“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)
Those furthest removed in time from an event are those least likely to believe. Those who walked with Christ, who witnessed the miracles, who watched as He was taken up in a cloud believed, there was little choice, they heard with their own ears and saw with their own eyes. We who are alive today are nearly two thousand years removed from those days, the Lord Jesus Christ does not visibly walk amongst us, we have only one option available to us, to live by faith.
“Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
We who have been born-again believe that every word in the Scriptures is truthful, that He who promised is faithful, and that we will live for all eternity in the presence of the Living God. But we can offer no proof of any of this to anyone, it is God alone who chooses whom He will reveal Himself to, and then it is the decision of that one to believe or disbelieve that revelation of Himself to them.
“But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” (Acts 5:39)
The Pharisees knew who they were condemning to death, there was no question about it, no one could deny that which they had seen with their own eyes, but this should not surprise any of us, their fathers throughout time had killed most of the prophets, so it should not surprise or alarm you when you have revealed the truths of the Word of God to someone, when the Holy Spirit has spoken to them through you for the glory of God in the hopes of the salvation of their soul and they disbelieve.
“And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:31)
“And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matt. 27:40)
We like to call it planting seeds, but sometimes because the truth by faith has not only been revealed to us, but has been accepted as such, we expect the harvest to occur in the next moment. It is inconceivable to us that anyone who has been shown the love that is being offered to them, that anyone who has been told the truth of the eternal suffering that awaits them if they do not accept that love will not heed the call.
Paul went from town to town trying to get people to understand about the birth, life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and although great signs and miracles were wrought through him, as they were through all the apostles, still some would not heed the words spoken.
“For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22:14)
You can offer every truth you know; you can expound upon these truths for years to some people, and they will refuse to believe. They are not chosen.
The miracles made no difference to them, one coming back from the dead did not change their mind, nothing you say, not even the Holy Spirit in whatever way He reveals the Living God to them will make them accept the truth. They have determined by their own free will to remain on the wide path to eternal damnation. They know the truth as well as Judas Iscariot did and have denied that truth.
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14)
Nearly everyone you have ever met in your life is going to hell, you need to accept this truth.
We search for the lost amongst the wicked, it has always been thus. For many miracles will not change their mind, the truth revealed will not do so, even the knowledge of the love offered if rejected will not do so.
That does not mean we stop offering the truth to all who will listen.