QUESTION.—Is it proper, in preaching the gospel, to press upon people responsibility to believe?
ANSWER.—Our blessed Master called upon men to "repent, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15.) And when asked by the men of His time, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" His reply was, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." (John 6:28, 29.) Again, He challenges the Jews with this pungent question, "If I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?" (John 8:46.) Then, when we turn to the Acts of the Apostles, we find Peter calling upon the Jews to repent, and be converted. We find Paul also telling the Philippian jailor to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 16:31.) He tells the Athenians that "God commandeth all men everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30.) We read in 2 Thessalonians that our Lord Jesus Christ will take vengeance on them that obey not the gospel, and further that "God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth." (2 Thess. 1:8; 2:11, 12.)
It is when we turn to the sacred page of God's word that we find the truth, not one side of truth, but the whole truth in all its bearings. We find, lying side by side, the truth of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Are we called to reconcile them? Nay, they are reconciled already, because they are both set forth in the inspired Word. We are to believe, and obey.