Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. Acts 10:40-41

Why don’t all people believe the gospel? Because though the gospel must be proclaimed by God’s people, it must also be revealed by the Holy Spirit. In verse 40 Peter was literally saying that Jesus was seen after rising from the dead, not by all people, but only by some. Spiritually, this is also true of the fact that all people do not believe unto salvation. Everyone who hears the gospel proclaimed receives an “outward call.” Only those who also receive an “inward call” will believe and be saved.

Some will object, insisting that this is not fair. These insist that all who hear the gospel proclaimed (outwardly) are responsible to believe. Those who believe are saved and those who do not are not saved. And that is true. The only problem is that if God did not give the “inward call,” no one would believe and all would be lost. Since everyone deserves His wrath equally, a better question would be, “Why does He graciously give that ‘inward call’ to anyone?”

Three Take-Aways:

If you believe, it is by God’s grace, and therefore no one can boast and God gets all the glory.
Pray for those who do not believe, that God would be pleased to extend His regenerating grace (including the inward call) to others, as He has to all who believe.
Proclaim the gospel, because the “inward call” is given by God only as the “outward call” is proclaimed by His people.