I had a friend in college who said he would believe Jesus if He would open Heaven and reveal Himself. Until then, this young man would remain a skeptic. I have since lost track of this man, but his attitude reflects that of many people who ignore the overwhelming evidence supporting Christianity. It’s not that God hasn’t revealed Himself to them—it’s that they have rejected what they know to be true.

The Pharisees and Sadducees also rejected Christ by choice. They tempted Jesus by demanding that He show them a sign of His deity. This was just after He had miraculously fed over 9,000 people on two separate occasions with only a small amount of food. They deliberately rejected the teachings of John the Baptist and the Old Testament prophets. They were adept at discerning weather patterns in the clouds, but they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, see the signs of the Kingdom before their eyes.

The truth is that many people don’t accept the claims of Christ, not for lack of proof, but because they willingly reject His offers of forgiveness and grace. Our unbelieving world clamors for a sign, but ignores the obvious truth.

What is our job as believers? To persuade men and women to come to the knowledge of Christ. And it is not with cleverly-crafted arguments, but with the simplicity of the gospel, where all of the power of God resides.

Pray today that the Holy Spirit would illuminate the darkened hearts and minds of lost men and women. What’s more, pray that He would do it through you.