Resurrected Belief
Resurrection Rendezvous • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsWhen we find ourselves doubting, Jesus mercifully meets us there and resurrects our belief.
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Resurrection Rendezvous
Resurrection Rendezvous
Resurrected Belief
Resurrected Belief
Good morning, Cruciform Church! We’re so glad you’ve joined us today to worship Jesus together, hear His Word, and grow in love for Him and neighbor.
Today we’re in week 3 of our sermon series called Resurrection Rendezvous. In it, we’re taking a look at the different times in Scripture that Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection, yet before His ascension to God the Father and the sending of His Holy Spirit.
We’re taking these seven weeks or so in this series because oftentimes we come to points that feel like ‘commas’ in life. This was where disciples were – the promise of the resurrection had been accomplished and yet the power of the Holy Spirit had not yet been appropriated to them. They were in the in-between. The intermission. The waiting. And this went on for them for 49 days. Seven Weeks.
Oftentimes we find ourselves in the valleys of ‘not yet’. Of waiting for the promise. Or, of even confusion and uncertainty about what the ‘promise’ means. What the next step is. Where God is leading, now. Why is He seemingly delaying. That’s what this series is about, how God meets you in the middle.
The main idea of this series is that
Wherever you find yourself, the resurrected Jesus is coming to find you and resurrect your story.
Wherever you’ve wandered. Whatever doubts have arisen. Whatever despair you’ve felt, or loss of hope you’ve felt. The Messiah meets you in those spaces, and is coming to resurrect your story. God comes to us.
It’s my prayer that as you see in the Scriptures the Messiah’s resurrection rendezvous with His disciples, by the power of the Spirit, He’d be pursuing you into your own resurrection rendezvous with Him.
Let’s pray.
If God is Creator and Sustainer of all things, than does His Creation have the right to demand Him to do anything?
In other words, do we have the right to tell God what to do? Or, to put Him on the spot to be obligated to oblige our requests?
We’ve never demanded anything of God, have we? And I’m not necessarily speaking just out loud demands, but demands of the heart. Demands that say, God, if you don’t do ______, then I don’t know how I could trust you. Or, if you do ______, then I will serve you all the days of my life.
We’ve never ‘demanded’ anything of God, have we?
But He gives greater grace.
Today we’re going to look at Jesus’ resurrection Rendezvous with His disciple Thomas, who dealt with doubt and made some conditional demands of Jesus. Would you turn with me to John 20, we’re going to be in verses 24-29.
[ENTIRE TEXT]
The big idea of today’s resurrection rendezvous is this:
When we find ourselves doubting, the risen Jesus mercifully meets us and resurrects our belief.
When we find ourselves doubting, the risen Jesus mercifully meets us and resurrects our belief.
To set the scene for us, on the day of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, he had appeared to Mary Magdalene (and resurrected her hope), Cleopas and the other disciple on the road to Emmaus (and resurrected their expectations), and then he appeared to the 10 disciples (Thomas wasn’t there, and Judas, the one who had betrayed Jesus, had hung himself) – that’s John 20:19-23.
In that instance, it was the evening of Resurrection Sunday, and the disciples were together trembling behind locked doors for fear of the Jewish religious leaders, who potentially could come after them for their hope and allegiance to a ‘false messiah’, Jesus, who had now died and been defeated.
Apparently, at some point during that gathering, the disciple Thomas had stepped out. The text doesn’t give any reasoning as to why. Perhaps the claims to of the women at the tomb, Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus, and the claims of the Emmaus road boys had him stressed out, and he went out to clear his head. It’s interesting, nonetheless.
During that time that Thomas stepped out, Jesus passed through the locked doors and stood among the disciples, bringing His peace to calm their fears. He showed them His nail-pierced hands and spear-pierced sides, and the disciples rejoiced. Jesus then commissioned and prepared them for the mission that was to come–the mission of proclaiming forgiveness of sins to all who believe in Jesus.
Everyone had experienced the miraculous visitation of the resurrected Lord, and were full of joy and celebration that He indeed, is, alive.
Everyone, that is, except Thomas.
This is where our text picks up:
Point 1:
The Doubting Disciple (v. 24-25)
The Doubting Disciple (v. 24-25)
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Let’s get a quick grasp of who Thomas is.
You see, Thomas gets somewhat of a bad rap, being known as “Doubting Thomas.” Even if you’re unfamiliar with the Bible, there’s a good chance you’ve heard that phrase before. It’s a negative declaration of someone who is skeptical, untrusting, etc. You hear someone question something, and someone responds, “Don’t be a doubting Thomas.” It’s like the scarlet letter when it comes to faith.
And church, If that’s all you think of when you think of Thomas, you’ll probably judge him and think you’re that much better than him. But, look who else he is:
16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Lazarus had died, and Jesus wanted to go back to Judea (where he was going to resurrect Lazarus from the dead) but the disciples didn’t want Him to because they were afraid of the Jews who had just tried to stone Jesus. But Thomas said to the disciples “Let us go with him, that we may die with him.” Interesting, right? At that point Thomas seems full of faith, loyalty, and courage.
Thomas was one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus had given authority to preach, cast out demons, heal diseases and afflictions. He was one whom had not just watched Jesus do miraculous things, but He had been empowered by Jesus to do them as well.
Thomas also had a rational side, though, that questioned what Jesus said at times – In John 14 Jesus tells them that He’s going to prepare a place for them, and that He’s coming back to take His people, and that they know the way to where He’s going. Thomas responds in John 14:5
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
This sets the scene for Jesus’s “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Thomas heard Jesus amazing claim that faith in Him, trust in Him, is the path to life.
One scholar notes that “Thomas is not merely a pathetic doubter. He is a paradigm (pattern) of many Christians who are capable of great possibilities as well as hesitations in faith.” (NAC, John).
So just imagine this Thomas, who heard Jesus tell him that He is the path to eternal life. Who’d seen the power of God to resurrect dead men and heal disease and confound the wisdom of the wise with God’s truth, imagine this Thomas, now on Good Friday, watching “the way, the truth, and the life”, Jesus, in whom you followed and hoped, beaten, bruised, battered, bloodied, having undergone the most gruesome torture known to man, and nailed to a cross, suffering, suffocating, and the dead. You watched Him breathe His last breath. Three years of following, faith, and confidence in Jesus, shot down. The light of the world buried in the tomb.
And then, fast forward to Resurrection Sunday, in the midst of your sorrow and uncertainty of what life is now, you are hearing from everyone that this Jesus is no longer in the tomb. Some are saying that they appeared to them.
You’re struggling with this whole, what to do, because people are saying Jesus is alive. These women, who in that day’s testimony wasn’t taken too seriously, the Emmaus boys talking about a risen Jesus (who aren’t even part of Jesus’ ‘crew, crew’) and then, the other disciples saying that the Lord has risen, and they saw his hands and his side. You had been following Jesus just like them, and if he was risen, and if he is God, then why did He appear without me?
FOMO became a reality for Thomas – He did miss out - majorly.
The excitement of the disciples to share with Thomas what had happened, that they had seen the Lord – and the groundbreaking news that that meant for their lives, was met by doubt by the one who didn’t experience Him in that way.
He responded the way I think many of us would have to something so seemingly unbelievable -
“I need to see my Messiah for myself.”
He’s skeptical of the resurrection of the murdered Messiah – this thing happening that had never happened before in all of human history, and he wanted some proof.
In fact, Thomas confronted God with a strong condition.
“Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will NEVER believe” (v. 25).
To Thomas, there was only one way to reverse His doubt. “Otherwise, I will never believe.” [‘ou mn’ – emphatic negative]
Our doubts can lead us to DEMAND things of God.
“Or else, I will never believe.” Unless God concedes to His condition (of seeing Him in person and touching the wounds for Himself), then Thomas says he will never believe. Thomas wanted a kind of certainty for His doubts.
Whether because of the agony of the lost friend, or, I think even more truthfully, just a skepticism in His heart to trust the testimony of others…to not want to be played for a fool, Thomas has kind of dug his feet in against Jesus. Almost a, there’s too much at risk – either you’re going to show up and give me certainty, Jesus, or I’m not getting with the program (his pride).
There was a pride in his doubting that led him to demand things of God.
Remember our opening question:
---> “If God is Creator and Sustainer of all things, than does His Creation have the right to demand Him to do anything?”
Our doubt leads to demanding things of God often, though. Pride.
But for now, I hope we can kind of experience and feel where this “doubting Thomas” is in his heart right now. Which leads us to our next scene.
Point 2:
Jesus’ Merciful Meetup (v. 26-27)
Jesus’ Merciful Meetup (v. 26-27)
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
Every word of the Scripture is important – don’t gloss over the first part to “get to the good stuff.” Eight days later. Two things are important from that:
Put yourself in Thomas’ shoes for that. Supposedly this life-transforming news of Jesus rising from the dead happened, everyone but YOU experienced it, and you’re left for eight days just wondering what’s going to be. I have to admit, in my head, for some reason I remembered this narrative incorrectly – I remembered it as Thomas making his statement of “unless God does this, I’ll never believe” and then almost immediately – “poof” – Jesus responds to his demand. But the story doesn’t go like that. Jesus allows Thomas to sit in his discomfort. To sit in His doubt. Oftentimes I believe God does the same for us, and that very well might have been a grace to Thomas. Perhaps 8 days in the ‘valley’ of the ‘unknowns’ was actually doing something in Thomas. Imagine the emotional turmoil he must have been going through. Imagine how meetups with the disciples must have been during that week – they’re all ecstatic about Jesus – and yet, they don’t know quite how to talk with Thomas there. Interesting. But there’s grace in the valley. There’s a reason why Jesus didn’t appear right away (the way I falsely was remembering the narrative)–if not anything but to help His heart get to the end of itself. To not feel any sort of, “I command, and God does”.
Eight days later tells me that they prioritized meeting up together on Sundays, and it seems oftentimes Jesus met them there. 8 days – including the first Sunday evening – puts us right back at another Sunday, one week after the resurrection. One of the things that is an encouragement to me is that Thomas came back the following Sunday. “Doubting Thomas”, for as much flack as we given Him for being a doubter, kept showing up. He could have said, “I’m over this.” I imagine there’s some seeds of God-ward faith and dependence, amidst his glaring “doubt”.
When we’re struggling with doubt, or not understanding what God did, or why, or feel like He did something unloving/unfair to us, where do we go? Do we forsake the gathering? Do we isolate and go to our own devices? Or do we keep showing up. I believe, that even that showing up, is an act of faith against our doubts, and God is pleased with that.
It’s interesting to me that the disciples were inside again behind locked doors, even after Jesus had met them post-resurrection and brought His peace. It’s like, even having experienced the death conquering Messiah alive and triumphant, and Him calming their fears, they still were battling this fear thing. Perhaps Thomas wasn’t the only one in that room who struggled with doubts of one variety or another.
And in midst of that locked-door meeting, Jesus passed through the locked doors and brings his peace, once again. He comes in and says, “peace be with you.” He is reminding them of what they saw. His conquering victory.
And He mercifully meets Thomas.
How do you think Thomas felt – Last week, doubting, almost pridefully slandering against God – “If you are God, than you better do this, or else you’re not going to get my heart, my trust, my devotion”
He had to have had a lump swell up in his throat as Jesus turned and locked eyes with him… What is Jesus going to say? Is he going to rebuke me? Is He going to destroy me?
Don’t miss this – Jesus could have rightfully responded to Thomas with condemnation. He could have rebuked and kicked Thomas out of the family for His arrogant demands and disbelief in what Jesus had said needed to happen. For disbelieving the reports of even His disciples, whom he had gone on ministry journeys with and trusted God together with.
That’s what we would have done, is it not? We like to ‘prove ourselves right’ at the lowering of others. We like to, in arrogant pride, make sure the ‘haters’ who doubted us know we made it, and if at all possible, have them lower than us and stay there. They should feel sorry for what they did, and experience the consequence of their disbelief in who I am and what we can do. We do that, side note, because were painfully insecure about who we are and God’s delight in us through Christ. But that’s another sermon.
Anyways, Jesus had every right to do what we do, and do it sinlessly, because He alone is that perfect and righteous. But He doesn’t.
Instead, Jesus responds to Thomas’ doubts with compassion and mercy.
Jesus has a merciful meetup.
Mercy is a church word – mercy defined is, “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power (I would add, right) to punish or harm.” Instead of punishment and harm, there is compassion and forgiveness. That is mercy.
Jesus looks at Thomas in this merciful meetup:
“Thomas, put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not believe, but believe.”
Let me give you a few thoughts as to how this displays the mercy of Jesus:
Jesus displays that he hears and knows Thomas’ (and our) doubts. He responds to Thomas’ word, verbatim, in His response. When Thomas was speaking out last Sunday for Jesus to show up and prove Himself to Him, Jesus shows Thomas that though He didn’t see Him, He was there all along. He knows all things, hears all things, sees all things – every struggle in your heart, fear, sorrow, doubt – He hears them all. This is mercy, because He hears them with compassion and love towards you in Him.
Jesus engages with Thomas’ (and our) doubts. He engages Thomas on his level. Thomas level was that He needed some sort of assurance, and Jesus graciously gave this. Though He had no obligation to do so. Thomas should have believed because everything happened according to plan. But he was still struggling with doubt, and Jesus condescended – met him on His level – and showed compassion.
I’m not making a claim that Jesus will always appear in the way that you demand, when you demand it. But I am saying that the heart of Jesus is merciful compassion towards people.
It’s kind of baffling to me that Jesus meets Thomas in his “condition” for belief. It goes to show the depth of love that Jesus had for him. Remember, Jesus did it on His own terms (8 days later), but truthfully, Thomas (and we) have been given all the evidence necessary (according to Jesus and the Scripture), through the sin-bearing death of Jesus on the cross for us, that we ought to believe whether He meets our conditions that we set for ‘trust’ or not.
But Jesus is so compassionate, so merciful, so desirous to bring people to true faith and trust in Him and what He’s done for us, that He mercifully meets Thomas in his demand for a temporal “proof” – knowing that He was going to leave Thomas again.
He moves towards Thomas in mercy.
Point 3:
Thomas’ Resurrected Belief (v. 28-29)
Thomas’ Resurrected Belief (v. 28-29)
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thomas’ seeing Jesus with His eyes didn’t just change something in His mind, it transformed something in His heart.
He could have seen Jesus alive with His eyes and exclaimed that this was an amazing miracle of God. That somehow, something happened that defied the laws of nature and physics and by some miracle, this man once dead was now alive.
But more than than happened – the eyes of his heart (eph 1:17) were enlightened.
Interestingly enough, When Jesus met him there, Thomas’ condition changed. I know you’ve seen the paintings with Thomas sticking his finger in Jesus’ side, but read the text –
No mention of Thomas fulfilling His condition – unless I can shove my finger in the marks, I will never believe.”
Jesus has a way of meeting us where we’re at but changing our terms of belief.
For when we see Him as He is, what we thought we needed for peace, joy, happiness, assurance, whatever it may be, fade away. We realize that Who He is for us is enough.
He went from “pride” to “praise”. He went from “Unless you do this, I won’t do this” to “My Lord and My God!”
In great mercy and grace, Jesus compelled Thomas’ heart to true belief. He resurrected His belief.
What is belief?
Believe in simply the mind, or also the heart? – To love God is to believe from the heart, as well as the mind. You cannot love rationalize yourself into love for God.
You see, the Scriptures would say that even the demons ‘believe’. In terms of the reality that they believe there’s a physical body of Jesus, that He died and rose again. Satan believes that.
But they despise that. They do not bow to that. The do not delight in that. In fact, they believe that to get in the way of their progress and plans.
And humans who walked this earth, saw Jesus, touched Him, heard Him, felt Him did the same things.
John 12:37 says that “Though He (Jesus) had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him.”
To say that “if only I could see Him, or He would prove Himself to me, says that the battle of the heart is won through the physical means.” That’s not true. Rich man and the poor man named Lazarus. Rich man died apart from God and was tormented apart from God. He asks Abraham a question.
27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”
They wouldn’t be convinced if someone rose from the dead. It’s deeper than an intellectual battle. It’s a heart battle.
What is Saving Belief?
The Scriptures say that faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the certainty of things unseen. Specifically, belief is a heart-felt trust not simply that Jesus existed, not simply that He died, not simply that He rose again, but a heart-felt trust and delight and love that He died and rose for me, and now He sits on the throne of my life and the throne of my heart.
It’s way beyond an intellectual assent (which is why simply seeing Him can’t save you).
It’s a heart and soul that responds as Thomas does, “My Lord and My God!”
The disciple that was once filled with doubt is filled with a declaration.
This is the place where we must all come to – this is what it means to be a Christian. And nobody is born into that. Whether born in the trap or the church, you need resurrected belief. You may have been born into the church, but you weren’t born into belief. You must come to this point of declaration of “my Lord and my God!”
For in order to believe, you must recognize that you were once at a point of doubt and disbelief, which led to all rebellion against God. We were all spiritually dead doubters, rebellious and despising of the one true God. No one is born “good” with their heart willingly bowing. We all need resurrected belief.
So church, what do we do with all this? If you’re a follower of Jesus who struggles with trust, who tends to put these conditions on Jesus, who says in your heart, I don’t know if I’ll be able to trust you if _____. And you have guilt for that. Or, if you’re here and you don’t trust Jesus – we’re so glad you’re with us. This is a great place to be where it’s safe to work through your questions –
What do we do?
Like Thomas,
(gospel turn)
Even though it seems like everyone in that room was doubting about one thing or another, and even if you’ve come in here and brought with you struggles, doubts, guilt, shame,
I’m glad today that there is One Whom, in a world full of people who doubt and those with outright unbelief, has no doubt in Him. He has no doubt about Who He is, What His eternal task is, and if He had the ability and the desire to accomplish it.
You see, in a world full of rebels who doubted God, disobeyed God, and pridefully demanded things of God, God Himself was and is decisive. He is decisive about His love for you. He is decisive about His commitment to everything good – namely, Himself, the fount of all good. And He is decisive about His plan to rescue doubters and disobeyers from the depth of hell and make them DISCIPLES.
Because we could never honor Him rightly, obey Him perfectly, or love Him truthfully, He sent One into the earth who could. And as He looked from eternities past, He saw that there only was One who could – Himself. So, in His eternal council, He spoke to God the Son, and said, I need you to go and do for humans what they cannot do for themselves. In fact, I need you to become a human and perfectly fulfill the requirements of the law, that you might be a spotless sin-sacrifice. So your spotlessness could take on their sinfulness, and I might give them your spotlessness. So that’s what Jesus did. He took our place on the cross, in the great exchange. He never wavered nor doubted in disbelief. His trust was true. He became our sacrifice.
And not only that, He proved that His sacrifice dealt with sin once and for all, for on that resurrection Sunday, Jesus got up alive and well from the grave, proving that He had put death to death. Proving that He had liberated life in people. That for all who hope, trust, and follow Him, they would be forgive and free from the penalty and power of death.
And the resurrected Jesus will eternally bear the marks of His suffering on His hands and feet –
The marks of His suffering are proof to His disciples that it was indeed Him who resurrected from the dead. The same man whom they saw die, was now alive.
The marks of His suffering are a reminder to God’s people of His great, merciful love to them. For if the enemy ever tries to convince you that God simply won’t love you anymore because your sin is too outrageous, Jesus invites you to behold the marks of His nail pierced hands, feet, and spear-pierced side to remind you that He bore the condemnation you deserved for your sin – He really did take your sin.
The marks of His suffering are now marks of God’s victory for believers and Satan’s defeat. They serve as a trophy in a sense of His accomplishment. A reminder to sin, death, and the devil that they are defeated. That the penalty of sin – death – has died for all who trust and rest in Christ. That Satan won’t win at the end. Augustine says that on judgment day:
So will [Christ] show His wounds to His enemies, so that He who is the Truth may convict them, saying: ‘Behold the man whom you crucified; see the wounds you inflicted; recognize the side you pierced, since it was opened by you and for you, yet you would not enter.’
So will [Christ] show His wounds to His enemies, so that He who is the Truth may convict them, saying: ‘Behold the man whom you crucified; see the wounds you inflicted; recognize the side you pierced, since it was opened by you and for you, yet you would not enter.’
If you’re hearing this today and have not yet entered in to trust and faith, I beg you, turn to Jesus.
The marks of His suffering are an emblem of praise for the saints throughout all eternity. For every time we glance at the marks on His resurrection body, we will be moved to worship and praise, saying “My Lord and My God” for His great loving victory.
This will be an eternal emblem for the people of God and God Himself.
Our Jesus has won the decisive victory through the gospel. He decisively sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in you, to remind you of His truth, to bring you to repentance, to empower you to trust and delight in Jesus – a supernatural work that is only happening in you because His Spirit is in you. To walk in His ways.
AND HE DECISIVELY MOVES TOWARDS US IN MERCY, ENGAGING OUR DOUBTS WITH COMPASSION AND LOVE, BECAUSE ON THE CROSS HE TOOK OUR PUNISHMENT THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE MERCY.
Only by His decisiveness have you and me become disciples. Praise Him that that indeed is the case.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
O what a foretaste of glory divine
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
THIS IS OUR STORY. THIS IS OUR SONG. THAT WE HAVE BEEN MET BY A DECISIVELY MERCIFUL SAVIOUR.
How to direct your doubts.
How to direct your doubts.
Do you doubt TOWARDS God, or do you doubt AWAY from God?
Thomas, and Mark 9:24 (I believe, help my unbelief) VS James 1:6-8 (if anyone lacks wisdom…)
Mark 9:24 - directed towards God.
James 1:6-8 - Double Minded Doubt - “Man of two souls” // “double heart” // divided loyalty. One foot in the world, one foot in faith.
(NAC) The doubting believer holds back from active trust.” “They do not pray prayers of surrender to God’s will.” “Their doubt turns away from God and to the world.”
There’s a big difference in the way that you direct your doubts. Doubting toward God points to dependency on God for the solutions, for the grace, for the trust.
Doubting away from God points to independency FROM God and self-dependence to figure things out on one’s own and according to the world’s terms.
Jesus is not afraid of our doubts. He wants us to come to Him with them. To lay them before Him. He wants to grow us in trust and confidence, and heal the areas of our heart that struggle to trust more deeply. He’s not afraid. Come to Him with your doubts.
Keep pressing into the assembling of God’s people. Keep persevering in prayer. Keep in the Word. Keep talking through these things with community. Keep walking in obedience even if you don’t necessarily feel the convincing proof for obedience in the moment.
Faith comes by hearing (John 20:30-31)
John was written to bring those after Jesus had already ascended and was no longer visible in physical body to the same confident belief in His Kingship and Salvation for all who believe and trust in Him.
What is recorded in the Scriptures, specifically in the gospel of John, is recorded so that those who didn’t have the grace of seeing Jesus in person may have confidence that these events actually occured, that what is said about Jesus is historical, reliable and true – that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that believing in Him as your soul’s Savior would give you life eternal life His name.
Romans 10 says that “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Faith comes by hearing, not by physical sight. It is the Word of Christ, empowered by the Spirit of Christ, heard and sent into the heart and soul of men and women, that in hearing the ‘eyes of their heart’ would be enlightened.
This is the remedy for both the believer and unbeliever. As you hear the word of Christ, the Spirit of Christ takes that Word and penetrates the heart with it, initially giving and continually growing our faith.
_______
Doubt Your Doubts as much as You Doubt Your Belief
When doubt creeps in, remember that it’s not calling you from uncertainty to certainty. It’s calling you to exchange your belief for another un-certain belief. Everyone is operating out of a worldview of beliefs that require some sort of faith. So doubt your doubts as well.
“Believe in the darkness what you have seen in the light.” -Artist/Missionary Lilias Trotter
The emotions of the darkness often keep us from seeing clearly. When hardship comes, we’re tempted by the enemy to wholesale doubt God. But, there is sin and brokenness in this world, hardships happen, and the hope of Christianity is that God uses our darkness for good – to bring us to cling more closely to Jesus, to have deeper dependency, etc. Recall His Faithfulness, Not in the Conditional Concessions, But the eternal confidence of the cross.
It very well could be that on the other side of these doubts, God is preparing you for a breakthrough of confidence, trust, and love for Him. A refining could come through the furnace of doubt and struggle. Engage them. Don’t fear them. God is greater than them, and He will hold up against the doubts as you seek Him by His Spirit, with His people.
Analogy – Doubt is compared to immunization. In immunization, the Dr. gives a small dose of the virus, and the body builds up antibodies to fight it. In the spiritual realm, the doubt very well might be a “small dose of the virus” that faith then builds up antibodies to to strengthen.
You may never experience that if you don’t engage your doubts, though.
When we find ourselves doubting, the risen Jesus mercifully meets us and resurrects our belief.
When we find ourselves doubting, the risen Jesus mercifully meets us and resurrects our belief.
One theologian I read that wrote of this doubt of Thomas gets to the core of Jesus’ heart towards our struggles and doubts.
He made further advances.
He made further advances.
He continued to advance on Thomas’ heart. He didn’t have to. He could have said, You ought to believe. I’ve shown you enough. But He mercifully didn’t. He made further advances. He made further advances. And He’s making further advances on you and I. That we might be brought to a place where our hearts are melted to His goodness, love, and grace, and say with Thomas and all the saints, “My Lord and My God.”
This is our Resurrection Rendezvous
Jesus turns doubters into disciples. He turns demands into declarations. He turns conditions of belief into confessions of wholehearted trust.
Questions for Response |
What are your conditions to continued belief? Where is Jesus making further advances on your heart? What are the, God, if you took away _________ , I don’t know how I’d trust your goodness. Turn to Him with those struggles, look to His gospel love, and ask Him for strengthening grace to say, “though You slay me, yet I will praise you” because He’s given us full trust in His goodness by the cross and resurrection.
We don’t question your fairness when the unfairness goes upon someone else – namely, Jesus. We don’t say, “God, how could you be good?! You did this terrible thing to Jesus when He didn’t deserve ANY of it.” Might we become more and more resting in your love for us, and trusting in your love for us. That we might not demand things of you, seeking to be God and define what should or shouldn’t under the guise of “goodness” – when it’s really often more about “good for us” (self-good, pride).
Are you doubting ‘away’ from God? Are you living with divided loyalty-one foot in the world, one foot with Jesus. Two souls. In faith repent, confess that to Him. Look to His grace, and seek to bring your doubts before Him in prayer.
Are there any sin struggles that are eating away at your confidence? Bring them before God, confess them and find His mercy for you, and trust because of your ability, but because of His certain mercy and grace.
Where are you burying your doubts, or burying the doubts of others? Engage them. Let’s be a church that is safe for doubt, doesn’t dismiss it, but engages it with the truth of God’s Word and people. Let’s be Jude 22 people.
22 And have mercy on those who doubt;
Have you yet to surrender to His advances on your heart? Today is the day of salvation. Confess your sins, trust His sacrifice, and find eternal life in His name.