You just don't UNDERSTAND!

Sorry Scan but this feels like Déjà Vu. Think I will pass & go read a book.

 

It is impossible to know what others understand, but I easily understood it as a child and accepted Christ. I can't see what is so difficult to understand.

I think the greatest difficulty is accepting the fact that we are sinners worthy of death. Most people believe themselves to be good. They think of the murderer or bank robber as being evil. If they are an honest citizen who tries to do well, it is difficult to accept they are evil.

And then there is another group who do not want it to be true. They understand it and realize if they accept Christ they are expected to turn from sin. They love their sin and are unwilling to turn from it.

But the gospel is simple, statistics prove that a majority of persons accept Christ at a very young age.

 

Yea I was 53. LOL

 

yeah and I was 23

 

Perhaps its time to ask what a "very young age" actually means.:smilewinkgrin:

 

The Barna Research Group has conducted numerous polls on this over the years. According to them, children 5-13 years old have a 32% probability of accepting Christ. The numbers drop dramatically at this age, the probability for young people from 14-18 years old is only 4%, and for adults 19-Death the probability is only 6%.

Some have quoted figures as high as 90% of all Christians accepted Christ by age 19, the Barna Group says this figure is closer to 60%.

But all studies show the vast majority of persons who accept Christ do so at a very young age.

So, it can't be that lack of understanding the gospel is what prevents folks from accepting Christ.

 

I wonder that too....

 

Ann, I am on a mobile phone and can't copy and paste.

Search "Barna age people accept Christ" without quotes and you will find many articles showing these statistics.

 

I believe this might be what you are speaking about.

http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/196-evangelism-is-most-effective-among-kids

 

Indeed there is, as one can be "ignorant" to what the Bible teaches on a subject, disregard to what it actually teaches, or else have a different interpretation on what is being taught...
Think that a lot of this question hinges on how one understands the nature of the Fall of man thruAdam...

if you hold to doctrine of original Sin, we have a sin nature, and that the Fall so 'destroyed" image of God in us as due to that...
One tends to be a Calvinist
if you tend to see it as being that the fall "marred" us, no sin nature, still have free will, that God has granted to all men a "measure" of grace/faith to believ, tends to be an Arm...

So basically different starting points, so different interpretations at times from same verses!

that unless the Holy spirit does His work to convict of Sin, need to have a Saviour, and that He allows one to become quickened to receive Gospel, repent receive believe, they will stay dead in sins and trespasses..

Not saying the "natural" Fleshy person cannot gear the Gospel, its just that without the Lord revealing it to them, and by His act of grace "openning" them up to be able to receive it and respond to it, will just stay words to them, they will not turn and be saved...

they will be able to understand in sense that the devel and demons know there is a god, jesus is His Son, but will not able to receive Him as that, as their natural sinful nature will not submit to the truth in the Gospel...
Willfully choose to stay in darkness, as will read and understand, but refuse to heed and obey w/o God directly acting to allow them to do such...

its not that people cannot hear/read/understand the Bible, its just that the sinner cannot apply it to their lives UNLESS there is a direct work/act by God to allow them to believe, as their natural selves cannot receive the things of God,as they are spiritually discerned...

 

I find the Barna Group's study to be quite accurate, in the past and today.
In one of the groups that I serve in, we are between 60 to 85 years old, all but two had accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior before the age of 12.
If parents are active Christians their children have a good chance of coming to salvation at a much younger age than most kids who aren't raised in a Christian home. They are taught more about the Bible and Christ.

 

skan,

I do not think so. If they truly understood it they would embrace it.
The fact that even in this forum I have never [that I can recall] seen a non cal present any commentary that is not a caricature of the calvinistic teaching.

A person does not face themselves in the mirror and say...I am going to believe error today.

You say that a person can understand and reject it.
I would say that in every case,being truth can only be welcomed by the Holy Spirit allowing a born again person to welcome it......The person rejecting the truth is rejecting a wrong idea of what the truth is.

The other day you posted that truth can be understood apart from the work of the Spirit....no calvinist believes that. This I believe is an additional area where you might struggle mightly against D.O.G.

This thread has value,and I will try to draw out more ideas later,,busy today.

 

Iconoclast, post #18 [edit - personal attacks are not permitted]

 

Please refresh what verse says please?