Why Do Some People Believe in God and Others Don’t?
Why does the message of the cross seem foolish to so many—and yet life-changing to others? Discover the surprising answer in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and what it reveals about belief, grace, and divine wisdom.
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Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach[a] to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,[b] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being[c] might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him[d] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Why People Don’t Believe in God?
The Apostle Paul is deeply concerned about the church in Corinth because the members were drifting from their relationship with God, and as a result, many problems were stirred up. However, in our passage, the Apostle Paul contrasts why some accept God’s wisdom versus why others don’t. He also explores why some people receive Christ, are born of the Spirit, believe the Scriptures, and follow Him as disciples. Through our passage, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, the Apostle Paul contrasts divine wisdom with earthly foolishness. He also opens our eyes to see: Why Christians accept God and His revelation, and why non-Christians don’t. Let’s follow the Apostle Paul’s direction and ask, “Why don’t people believe?”
1) The Message Sounds Foolish
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
The phrase “those who are perishing” is sobering to share, but the reality is that’s their condition. However, we shouldn’t be too unfamiliar with that, concept because the most famous Bible verse, John 3:16, shares the same thing:
JESUS: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish.”
The Apostle Paul uses that same theme, because “the word of the cross is folly,” and some translations even say “foolishness.” A few verses later, he picks up on it again: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
There is no foolishness, nor weakness, in God. Paul uses sarcasm to make a point by saying that those who reject the message of the cross do so because it sounds foolish. It sounds unsuitable to human reason that salvation and eternity are predicated upon a crucified God. That rationale is not uncommon.
For many, they can understand that Jesus died, however, they can’t see what that has to do with them. It’s not easy to wrap our heads around the work of the cross, somehow forgiving our sin, but it doesn’t make sense for those perishing.
These verses tell us that the world, through its wisdom, did not come to know God. It’s impossible, through human wisdom, to come to know God, which is why Paul subtly quotes Isaiah 29:19:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 1 Corinthians 1:19
This quote pulls from a time when Sennacherib said deliverance would come from God. However, it wouldn’t come from the wisdom of leaders or sages, but by the power of God. The wisdom of the wise could not save them; only God could do it.
This doesn’t mean you can’t exercise wisdom, but only God can draw you to Himself. This is why in John 6, Jesus shared, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44). We cannot get to Christ without God’s aid. This is why John Wesley spoke often about prevenient grace, which is God’s grace going before you to draw you into a relationship with Him through the Son.
The Apostle Paul’s point is to remind the Corinthians that they began with God’s power drawing them to Jesus, and part of their problem is that they’ve lost sight of that.
2) The Message Sounds Like Fiction
“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” 1 Corinthians 1:22
Sometimes, hearing the story and message of Jesus dying on the cross sounds mythical or fictitious. In culture, this isn’t a message that sounds palatable, yet we preach Christ, a stumbling block to some and folly to others. The Apostle Paul emphasizes that the reason many don’t believe is that the message sounds cartoonish and unbelievable.
3) The Messengers Are Unfashionable
“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-2
Notice the phrase “lofty speech or wisdom.” In the fashion of the age, because people spoke in public in that era, they were often great orators. They were engaging in story and narrative. Additionally, they utilized the best of Greek philosophy. The Apostle Paul didn’t come with that kind of fashionableness.
“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
God chose a message that sounds foolish to shame the wise.
I know many young individuals in what would be considered the prime of their careers, but instead, they’re serving as missionaries around the world. They could be working for Fortune 500 companies, earning huge paychecks and given some of the world’s greatest accolades, however, they’ve yielded their hearts, life, and gifts to serving the King of Kings. Their lives have been surrendered to humility, hiddenness, and obscurity, with most of them to be forgotten until the day we stand before Christ.
As we hear the Gospel, it sounds foolish and fictitious. The messengers are unfashionable. It’s not difficult to understand why the unregenerate reject the gospel.
Not to mention, the message itself is offensive.
Consider a young couple who finish school with advanced degrees, get married, buy a house, buy a few cars, and have a couple of kids. Then, one day, they’re told, they need you to go to the garbage dump on the edge of town to watch a man suffering to death as He hangs on a cross. Oh, by the way, He is your only hope in life. That’s not a fashionable message. The human mind and heart can’t get there on their own. The only way you can get there is because God has had mercy on you in revealing Himself to you.
Why Do Christians Believe?
“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” 1 Corinthians 2:6-7
The Apostle Paul declared that as the gospel is shared, it’s not of this age. It isn’t a message that comes from the rulers of this age. It’s unknown to the world’s best minds, and in fact, we’re speaking of a mystery. It’s a wisdom that’s been hidden, but has now been revealed and emanates from the birth of a confidence in Jesus and God’s Word.
Now, let’s be clear, I’m not saying there aren’t intellectually substantive reasons to believe in the Bible, God, and what Jesus has done. There are many, including the Bible is verifiable down to details in archeology, and it’s also verifiable through history. Additionally, it’s unique in that it was written by 40 different authors on 3 continents in 3 languages over 1600 years with an astounding continuity.
But it’s not those reasons that my faith is awakened.
It’s because God has imparted “a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.” The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:23, “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
John Newton, best known for writing “Amazing Grace,” was raised in the faith by a mother who poured Scripture into him and brought him to church each week. But as an adult, he veered far from that foundation, living recklessly and even becoming involved in the slave trade. His story reminds us of an important truth: when our children flourish, we often take too much credit; and when they falter, too much blame. Newton’s transformation didn’t come from his mother’s efforts alone, but from the gracious drawing of God. As he later wrote in the song “Amazing Grace,” “I once was blind, but now I see.”
“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.” 1 John 2:29-20
John is referencing that in the grace of God, He reveals Himself to you. That’s your anchor point. You’ve been anointed, God’s Spirit lives in you, and it’s because of this that you have the revelation of God’s love for you. You’re not going anywhere—you don’t leave the Body of Christ because you know that you’re redeemed. You have the anointing from the Holy One, therefore, you know the truth, and no lie will lead you astray.
Personally, I believe the Bible because God gave me confidence in the Bible at my conversion to Christ. When you were saved, you came to confidence in the Word of God, and that’s where you stay. I believe the Bible because God awakened faith in me at my conversion. What we know we know by divine revelation.
JESUS: “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but He sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.” John 8:42-44
They cannot hear, nor do they listen. Contrast that with what Jesus said about those that are His: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). One of the ways we know that we belong to Jesus is that we’re listening to Him. One of the clearest signs we belong to Jesus is that we’re listening for His voice—through His Word, by His Spirit, with hearts that say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
Charles Finney, the evangelist and founder of Oberlin College, once stood to preach on family life at a chapel service. But instead of delivering a sermon, he dropped to his knees in prayer and wept. The room grew uncomfortable as minutes passed, yet Finney stayed in that place of intercession. What few realized was that he had five adult children—none of whom knew Christ—and his heart was breaking.
To some, that moment might have seemed like a failure. But Finney knew where true power came from. Like Paul reminded the Corinthian church, it’s not through human wisdom or performance, but by the grace and power of God alone. Finney had once been drawn from a career in law to full-time ministry by that same grace, and he trusted that only God could do the same for his children.
Though he didn’t live to see it, all five of his children eventually came to faith in Christ.
Let us, like Finney, remember where our help comes from—and trust in the power of God, even when the world calls it foolishness. It is God’s wisdom of Christ who has taken our sins, bore them, and shed His blood, so that we are forgiven, cleansed, and reconciled to a loving God, who not only births us into a new life, but into a new life that goes into eternity. This is a truth worth proclaiming, but only God can draw us to the Son as we humble ourselves before Him and ask Him to work in our lives for His glory.
TL;DR
Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 reveals a stark contrast: to those perishing, the cross seems like foolishness, but to those being saved, it is the power and wisdom of God.
People don’t believe because the message sounds absurd, the messengers seem weak, and the world prizes logic over divine revelation.
But belief isn’t achieved through intellect—it’s a gift, born by the Spirit. Faith is awakened not by reason alone but by God’s grace drawing hearts to Christ.
Christian belief, Paul insists, is not about human status, eloquence, or worldly wisdom—it’s about God’s mercy, made known through the cross.
