objection brought against it. Men do not act in such a way with other things, so why take such a false position when dealing with the Bible? There are innumerable truths concerning questions which can be raised and no complete answer can be given, due to the limitation of knowledge. There is no position against which some objection cannot be made, but that does not mean there is no position that is true. In dealing with the Bible, which is the revelation of God's will for man, one can expect some things which he cannot completely understand; especially, when we remember we cannot understand nature. Who, for example. can fully understand a human birth? The condition of ones heart, will determine whether one will believe and accept the Bible, or whether they reject it.
No love for the truth
Some have no love for the truth in their heart, and are therefore, not in the proper frame of mind the accept God's truth. They do not love the truth! This is especially true when truth is contrary to what they want to do in this life. Here are some warnings found in the Bible about this subject:
'...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. ' 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. ' 2 Timothy 4:3-4. "...The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear, then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. ' Luke 8: I I b- 12. "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. ' 2 Peter 3:3-4.
Because of their unbelief, the Word of God has no effect upon them. When they hear the Word (God's seed). Many other reasons could be given, but this should awakens those who do not now believe!