What Keeps People from Submitting to Jesus Christ?
I. There are many things which keep people from submitting to Christ, such as:
1. Reprobation - some are natural men who have not the ability to understand and believe the gospel and submit to it.
2. Pride - the pride of even God's elect can prevent them from submitting to Christ.
3. Apathy - some people just don't care about truth.
4. Accountability - some people do not want to be held accountable to God's law by a church and pastor.
5. Love of sin and self - some people love themselves and their sin ...
6. Love of family - some people love their spouse, parents, or children more than God and can't bear the thought of hurting or angering them by submitting to Christ.
A. The first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mat 22:36-38).
B. Family must take a backseat to God.
i. Jesus didn't come to bring peace between families, but division (Mat 10:34-36).
ii. Jesus said that he that loves his father or mother, or son or daughter more than Him is not worthy of...
8. Fear of rejection by God - some people fear that God will not accept them because of their past or present sins.
A. It is true that God is holy (1Pe 1:16).
i. God can't even look on iniquity (Hab 1:13).
ii. The foolish can't stand in God's sight and He hates sinners (Psa 5:4-5).
B. God is fearful (Heb 10:31; Heb 12:29) and terrible (Psa 47:2).
i. Terrible - 1. Exciting or fitted to excite terror; such as to inspire great fear or dread; frightful, dreadful.
ii. If this was all a person knew of God, ...
