“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)
It is a simple enough message, Jesus Christ died for sinners, He paid the price that no other human being could ever pay, and all those who “shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,” (Romans 10:9) will be eternally saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Those who will not will suffer eternal damnation.
One must be convicted of the sin in their lives, of their total depravity in the eyes of God to understand this simple message, and that also must be as salvation is, a gift from God. “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” (Romans 3:11) It’s a simple enough message that many, most in fact, will refuse to admit to themselves as truth.
Our opening verse has been shown to be truth in different ways more than once, they saw the Red Sea part, they saw their enemies defeated when there was no hope, they saw the miracles of Christ, and yet they would not believe. I rest assured that there were those whose who sent Jesus to the cross who saw Him after He rose from the dead who still would not believe, such is pride, even when something is seen that is known to be impossible, we harden our hearts, we refuse to believe even when the facts are laid before us.
Every religious sect that knows they are speaking lies does not continually attempt to hide those who follow them from these lies, it would be impossible over time, they must be able to persuade them that those who do not adhere to the tenets and precepts they teach are the deceived ones, and as is evident by all the various forms of “faith based” organizations, it can quite easily be accomplished. “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” (Matt. 13:13)
A parable rarely offers any further information concerning its construct, it must be deciphered, and unless the Lord offers us the plain truth, as it were, which only He can do then the interpretation of that parable will be incorrect. The larger the organization, for I will not call them a church, the more adept at lying those at the top are. But those who follow must be offered some form of proof that these lies spoken are the truth as presented to them, and that revelation does not always need to be visible.
The younger a person is, the easier it is to deceive them, the young instinctively trust. The validity of the truths of the Word of God past a certain age must be taken in faith, they must be searched out with a heart that desires to know the one true God. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb. 11:6)
Throughout the life of the born-again believer we must search for these truths as if they are of great value to us, and we must do so by comparing them to lies, which until shown by God will be impossible for us. Hence the reason why every cult, which is every single religious organization that does not preach that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father, that teaches a works-based salvation or the need to continue in some form of works to assure the continuance of that salvation, will be seen by many as the way, for they will ensure that their version of the truth is the only way.
People are easily deceived when they do not know the truth, those who have been blessed by the Most High with the knowledge of His truths are not easily swayed.
Pride keeps a man from acknowledging the Sovereignty of God, it caused the fall of Satan, of Adam, and is the main cause of all sin in this area, pride believes a lie even when the truth is known. Even if one came back from the dead is the proof of this statement, for One did, and they still will not believe this one simple truth. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
Every single person that has died recognizes this truth, few of the living will.