“I Won’t Believe it Until I See it!”

We believe in many things that we can't see everyday. Ask a skeptic if he has ever seen the wind. Has he seen history? Has he ever seen his brain? We see the effects of the wind, but the wind is invisible. We have records of history, but it is by "faith" that we believe certain historical evens happened. Television waves are invisible, but an antenna and a receiver can detect their presence. For the unregenerate man likewise has a "receiver." However, the receiver (Spirit) is dead because of sin.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins." (Ephesians 2:1,2)

Faith without seeing reminds me of an event in the Bible when Jesus was seen by Mary Magdalen after his resurrection from the grave. Jesus told her not to touch Him as he had not yet ascended to the Father. Jesus tells her to tell his disciples that he is risen.

Mary did as the Lord commanded but her news was met with mixed emotions from the disciples. However, that same night when the doors were shut the disciples assembled, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When Jesus said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord alive. They soon told Thomas, as he was not with them when the Lord first appeared. Thomas stated he would not believe until he saw the nail scarred hands and feet for himself.

Then eight days later when the disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them this time. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Then immediately Jesus looked at Thomas, and said, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen an yet have believed." (John 20:28,29)

Jesus came to give back what was lost when Adam and Eve sinned. God's Holy Spirit which is God's “receiver” so that we can understand His Word and the “Spiritual” things that we are unable to see or understand by our ungenerated mind. Jesus generates our mind with His Spirit and Word.

Once we turn to Jesus, and believe that He died for our sins, and ask Christ into our heart, can we become born again “Spiritually.” This a real experience that the church has failed to make clear. There is a real change in a person when God’s Spirit comes into their heart in a spiritual awakening of growth that makes us alive “spiritually.”

It’s then, that we truly understand the magnitude of the statement:

“I was blind but now - I see!.”