But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Acts 19:9-10
The only hope for lost sinners (and we are all naturally born as lost sinners), is to be born again (John 3:3, 5, & 7). When we are born again, God doesn’t force us to believe, but He graciously gives us new hearts and new affections. The new heart given to those who are born again acknowledges our need for forgiveness (which is only available in Christ). The new heart and affections we receive when we are born again wants to surrender to Christ as Lord.
Why do you believe while your unbelieving family and friends do not? Just as we had hard hearts, they have hard hearts. And just as our only hope is Jesus, their only hope is Jesus as well. And just as we had to be born again to have our hard hearts replaced with hearts for Christ, so do they (along with every non-believing person in the world)! What does that say about how we should pray for the lost, whether family, friend, strangers or even enemies? Pray that God would regenerate them (that they be born again). Pray that God would replace their unbelieving hearts with new hearts and affection for Christ.
We need to remember this because when we see lost people, we see the symptoms of sin in their lives (destructive behaviors, disastrous relationships, deceptive religion, and/or disinterest in church). We tend to pray that God would change their circumstances, when what they need are new hearts which only come when people are born again.
How are people born again? Next time…