Ever noticed how some believers act like they're prisoners serving life sentences?
They express their faith by complaining, finding fault with fellow prisoners and griping about the least little thing that upsets their routine. Confined to their cells, not much changes. Every aspect of their lives feels controlled by malevolent outside forces, and yet their greatest fear is losing their miserable lives.
Compare their grumpy hostility and negativism to a different kind of a believer ... the kind who's more like a prisoner condemned to death, but who then received an unconditional pardon from the king.
They have no fear of death because their crimes have been forgiven: they've been set free from the confinement of their cells. They continue rejoicing with the good news and aren't afraid at all of telling others what the king has done on their behalf.
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That first group of believers, the ones who act like they're serving life sentences, are suspicious of everything and deny that kind of pardon
... and freedom ... exists.
They're so preoccupied with maintaining order, following prison rules and "just serving out their time" on earth that they can't see that the king's pardon has opened their cell doors and set them free, too.
They just lack the faith to walk through it.
