COMMITTMENT AND TRUST
SOME PROBLEMS WITH DOUBT
Some years ago, in a discussion that I had with my physician, I had said," yes, I realize continuing like that could mean an early death, but that's all right, I'm ready for death. For years, I preached that 'the next life is where we recieved our Christian reward ."
My doctor, who was an older physician, was known as a Christian. And he pretty much lived that way. He would also come out with the truth in any conversation, almost to the point of being abrupt. So I was somewhat surprised by his response to my statement.
He looked at me in a sidewise glance. "Yes, that's what we say, but deep down, we all have some doubt."
Naturally, we may experience doubt occasionally. But, I believe, that's like experiencing temptation. It comes and it goes. I'm certainly no judge of this doctor . Perhaps, he only expressed some passing doubt. Obviously, as a doctor he had gone through many years of education, and even if some things he studied had some doubtful conclusions(biological origins, etc.) he had to have developed good study habits and decision making. And death (both Christians and non-Christians) would be an event he must have witnessed on many occasions.
However, as I thought about his conversation and my own belief, uncertainty would certainly influence my own commitment. Personally, my desire had long ago focused on trusting and committing my life in Jesus Christ and following Him. This hasn't always been successful in following Him, because I often fail. But there is no other place to go--that's the truth.
DEALING WITH DOUBTS AND BELIEFs, AND COMMITTMENT
The Gospels tell us the Jesus' first followers, including the apostles, certainly had doubt and disbelief.
The Gospels have a good account of this. When they heard that, He was alive, and had been seen, they refused to believe it.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn,
they(the women), and some others came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had
prepared.
They found the stone
rolled away from the tomb. 3 They entered in, and didn`t find the Lord Jesus`
body. 4 It happened, while they were greatly perplexed about this, behold, two
men stood by them in dazzling clothing. 5 Becoming terrified, they bowed their
faces down to the earth. They said to them, "Why do you seek the living among
the dead? 6 He isn`t here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was
still in Galilee7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the
hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. They
remembered his words, and returned from the tomb, and told all these things to
the eleven, and to all the rest....Luke 24:1-9
MARK 16:10-13 "She(Mary
Magdalene) went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
When they heard that he was alive, and
had been seen by her, they disbelieved.
After these things he was revealed in another form
to two of them, (two believers going to Emmaus) as they walked, on their way
into the country. They went away and told it to the rest.(Apostles) They didn`t
believe them, either."
LUKE 24:10 Now they
were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. The other women with
them told these things to the apostles. These words seemed to them to be nonsense, and
they didn't believe them.
MARK 16:14 "Afterward he was revealed to the eleven
themselves (the Apostles) as they sat at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and
hardness of heart, because they didn`t believe those who had seen him after he
had risen."
John puts it this way, "But Thomas one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore were saying to him,' We had seen the Lord!' But he said to them,' Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side I will not believe." John 20:24-25
How did Jesus Christ deal with the doubt that came to His followers?
John 20:26-31, "And after eight days again His disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shot, and stood in their midst, and said,'Peace be with you. Then He said to Thomas,' Reach here your finger, and see My hand; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.' Thomas answered and said to Him,' My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him,' Because you have seen me, have you believe? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believe.'" Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book: but these things have been written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
"After that He appeared to more than 500 brother at one time, most of whom remain (are still alive) until now, but some have fallen asleep: then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles...." 1 Corinthians 15:6-7
In the case of the Apostle Paul, over three years had passed, and Jesus Christ makes this other extraordinary, very dramatic, appearance.
The apostle Paul, then called Saul, was a dedicated opponent of Christianity. At the time of his conversion to following Christ, he was on his way to a major city on a foreign country to root out the followers of Christ and bring them back to Jerusalem for execution. All of his life he had been raised as a strict Jew and follower of Judaism. He knew that Christianity had to be false. After all, Christianity's founder, who hung on across, had to be cursed, according to their law
THE MAN THAT HANGS ON A CROSS IS CURSED OF GOD
23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;)
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: GALATIANS 3:13
JESUS CHRIST SUFFERED ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
FOR SAUL-PAUL TO SEE JESUS CHRIST 3 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS--SAUL UNDERSTOOD THIS INSTANTLY--IT COULD MEAN ONLY ONE THING
Nothing less than the risen Jesus Christ confronting Saul face to face would have changed his mind so radically. And that's exactly what happened. Totally convinced and committed, this man
went out with a radically changed message.
Paul speaks about Jesus appearing to him. He's says he was "...trying to destroy the church persecuting it and he was advancing and Judaism beyond many of his contemporaries and countrymen. He was extremely zealous of his ancestral tradition. But when He who had set me apart... Called the through His grace was pleased to reveal His Son and me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles."
Obviously, Jesus Christ, in his appearing, changed everything for Paul... This was true in the lives of his apostles and followers. As the Gospels testify, news that Jesus appeared to her resurrected could not be true, in fact, , Luke 24:11 tells us, when the women "... Told these things I to the apostles. And their words seem to them as idle tales and they believed them not." The New American Standard Version translates this even stronger: "these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them."
IT'S NOT LIKELY that Jesus Christ is going to make an appearance before you to get you to believe. But there is empirical evidence that we need to appreciate.
Jesus Christ gave the church – you and I as the "called out" believers a commission to tell others and make disciples." (Matthew 28:19-20). "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8).
. Obviously we must thoroughly check out evidence that we present, but I belive, we often dismiss some things from hearsay and without study. Have you really studied the shroud of Turin? Is there any medical evidence on the resurrection? Science for many of the other things that have happened in science or space?
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