"Okay", I thought. "This should be interesting."
Then the man proceeded to speak about all the evidences for Jesus' resurrection and how the accusations trying to dispel this fact - such as Jesus' body being stolen by his disciples - just didn't make sense.
I was immediately saddened to hear this. THAT is why he believes in Jesus? Because his mind tells him that such is the logical choice? What about when it comes to things he doesn't comprehend? What happens when someone is able to poke "logical" holes in his understanding?
It is wonderful to have logical evidence to support your faith in Jesus Christ. He is after all the logos (John 1:1, 14) and there are many evidences to His existence. However, that alone cannot be the foundation of your faith. Your faith in God cannot merely be the product of your own mind, your own way of thinking, or what you think is provable in the here and now. In such cases, you are no better off than the Buddhist or the Muslim, who have sincere faith, but are sincerely wrong.
"And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." I Corinthians 2:4-5
There is only one reason that you can have lasting faith in Christ, and that is because you have met and come to know Him...and He in turn lives in you.
The reason to believe in Christ is because He lives! He is real!
He is not the figment of an intellectual or logical mind. There is nothing to debate or argue. He lives. You can meet Him. You can know Him. You can speak to Him and hear from Him for yourself. He has likes and dislikes. He has a personality. He has preferences. There are things He demands and things He will not accept. You must get to know Him for yourself so that Jesus is no longer simply a religious idea. Don't be like those on Mars Hill, offering sacrifices to a God you do not know (Act 17:22-23).
How many people proclaim to believe in Jesus, but have never really come to know Him? Such a faith based upon the wisdom of man will not endure. Do not stop seeking Him until you too can say that you know Him.
How do I meet Him? I believe He is real. I have believed this most of my life. Yet, I still struggle with hearing. I keep asking what am I doing wrong. Why is it that in the Bible imperfect people hear from God all the time, yet I (being just as imperfect) can't hear. Maybe I really don't know Him. If you ask me "Have you met Jesus?" I will say, "I am born again," but that not the same thing is it?
ReplyDeleteI had the same struggle! And I felt "jealous" when reading or listen to the testimonies of people coming to Christ from different backgrounds by seeing Him in a dream, vision or hearing his voice. And here I am delighting in His word and I do not hear his voice loud (audible) , nor do I see Him...
DeleteBut I was reminded in Spirit: "Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29
I was born in a Christian country, raised in a Christian family; therefore, I believe that because I had faith in Him without "signs and wonders" I am also blessed and there is no reason for me to be "jealous" or to think that I haven't met Him just because I do not hear Him out loud or see Him visible .
At some point I wanted to stop praying because I felt Him so far away from me but this is not a godly attitude so I continue having Him as my Rock and Redeemer. After some time, one day...very recently actually, it was made known to me by Jesus how much He loves me. That day I was listening to former New Age Testimonies saved by Jesus; but later on that evening while having my time with the Lord in worship, He lead me in Spirit to the Book of Revelation 2:24-25
'But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them-- I place no other burden on you. 'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.
I was shudder when I read this! And, so happy too because from what I listen and read from former New Age Testimonies, Hindu and so on... is a scary thing to know the deep things of Satan.
Later on that evening while washing the dishes He lead me to rummage through the closet and there I find a book of Angel Cards I received as a gift, a friend of mine had it and I wanted too but I was quite "naive" at that time, I just came to America and I wasn't yet familiar with the other world views on God. I only knew Jesus :)
So, but I never really got into the Angel Cards and totally forgot about it...but when I found it the closet I knew that this is what Jesus have me look for and as I opened, now 5 years later I was shocked, in it was all this kinds of "yoga meditation" one card had what seemed to be Buddha under a tree and you needed to pray to all this angel cards and so on...even Archangel Michael was in that book of cards and it was published as what "Christians believe"
I cried for joy that Jesus protected me from this "deep things of Satan" and also I would like to mention that the friend of mine that first had the Angel Cards, it was a friend that I really looked up too, she is very "spirituality" and she also uses the name of Jesus but as I now look back, it was never about the power that is in His name but she would call Him, "baby Jesus"
A few years ago, when I was visiting her - she and I got into a discution about the Holy Spirit, and told me that Jesus is not the only Way, and that He is the reincarnation of Buddha, so after this I left her house and never saw each other. I reach to her but she never reach back to me. So, I thank God that He did not let me to be deceived.
So, to such person as this friend of mine, I hope and pray Jesus will speak or show Himself to her...just as He did to Paul on the road to Damascus.
My advice is that believe in the Lord Jesus and He will sooner or later honor your faith in Him.