This is a popular Question Christians are ask .
Heres how I believe the bible addresses this .
1) The Holy Spirit .
In John 16 :
7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9Of sin, because they believe not on me;
So we have here that the ministry of the Holy Spirit convicts the world of the sin of not Believing on Jesus . ( Of course this can be ignored , suppressed and resisted)
2) Jesus Draws all men ( everyone )
John 12
32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33This he said, signifying what death he should die.
And Jesus is also the ' light '
John 1
1¶In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6¶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9That was the true Light,which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10¶He was in the world, and the world was made by him , and the world knew him not.
3) Conscience
Romans 2:15
“Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another
”
4) Creation testifies of the creator .
16¶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18¶For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
5)Seeking God .
Acts 10
1¶There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4¶And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
So to recap .
Jesus is drawing all men( everyone ) to him . But everyone can resist ,suppress and reject this .
The Holy Spirit is Convicting people of the sin of not believing on Jesus .
Our Conscience reminds us . But we can suppress, sear , resist this also.
Creation testifies of the creator . A person may see design , nature , ect and realise there is a designer and a creator and seek after the creator .
A person can be seeking God , and then God gives more light to that person. Means can be sent to that person, maybe a preacher , a missionary is sent with the Gospel about Jesus, maybe a vision ,a dream ect .
With all of the above there really is no excuse . You can reject , resist suppress the truth , but God has done and given all so that we can freely believe . No matter where we are .
Heres how I believe the bible addresses this .
1) The Holy Spirit .
In John 16 :
7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9Of sin, because they believe not on me;
So we have here that the ministry of the Holy Spirit convicts the world of the sin of not Believing on Jesus . ( Of course this can be ignored , suppressed and resisted)
2) Jesus Draws all men ( everyone )
John 12
32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33This he said, signifying what death he should die.
And Jesus is also the ' light '
John 1
1¶In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6¶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9That was the true Light,which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10¶He was in the world, and the world was made by him , and the world knew him not.
3) Conscience
Romans 2:15
“Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another
”4) Creation testifies of the creator .
16¶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18¶For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
5)Seeking God .
Acts 10
1¶There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4¶And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
So to recap .
Jesus is drawing all men( everyone ) to him . But everyone can resist ,suppress and reject this .
The Holy Spirit is Convicting people of the sin of not believing on Jesus .
Our Conscience reminds us . But we can suppress, sear , resist this also.
Creation testifies of the creator . A person may see design , nature , ect and realise there is a designer and a creator and seek after the creator .
A person can be seeking God , and then God gives more light to that person. Means can be sent to that person, maybe a preacher , a missionary is sent with the Gospel about Jesus, maybe a vision ,a dream ect .
With all of the above there really is no excuse . You can reject , resist suppress the truth , but God has done and given all so that we can freely believe . No matter where we are .
