08/23/2020
As Christians, which do we find easiest to believe, is it that Jesus will forgive us our sins, or that He will miraculously heal us? This is an interesting question because when our sin is forgiven no one can effectively argue against what they can’t see, but, with a healing miracle all can see and touch the outcome... and arguments against them can ensue. So here is the question today; do you lean most on the spiritual or the physical aspects of your faith, and which brought you to believe?
“For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?”
Matthew 9:5 ESV
When we enter our prayer closets with tears of contrition, and ask God to forgive us, we reach a point in which we feel our sin being lifted, and the joy returns to us; at that moment we know we have been forgiven. Oh, what it must have been like to have been standing with Jesus and heard Him say “your sins are forgiven,” and not only felt that spiritual release, but had a profound physical experience as well.
“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 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.””
John 20:24-25 ESV
Seeing a miracle can make us like the apostle Thomas and immediately increase our faith, or, for some non-believers, it can become a point of contention in which they will search for alternate reasons why someone was healed, or some other miracle occurred. This doubt allows them to continue denying God’s intercession, but the combination of a physical experience with the call of faith, can draw many to believe...
“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.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””
John 20:27-29 ESV
So, some of us are like Thomas, and must personally see or feel something physically happening to us before we fully believe, while others are able to believe out of faith alone... and are blessed. Which way do we lean? Can we trust in the forgiveness of our sin without a physical sign, or must we have an earthly encounter with the Risen Lord before we can truly believe? More than that... does it really matter how we come to believe? Is believing by faith alone valued more than having been brought to our knees like Paul was, or touching the wounds of Jesus like Thomas?
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John 20:30-31 ESV
Miracles are all around us, and faith still abounds without the need for a sign to affirm it, but which of these brought you to believe in God, and Jesus Christ? Was it your faith more than the physical presence of God, or did it take both? What is your testimony, your story of believing, and do you stray away from one side of it or the other when you are witnessing? In His time of ministry, Jesus wasn’t reluctant to perform miracles, and He isn’t today. He also called those who believed by faith alone blessed. So deliver your full testimony... don’t be afraid to recall the miracles in your life because the world is full of Thomas’s, and that miracle you have hidden for so long might be exactly what someone needs to hear as they wrestle with believing.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the faith that leads us to you, and thank you also for the miracles that you perform for those of us who need more than faith alone to overcome their doubt, or to thrill them into believing. You have given us a spirit, and a body, Father, and by them together you have made us in your image. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who looks down on us from heaven, and also walks with us upon the earth. Praised be your name for calling us to believe in you, and for forgiving us of our sins by your mercy and grace. You are great Lord, and your ways astound us, both spiritually, and as you demonstrate your power on earth. Hold us tight in your arms Father, and breathe out your Holy Spirit upon us. Hear our prayers, and answer them in faith, and in miracles as well... in this way grow us in our belief in you. Hear our confessions of sin, and lead us to be with you forevermore; full in faith, and thrilled by your miracles throughout eternity. Increase us in love, and feed us at your table with manna, and Holy meat, then quench our thirst with the miraculous wedding wine of Jesus as we dine forever with you.
Rich Forbes