And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear you again on this matter." So Paul departed from among them. Acts 17:32-33

Interesting that some people reject Christianity because they do not believe in the resurrection. The resurrection is not negotiable! It is one of the most important essentials of the Faith. As Paul argued in 1 Corinthians 15:17: If Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is in vain and we are still dead in our sins! (paraphrased).

In our day few, if any, reject the Lord because they do not believe in the resurrection. Rather, people in our day are indifferent about the resurrection. They don’t care. People believe in all sorts of fanciful things that are indeed untrue, so most couldn’t care less if Jesus rose from the dead.

So if the resurrection is not the big stumbling block what is? Simple: the holiness of God; that He demands holiness of us, and that because none of us is holy, we are doomed.

And try as we may to convince people of this “hard to believe” truth, this is the most important first point of the gospel. We must declare it, but we cannot make anyone believe it. So as much as we must declare it, we must also pray that the Lord would grant the gift of faith that people may believe and be saved.

On a parallel note, we do no one any favors to declare that if they will believe in Jesus, their lives will improve. Why? Because that is not the gospel, and because that is not true. The truth is, Jesus didn’t come to give us better, happier, or more fulfilling lives. He came to save us from our sins. And unless one believes that he or she is a sinner, one has no reason to be interested in that kind of Savior.

Thank Him for saving you if you are saved, and pray asking Him to save others as He has graciously saved you.