Podcast Host/Commentator (14:56)
Should our faith require evidence? Now that's a tricky question. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith doesn't require evidence. Faith is our evidence. Does that make you uncomfortable? It should a little bit. Faith isn't supposed to be grounded in material things necessarily. Faith is an embodied belief that what we have heard from God is true, therefore we act upon that truth. The evidence often comes later, once we start living out our faith and our lives begin to change. I find it interesting that the Gospel of John often emphasizes belief based on witnessing the miraculous. But at the very end, we are encouraged to believe even though we haven't seen Jesus ourselves. All throughout the Gospel of John, people are discovering who Jesus is through his miracles and acts of compassion. But Peter has some profound insight into what cultivates faith true and abiding faith. He said this in Second Peter one for we did not follow cleverly devised myths, and we have made known to you the power of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But we were eyewitnesses to his majesty. For when we received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the majestic glory, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. We ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven. For we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention to as a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man. But men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Peter got to behold miraculous things. He even saw the heavens open up wide. And he heard a voice booming, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. But Peter said that the word of God is more substantial than witnessing miracles. The fulfilled prophecies, proclaimed words and story arcs of redemption serve our hearts even more than seeing a few miracles. This emphasis is not merely about physical seeing, but understanding and accepting the revelation of God in Christ. Thomas Doubt is not unique. We shouldn't be too harsh with him. His doubt was more than intellectual skepticism. Doubt in God rarely boils down to a simple lack of evidence. A mentor of mine was once in a room with a skeptic. This man said that if he had saw a miracle, then he would believe in Jesus. So this pastor challenged him. He said, if I cut off my hand right now and you saw it grow right before your eyes, would you then confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Would you sell everything you had? And would you dedicate your life to the mission field? Would you admit your sins and your shortcomings and start to live a life of purity, righteousness and striving after God? The man paused. He considered the question, considered if that type of miracle, a hand regrowing right before his eyes, would be sufficient to change his heart. The man shrugged, pursed his lips and said, well, maybe, but maybe not. Doubt in God rarely boils down to a simple lack of evidence. Usually there is more at work underneath the surface when people doubt God. There's shame from past sins, there's trials and hurt that they haven't worked through. Maybe there's church hurt and they've been betrayed by trusted members of God's people. Doubt is rarely skin deep, and the miraculous is rarely enough to convince our calloused hearts. Remember that the Pharisees and the priests Also witnessed miracles. Remember, the people of Israel had witnessed God do amazing things by sending plagues to free them from Egypt. They had walked through parted seas. They had seen manna fall from heaven and water come from rocks. But even still, they erected a statue in place of God. They worshiped the golden calf. So all these miracles were not enough for the people of Israel to change course. Miracles aren't simply enough. The physical evidence of God's presence is not enough. There has to be a transformation of the heart. And there has to be something that the Word of God does to change our lives. Thomas Doubt is a deeply human response. It's crucial to acknowledge doubt as a part of the faith journey, not as the antithesis of it. Even John the Baptist struggled with his faith. Like Thomas, many experience disappointment or loss that can lead to their skepticism. Today's episode invites us to bring our doubts to Jesus and not to hide them. When we harbor doubt and refuse to process things, it can lead to bitterness. Thomas heart grew calloused when he contrasted his lack of faith with the disciples. Don't compare your faith to others. Bring the real you to the real Jesus. Wrestle with your doubt, ask questions and be honest with God and yourself. This will lead to healing and a stronger faith. Eventually, Thomas Doubt was multifaceted. He had to wrestle with his unmet expectations. He, like many Jews of the time, had probably assumed the Messiah was supposed to overthrow Rome. But Jesus didn't meet his expectations. You see, when we project our own expectations onto God and he doesn't meet those expectations, we set ourselves up for failure. Anchoring ourselves in God's word is crucial so we don't unfairly assume something about God that He has not declared about Himself. For example, many people believe that if you follow Jesus, you will become wealthy and never get sick. I, Pastor Zach, right now, am dealing with a cold. I'm a follower of Jesus. I'm faithful to Him. Why am I sick right now? You see, many preachers have dedicated their entire careers to convincing you that God will always make you happy, wealthy and healthy. But what happens when you lose your job? What happens when family members mock you for your faith? What happens when you get a bad diagnosis? If your faith is anchored in false promises and expectations, you're going to open yourself up to doubt. But if you read God's Word, you'll know that hardship is a part of your faith journey. You'll know that God doesn't heal everybody. But if you're ignorant to His Word, your faith will crumble under unmet expectations. Another nugget of wisdom found in this episode is that faith is often a journey. This is something that we explored with Peter and will continue to explore. Thomas doesn't believe Jesus right away. He needs to go through his own process of doubt and then eventually finding faith. Let this encourage anyone with friends or family who have not yet believed. Some people take more time than others. Moments of doubt don't define our entire lives. How we respond to them, though, does. Thomas response to Jesus can be an encouragement to persevere in our faith, ask questions, but eventually find hope in the presence of God. Wherever you are in your journey today, I pray God's love and grace over you. May he reveal Himself to you through His Word and the loving community of Christ Church. Thomas Story is a powerful testament to the journey from skepticism to faith. It's a reminder that doubt, when confronted with the truth of Christ's presence, can lead to a deeper, more authentic faith, an abiding faith that's stronger than it was before. As modern day believers, we are called to trust in the risen Christ even though we haven't seen him, and to find strength and assurance in the reality of his resurrection, even if we haven't beheld him ourselves. I pray today's story has blessed you and will continue to bless you as you meditate on it. 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