Is seeing believing?

I have often been stumped by tough questions concerning God and His Being and His mighty works. I don’t feel so alone in my dilemma after studying the Bible this morning and reading about Nicodemus. He was a Rabbi and teacher of Israel and these were the most learned people concerning religion that existed and yet even he was stumped when Jesus was explaining the plan of salvation to him; specifically in how he must be “born again”. Nicodemus could not understand how someone who was old could be born again. Jesus patiently explained that he must be born of the Spirit of God as well as a fleshly birth.

Jesus told Nicodemus that He and His Apostles had told him of many things that had occurred and what was known and seen and yet he did not receive their witness. He then asked a rather poignant question, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” This reminds me of the Bible story about the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a poor beggar who sat in front of a certain rich man’s house each day to beg for scraps of food. He died and went to heaven and later the rich man who owned the home that Lazarus begged in front of each day died too and unfortunately ended up in Hell. The rich man was able to see Lazarus in all glory in heaven being held by Abraham.

The rich man was being tormented greatly and asked if Lazarus could bring him a drop of water to put on his parched tongue but was denied access and was told that a great gulf separated heaven and Hell and no one could bridge that gulf. The rich man then asked permission to allow Lazarus to at least go and speak to his brother who was still alive on earth and warn him about the terrible place that he was in and convince him not to end up in the same predicament as he had ended up. He was told that his brother would not believe, even if someone returned from the dead and warned him.

Isn’t it sad that people will not believe even when ample evidence is available? Jesus arose from the dead right on schedule, (just as He predicted that He would do), three days after His death on the cross. There were many witnesses to this event. When He was arrested, His Apostles had cowered and run away like scared rabbits. After witnessing His death, and then after His subsequent appearance to them and others, they went on to demonstrate unparalleled faith and their cowardice turned into fearless bravery as they were martyred and died cruel deaths for preaching the gospel. They had seen Jesus return from the dead and ascend into heaven and it transformed and convinced them.

I became a Christian in part because I became convinced of God’s truth after reading the Bible and looking at all of the prophecies that have been fulfilled right up to today. Israel being on the front page of the news today with “armies surrounding them” is just further daily reminder that there is a God and He is real and that we must believe in Him in order to be saved. Unfortunately we will not be told “heavenly things” in this lifetime and we must accept by faith the things that have happened and will happen in the future. If you are to survive you must get by the questions that cannot be understood in this lifetime with our limited ability to understand.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.