Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29
Thomas, one of the apostles, is most remembered because he was slow to accept anything as truth without sufficient evidence. In addition to his inclusion in the list of disciples’ names, Thomas is mentioned four other times in the biblical record. The first two of these incidents give us some insight on the passage in John 20. In John 11, Thomas makes a pessimistic and perhaps sarcastic statement about following Jesus to Lazarus’ tomb, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (11:16). On another occasion, when Jesus was explaining to the disciples that He was about to go to his Father’s house, Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (14:5).
But Thomas is best known for what occurred after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus appeared to the disciples, but Thomas was not with them at that time. When they told Thomas they had seen Jesus, he refused to believe them. Thomas believed only when he had sufficient evidence to convince him that this astounding miracle had actually occurred. His physical senses told him that Jesus was already dead. Without evidence, he wouldn’t believe.
Many people claim to have faith in Jesus and the Bible, but their faith is only in the realm of the mind—that is head-faith or “Thomas faith.” This is a very natural, human faith which says, “I am not going to believe anything unless I can see it and feel it!”
What we need is “Abraham faith” or heart-faith. Abraham did not consider physical knowledge or the glaring fact that he was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. He only considered the spiritual truth of God’s Word; that God was going to give him a promised son. And out of that son would come descendants as numerous as the sands on the seashore and stars in the night sky.
Real faith is built on the spiritual truths of God’s promises. While we don’t deny the problems, pain and other negative symptoms of life (for they may be very real), we look beyond them to God’s Word. Real faith says, “If God says it is so, it is so!” Period. Head-faith is just an intellectual acceptance, or mental assent, of certain facts and doctrines. That is not true Bible faith. It won’t produce results or changes in the lives of people. But heart-faith will always produce a definite change in people. Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness.”
Thomas, one of the apostles, is most remembered because he was slow to accept anything as truth without sufficient evidence. In addition to his inclusion in the list of disciples’ names, Thomas is mentioned four other times in the biblical record. The first two of these incidents give us some insight on the passage in John 20. In John 11, Thomas makes a pessimistic and perhaps sarcastic statement about following Jesus to Lazarus’ tomb, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (11:16). On another occasion, when Jesus was explaining to the disciples that He was about to go to his Father’s house, Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” (14:5).
But Thomas is best known for what occurred after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus appeared to the disciples, but Thomas was not with them at that time. When they told Thomas they had seen Jesus, he refused to believe them. Thomas believed only when he had sufficient evidence to convince him that this astounding miracle had actually occurred. His physical senses told him that Jesus was already dead. Without evidence, he wouldn’t believe.
Many people claim to have faith in Jesus and the Bible, but their faith is only in the realm of the mind—that is head-faith or “Thomas faith.” This is a very natural, human faith which says, “I am not going to believe anything unless I can see it and feel it!”
What we need is “Abraham faith” or heart-faith. Abraham did not consider physical knowledge or the glaring fact that he was 100 years old and Sarah was 90. He only considered the spiritual truth of God’s Word; that God was going to give him a promised son. And out of that son would come descendants as numerous as the sands on the seashore and stars in the night sky.
Real faith is built on the spiritual truths of God’s promises. While we don’t deny the problems, pain and other negative symptoms of life (for they may be very real), we look beyond them to God’s Word. Real faith says, “If God says it is so, it is so!” Period. Head-faith is just an intellectual acceptance, or mental assent, of certain facts and doctrines. That is not true Bible faith. It won’t produce results or changes in the lives of people. But heart-faith will always produce a definite change in people. Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness.”
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