Truly, God’s gift of life to us is eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
Truly, God’s gift of life to us is eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
In regard to Loyd Clayton’s article about “I’m a believer with doubts about God.” It is an honest assessment of where we find ourselves both without God and even those that love God and have served Him for many years.
However, the Scripture tells us that we must approach God in faith and that is how we begin our relationship with the living God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Also, we find in (Hebrews 11:6) “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” The writer to the Hebrews, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has placed this emphatic Scripture in the context of highlighting the heroes of faith.
John the Baptist was in prison and not far from death when he sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another”? Even this great forerunner to God had doubts as to who Jesus was, even this same man that acknowledged that Jesus was “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
Jesus replied to John’s disciples to tell John of all the things that you hear about and see and then says in (Mt. 11:6) “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”
Later, Jesus gave a wonderful tribute referring to John and saying “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Jesus was able to respond to this man on the basis of his doubt and bring to light the very things that were in doubt (Mt. 11:11).
Most people, Christians or not, have heard of “doubting Thomas.” Thomas made the statement in (John 20:25) “But he said unto them, except I shall see I his hands, the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
Later, when Jesus approached the disciples, He said specifically to Thomas to “reach thy finger, and behold my hands and my side.”
Jesus then made a very powerful statement “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
In seeking God at any level requires an honesty of where we really are in our belief of Him, but yet a reverent respect of whom He is and has always been, “the lamb that was slain from the foundations of the earth.”
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Pat Thompson is a resident of Kekaha.
