Some People Will Believe The Gospel, Some Will Not

Acts 28:23-28, “And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”

Today I was listening to Alexander Scourby read the book of Acts from the insoired King James Bible. As I listened this text passage from Acts 28:24-28 caught my attention, particularly Acts 28:24, “And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.” This is so typical of humans. The Bible says in verse 23 that Paul expounded the Word of God (from Moses to the prophets) from the MORNING until the EVENING (8-12 hours), persuading them to BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Some of them believed and were saved, but tragically some of them still didn't believe and remained lost in their sins. I am reminded of the Lord's own words to the two men which He walked alongside travelling on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:25-27, “And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Anyone who is slow to BELIEVE the Gospel is a FOOL.

All of these stupid stiffnecked pastors today who errantly preach that you must "repent of your sinning" to get to Heaven are guilty of preaching another gospel. They are Gospel perverts!

I'm talking about that gospel pervert Jeff Redlin at Pensacola Christian College's Campus Church. I'm talking about that gospel pervert Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016). I'm talking about that pervert John MacArthur (1939-2025). I'm talking about that dingleberry pervert Bobby Moffett at the corrupt Family Baptist Church in Pensacola. These brutish religious leaders are pulling on the same rope as the Devil, corrupting God's free grace by adding human effort to "repent of your sins" to be saved. FOOLS! I didn't say that, God did!

I marvelled today as I listened to Alexander Scourby (1913-1985) read the book of Acts (written by the Apostle Dr. Luke). The Apostle Paul taught the Scripture to these Jews from morning until evening concerning Jesus, the Christ, but at the end of the day many still weren't convinced by THE TRUTH. Paul ends the day by quoting Isaiah 6:10 to the Jewish group...

Isaiah 6:10, “Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”

What does this mean? God knew that the Jews wouldn't listen to the prophet Isaiah. Paul was aware of this sad fact. Jesus said the Jews refused to listen to any of the Old Testament prophets, just as most refused to heed His warning. Matthew 23:31-33, “Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” The old adage is true: “Like father, like son.” And another adage: “The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.” That's some pretty powerful preaching from Jesus' (God's) own lips, and a damning indictment against the corrupt religious leaders of the Jews. No matter how much we share the Gospel, pray and labor to persuade unbelievers to come to Jesus Christ, most simply won't (Luke 13:23-24). The truth most often falls upon deaf ears, blinded eyes and hardened hearts.

That being so, God still wanted Isaiah (and all Bible preachers) to preach THE TRUTH, knowing that it will just harden their hearts further. The old adage is true: “The same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay.” Likewise, the same truth that melts one sinner's heart will harden the heart of another. Only God knows why this is so. Regardless of whether people heed THE TRUTH or not, it must be proclaimed to this lost and dying world of sinners.

I found it interesting that even after listening to Paul expound them with the Word of God all day long, they still refused to BELIEVE. John 5:40, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” God has always been faithful (1st Corinthians 1:9, 10:13). 2nd Timothy 2:13, “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”

Even today in the world, very few Jews are Christians. In Palestine and Israel, approximately 2% of all Arabs and Jews alike profess any faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah (the Christ). BOTH ethnic groups desperately need the Lord Jesus Christ, which is why there is so much resentment, hatred, relentless bloodshed, and lack of human compassion in The Middle East. God is not a respecter of persons and He loves Jews and Arabs the same (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Colossians 3:25). The Lord will not be partial in His judgment in eternity. Your sins have either been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and you've been born again (1st Peter 1:18-23); or else you will die in your sins and split Hell wide open someday (John 8:24; Revelation 14:11, 20:11-15, 21:8). The choice is yours along to make dear friend.