What makes the gospel appealing to the unbeliever?

The Holy Spirit

 

Until the unbeliever realizes he's lost, the gospel won't be all that attractive. But, as soon as he realizes he's lost (which, IMO is one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit) then the gospel looks very attractive.

 

That was my first thought when I read the title.

 

Even unbelievers recognize the Truth when they see it.

love,

Sopranette

 

No , they can't . A number of Scriptures refute that idea . Here is just one passage to get the ball rolling .

2 Corinthians 2:15,16 : Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God . But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing . To those who are perishing , we are a dreadful smell of death and doom . But to those who are being saved , we are a life-giving perfume . And who is adequate for such a task as this ? ( NLTse )

 

As with the others here, I think the Gospel is very unappealing to the lost until the Holy Spirit comes to them and changes their heart.

BTW, your signature verse and the few after it are IMO some of the most beautiful verses in the Bible.

 

Or what about 1 Corinthians 2:14 : But people who don't have the Spirit can't receive these truths from God's Spirit . It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it , for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means .

 

Unbelievers Will Gladly Accept A False Gospel

They will not recognize the truth when they see it .

2 Corinthians 11:4 : You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you , even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach , or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received , or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed . ( NLTse )

 

Romans 1:19-32 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For 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: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

 

We are talking about the gospel -- not natural revelation .

 

Only the Holy Spirit can make the gospel appealing to an unbeliever.

 

"That which may be known of is manifest in them"


Natural revelation points to God and the gospel. There is no need to separate the two. Except in maybe John Calvins world.

 

If I'm traveling and an arrow point me in the destination I need to go, How can the arrow be the same as the destination.

How can natural revelation, which points to God and the gospel, be that which it points to?

 

And that is what we read in Scripture. :thumbs:

 

The destination is not the gospel. The destination is God. Both natural revelation and the gospel are but arrows. God is the final destination. If you really want to jump into these semantics.

 

Now you're saying something different than your post #14.

 

The certainty of DEATH. God made the creature subject to vanity (mortality), a servant all his life to the fear of death. AND He has put eternity in his heart.

So what is appealing? The "Way out." That is, the gospel or knowledge of God (Rom 1:19). All revelation is "general revelation." There is no such phrase as "special revelation" or "particular revelation" in the Bible. Those are fabrications to explain one HUMAN understanding of salvation.

skypair