This past Sunday, our pastor taught on Luke 16:19-31, the story of the rich man and poor Lazarus, where the man who was rich on earth went to Hades and poor Lazarus went to Abraham’s bosom. Once the rich man realized that there was no escaping Hades, he requested help for his brothers.

And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ (Luke 16:27-28)

The rich man cared enough to wish that his brothers would be saved from the eternal torment to which he was condemned. He begged that Lazarus would be sent back to earth to preach to his brothers.

But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ (Luke 16:29-30)

The rich man thought that a man rising from the dead would change their minds and hearts and lead them to repentance and faith in God. Abraham pointed out that this plan would not work. Those who refuse to listen to the written word of God will not have their hearts or minds changed by facts or even miracles. A hard heart will not repent. It isn’t the head knowledge that matters most, but the state of the heart.

This statement was also prophetic. Not too long after this parable, Jesus was put to death and then rose from the dead three days later. Not all that heard of or saw Jesus believed. There were many who denied His resurrection. They ignored God’s Word and Jesus’s resurrection. Their hard hearts refused to acknowledge the truth, no matter the evidence.

Notice the focus on God’s Word as key to changing hearts, minds, and eternal state. “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’” (Luke 16:29) Also:

But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’  (Luke 16:31)

God’s Word is key in understanding who God is, who we are, our relationship with Him, and how to be saved. Nobody who ignores God’s Word is going to be saved and spend eternal life with Jesus. Although knowledge alone doesn’t save, we can’t have saving faith without knowing who God is and what He has done. The more we understand who He is and all of His marvelous works; the more faith we have. The more we know of His fulfilled promises; the more we will have faith that He will fulfill future promises. Although God is capable of speaking directly to an individual, He normally chooses to share Himself through His Word—the Bible. We ignore the Bible to our detriment.

Notice in Hebrews 11, when teaching about faith, the author repeatedly points to the history proclaimed in the Bible (specifically the Old Testament).

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. (Hebrews 11:1-12) {emphasis mine}

Notice that in this passage on faith, the author points repeatedly to the things God did.

• “The worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” – God’s creation of everything from nothing

We also see God’s faithfulness to those who lived by faith.

• “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous.”

• “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up” – God took Enoch straight from earth to heaven without passing through death because Enoch’s faith pleased God.

• “By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” – Noah trusted God’s command and God used Him to save birds, animals, and the human race.

• “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.” – Abraham trusted God to give him a land and a people even when he didn’t know where he was going nor how he could father a nation when he and Sarah couldn’t have children and were advanced in years. God faithfully fulfilled His promises even when they seemed impossible.

When we read of what God has done and how He faithfully cared for those who had faith in Him, it helps us to trust God in our own lives. Reading and knowing God’s word grows our faith, and we read that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Don’t trust in miracles, but trust in the God of the Bible who has been faithful and will continue to be faithful.

Trust Jesus

If you do not yet know Jesus, I beg you to trust in Him. Below are some verses that will tell you what you need to know to be saved. If you have any questions, I’d love to answer them. Just message me on Substack.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

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For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

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that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (Romans 10:9)

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If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:9-10)

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For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.