December 10th 2017
Believing God, Allows You To See, Doubt Causes Blindness!
1Peter 1:8-9(NIV)
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
During this Advent season we are looking forward again to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many people in this world today, do not share this optimistic view of reality, as they cannot comprehend this miraculous event, as being a real event. Most of the people on this earth today do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Do You? Have you ever seen Jesus Christ in person? Yes, I know some will answer this question positively, and I believe it is possible for Jesus to appear to a member of mankind, as nothing is impossible for God! However, it seems unlikely that Jesus would elect to show Himself to anyone in this world. Remember, He will appear to ALL of mankind, when He returns to rapture ALL the believers, and take them back with Him to where He resides!
In the selected verses Peter is teaching us about the need to love Jesus, even though you have possibly not actually seen Him. Please note here, Peter did see Jesus, and spent three years working with Jesus in His earthly ministry. This short ministry changed the world forever, because it is based on the absolute truth, as Jesus is God, and thus cannot lie. While Jesus lived on this earth as a man, He healed many people of diseases, and even returned people from death back to life. One such miracle was when Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth. Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshipped him. Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." (John 9:38-39). This man who had just been healed believed Jesus was God, and thus, he worshipped Him. Then Jesus told this man, and us, that there will always be people in this world, who have physical sight, but they will not be able to see the truth about who Jesus is, and therefore, they will not worship Jesus!
Some people say, “seeing is believing” in the real world, and Political Correctness allows us to accept people as they are, and thus leave them as they are, they do not try to change them. However, grace causes us to believe what is unseen, and allows us to accept people as they are, but that grace causes us to love them, our neighbors, and thus compels us to love them enough to share with them the love of Jesus. Through grace, “believing is seeing,” and we see this world as a temporary dwelling place where the love of God is only expressed by believers of God’s Son. Jesus is the only Messiah that God sent into this evil world. His salvation is available to ALL the members of mankind. There is no other Savior by which mankind can be saved!
John wrote about this ability to believe without seeing, because salvation opens our hearts to know Jesus without the need to actually see Him. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1John 5:10-12). Everyone’s eternal life with God is determined by our faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! Paul wrote about the power of the Scriptures, and about the salvation of everyone who believes. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (Romans 1:16). Do you spend time every day reading YOUR Bible? The message the Bible brings is a personal message to everyone who avails themselves of God’s Word.
Paul wrote to Timothy about his need to study the Scriptures, so he could impart its message to all those to whom he would minister. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2Timothy 3:16-17). Please believe it, the Scriptures have been written by men to whom God revealed the so-called secrets of God. Fulfilled prophesies in the Bible prove that it was a revelation from God to those who wrote it! God’s guidance for it has kept it accurate for all these thousands of years too. If that is not enough, Jesus left the Holy Spirit behind on this earth to give guidance and understanding for those who read God’s Word every day!
John wrote about the spirits in this evil world, and how they will try to misguide people to seek salvation from some member of mankind who claims to be a profit of God, or even claims to be a god. Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1John 4:1-3). Based on this writing from John, we can be certain there are many antichrists in this world. Paul helps to clarify who the only Messiah is! Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, for ever praised! Amen. (Romans 9:5). Note what Paul wrote here about who Jesus is, “Christ, who is God over all!” It was prophesied that Jesus would come into this world by being born of a virgin, and here we are again celebrating this wonderful event.
Do not feel bad if you struggle with believing this wonderful account of God being born into this world by a member of mankind, who was by the way, a virgin! You would be included in a large crowd on unbelievers as most of the world does not believe it actually happened. However, remember this crowd is heading for hell, when they leave this lifetime! Remember too, how one of Jesus’ disciples who lived with Him for three years did not believe Jesus had come back from the dead. Yes, I know that this is not the story of Jesus birth, and what Advent is about, but believing it is a faith requirement too. This commentary will close with the story of a doubting Thomas. Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20: 24-29). Grace allows you to believe without seeing!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1Peter 1:8-9(NIV)
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
During this Advent season we are looking forward again to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many people in this world today, do not share this optimistic view of reality, as they cannot comprehend this miraculous event, as being a real event. Most of the people on this earth today do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Do You? Have you ever seen Jesus Christ in person? Yes, I know some will answer this question positively, and I believe it is possible for Jesus to appear to a member of mankind, as nothing is impossible for God! However, it seems unlikely that Jesus would elect to show Himself to anyone in this world. Remember, He will appear to ALL of mankind, when He returns to rapture ALL the believers, and take them back with Him to where He resides!
In the selected verses Peter is teaching us about the need to love Jesus, even though you have possibly not actually seen Him. Please note here, Peter did see Jesus, and spent three years working with Jesus in His earthly ministry. This short ministry changed the world forever, because it is based on the absolute truth, as Jesus is God, and thus cannot lie. While Jesus lived on this earth as a man, He healed many people of diseases, and even returned people from death back to life. One such miracle was when Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth. Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshipped him. Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." (John 9:38-39). This man who had just been healed believed Jesus was God, and thus, he worshipped Him. Then Jesus told this man, and us, that there will always be people in this world, who have physical sight, but they will not be able to see the truth about who Jesus is, and therefore, they will not worship Jesus!
Some people say, “seeing is believing” in the real world, and Political Correctness allows us to accept people as they are, and thus leave them as they are, they do not try to change them. However, grace causes us to believe what is unseen, and allows us to accept people as they are, but that grace causes us to love them, our neighbors, and thus compels us to love them enough to share with them the love of Jesus. Through grace, “believing is seeing,” and we see this world as a temporary dwelling place where the love of God is only expressed by believers of God’s Son. Jesus is the only Messiah that God sent into this evil world. His salvation is available to ALL the members of mankind. There is no other Savior by which mankind can be saved!
John wrote about this ability to believe without seeing, because salvation opens our hearts to know Jesus without the need to actually see Him. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1John 5:10-12). Everyone’s eternal life with God is determined by our faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! Paul wrote about the power of the Scriptures, and about the salvation of everyone who believes. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (Romans 1:16). Do you spend time every day reading YOUR Bible? The message the Bible brings is a personal message to everyone who avails themselves of God’s Word.
Paul wrote to Timothy about his need to study the Scriptures, so he could impart its message to all those to whom he would minister. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2Timothy 3:16-17). Please believe it, the Scriptures have been written by men to whom God revealed the so-called secrets of God. Fulfilled prophesies in the Bible prove that it was a revelation from God to those who wrote it! God’s guidance for it has kept it accurate for all these thousands of years too. If that is not enough, Jesus left the Holy Spirit behind on this earth to give guidance and understanding for those who read God’s Word every day!
John wrote about the spirits in this evil world, and how they will try to misguide people to seek salvation from some member of mankind who claims to be a profit of God, or even claims to be a god. Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1John 4:1-3). Based on this writing from John, we can be certain there are many antichrists in this world. Paul helps to clarify who the only Messiah is! Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, for ever praised! Amen. (Romans 9:5). Note what Paul wrote here about who Jesus is, “Christ, who is God over all!” It was prophesied that Jesus would come into this world by being born of a virgin, and here we are again celebrating this wonderful event.
Do not feel bad if you struggle with believing this wonderful account of God being born into this world by a member of mankind, who was by the way, a virgin! You would be included in a large crowd on unbelievers as most of the world does not believe it actually happened. However, remember this crowd is heading for hell, when they leave this lifetime! Remember too, how one of Jesus’ disciples who lived with Him for three years did not believe Jesus had come back from the dead. Yes, I know that this is not the story of Jesus birth, and what Advent is about, but believing it is a faith requirement too. This commentary will close with the story of a doubting Thomas. Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20: 24-29). Grace allows you to believe without seeing!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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