1. John 6:44-45 "No man can come unto me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me."
   
2. Some may be learned, but remain in an UNBELIEVING STATE-- Luke 8:11-12 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. And those by the way side are they that have heard; then comes the devil, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved."
   
3. The solution is PERSUASION-- Acts 17:1-4 "...they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews; and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three sabbath days reasoned with them from the scriptures, opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ. And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas..."
   
4. God intends for that persuasion to be through the Word. Luke 16:27-31 "And he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house; 28 for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 But Abraham saith, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one go to them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, if one rise from the dead."
   

1. Romans 10:17 "So belief comes of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
   
2. Acts 4:4 "But many of them that heard the word believed."
   
3. Ephesians 1:13 "...in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your salvation,--in whom, having also believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."
   
4. Acts 18:18 "And many of the Corinthians hearing believed..."
   

1. John 12:42-43 "...even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God."
   
2. The solution is to see the worth of believing by EVALUATION-- Philippians 2:9-11 "Wherefore God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
   

1. It is necessary to repent. Acts 17:30-31 "The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: 31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
   
2. It is tragic to remain in an unrepentant state. Revelation 2:20-23 "But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication. 22 Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works."
   
3. The solution to this is to come under the Holy Spirit's CONVICTION-- John 16:8 "And He (the Holy Spirit), when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." (Consider also 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.")
   

1. Acts 19:1-5 "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: 2 and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given. 3 And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John's baptism. 4 And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. 5 And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus."
   
2. This assures us that there is only one baptism. Ephesian 4:4-5 "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism......"
   

1. Hebrew 3:12-14 "Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: 13 but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called Today; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: 14 for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:"
   
2. The solution that can be applied is identical to that given to the unfaithful sorcerer, Simon; REPENTANCE and PRAYER-- Acts 8:22 "Repent there-fore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee."
   
3. The Christian needs to remain in the FAITHFUL STATE-- Revelation 2:10 "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life."

    

APPLICATION-- How many of these alterations of state have you accomplished?

---Still in the ignorant state?--then learn!
---In the learned state?--then believe!
---In the believing state?--then confess Jesus!
---In the confessing state?--then repent!
---In the penitent state?--then be baptized!
---In the unfaithful state?--then repent and pray for forgiveness!