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.

     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.  Obviously, there is a point of time when the rubber meets the road.  I
        In this life, just like the annual season, you will physically decay and grow old and die.  There is much to be said about the Fall season. In the Fall, there is the full mature growth of life--beautiful colors happens--you see some of the fruit of your labor, but now the very colors are the result of decay--the decisions have been made and there is no beginning again, and eventually this very colorful fall eventually ends.  Some winter seasons are hard and some not.
        However, what follows winter's dark cold season is the glorious Spring with its burst of life.
        Some ignore the fact of this hard season and do this in various ways, but that season will happen.  We used to prepare for the cold winter by going out and cutting wood for the warm fire.  Gathering fuel-wood for our fire was preparing for this hard season. So how do we gather fuel for this hard cold season today?  While some still gather wood most are saved from this labor by someone doing it for us, and we simply turn up the thermostat.
         Leaving the seasons analogy--the last season--usually the hard cold season is our death. It will happen!  But there is hope--just like preparing for the cold winter we need to prepare for it. How?
         This is not dependant on my goodness!  Praise the Lord my salvatiton is not based on my  failures or my successes.  "Not by works of righteousness which I have done, but according to His  mercy He saves us....that being justified by His grace according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:5-7 .  "God so loved the world(us) that He sent His Son to die for us...." John 3:16
        It's like that hymn: "What more can He say than that which He has said...." There is no other place to go--that's the truth.J
        You do need to turn on the heat--turn up the thermostat--accept God's love offering--accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.

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. In the 16th chapter, Mark tells us: "Mary Magdalene... went and reported to those who had been with Him while they were mourning and weeping. And when they heard that, He was alive, and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it." Verses 9 – 11

Luke 24:10-11, "Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. And these words appeared to them it's nonsense, and they would not believe them."

      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 his 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 (Deuteronomy 21: 22-23).
     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. 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."
    

      In other appearances, Luke 24:36-44 "period.. While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst. But they were startled in frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them,' Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your  hearts? See My hands  and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and say, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.' And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. And while he still could not believe it or joy and were marveling, He said to them,' Have you anything here to eat?'
And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate in their sight. Now He said to them,' These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and Prophets and the Psalms must be filled."

       I don't mean 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).

    I believe, empirical evidence, does influence our belief and in our commitment.  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?