Signs or Sayings, Belief acted upon by faith Are you into this “Christianity thing” to see and experience “miracles,” or “signs and wonders,” or are you intrigued by the metaphysical applications and depth of reasoning that some teachers of the Word seem to use? Are you going to a church meeting to feel vindicated, to feel “I’m not so bad,” or to be encouraged to keep striving for “pie-in-the-sky in the sweet by-and-by?!” Is it to give you an emotional boost, a recharge, or something with which to try and impress your friends with your own supposed spiritual savvy? Mark 8:12 And He sighed deeply in His spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. Luke 11:29 And when the people were gathered thick together, He began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 1Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: Paul, let’s look at your exposition here in context: 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; But unto us which are saved [IT, emphasis mine] it is the power of God. 1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Are you looking for signs and wonders until your theoretical belief becomes faith that leads to following Him, obeying Him, giving your all to Him as a “living sacrifice?” .... Don’t hold your breath! Matthew 13:58 And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Mark 6:6 And He marvelled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching. Mark 16:14 Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen. Finally, notice the compassionate rebuke of Thomas at the second “Sunday night” gathering in the upper room, as recorded in John’s Gospel. 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 20:25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 20:26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 20:27 Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and God. 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. You can reason with God, you can voice your argument or objection, hopefully though just questions ... even as He invited Israel to do in Isaiah 1, ... but you will find out that His will -- communicated by promise of benefit in obedience and bad things in disobedience -- will not change by your argument. He will hear, he already understands “where you are coming from,” but leave once YOU know where you stand and from where you NEED to LEAVE and come from disbelief into faith, from self-seeking into self-sacrifice to Him who sacrificed Himself for you.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 19:12:55 +0000
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