How do people get to the point of believing? As sinners, our nature led us away from God and opposed him in every way. All the while our deceitful hearts blinded us to our condition. As the truth of the gospel was given to us, light illuminated our darkness exposing our true condition. In order for us to believe the gospel and be saved, repentance needed to take place. Repentance occurs when the heart of man ceases to resist God and yields in agreement with God's view about him being a sinner and in need of a savior. At this point, pride, the root of all sins, has left the heart of man allowing truth from the word of God to create faith.
This same series of events works in believers after salvation as well. When trials or even troubles from sin occur, we usually try to deliver ourselves. When all else fails, we turn to God and ask for deliverance, but fail to see results. We either accuse God of not listening to our prayer or wait for some feeling or sign that we have enough faith to pray for the needed answer. What we fail to do is repent of our prideful acts of self deliverance. Until repentance and confession occur, we will not have the faith needed.
Jesus pointed this out to the Pharisees. They did not believe in the Lord, but then had the opportunity to see the miraculous works of salvation in the lives of publicans and harlots, but even after that, they would not repent of their beliefs about him so that they might believe in him.
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. (Matthew 21:32)
So, as you faces trials, troubles or consequences of sin, stop and look to see what efforts you are doing to deliver yourself. Repent of these so that the Holy Spirit may do a work of grace in your life and enable you to believe and experience his deliverance.
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