But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. “Why are you troubled?” He asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself! Touch me and see because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Luke 24:37-39 HCSB
In our scripture passage today, Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. But they didn’t believe. Now, who can fault them for this, because this is a lot to comprehend. Christianity is a lot for our finite human minds to comprehend. So I ask you, do you believe? You can’t kind of or sort of believe, either you do or you don’t? So, do you or don’t you? Do you believe God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to earth to be born of a virgin (John 3:16, Matthew 1:18-24)? Do you believe that Jesus grew up fully God and fully man (Philippians 2:7-8)? Do you believe Jesus performed miracles by healing the sick and bringing the dead to life (Matthew 8:3,John 11:38-44)? Do you believe Jesus set the perfect example for us of how we should live our lives (Ephesians 5:1)? Do you believe Jesus was nailed to the cross because of your sin and my sin (Isaiah 53:3-10)? Do you believe on the third day He was resurrected and walked among the people (Luke 24:1-49)? Do you believe he ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father (Mark 16:19)? Do you believe He sends His Holy Spirit to dwell in us (John 14:26) so that we might resist the temptation of the flesh?
That’s a lot to ponder, I know. But this is a very important question especially since I believe we are in the end times. I believe there are hard times coming. I believe that only those who are in Christ will be protected. Most importantly I believe all that I asked you about. Now there are those who don’t believe. Tread carefully here. If you believe, do what you can to convince them. But I warn you it’s kind of like assisting someone with their oxygen mask on a plane. You have to put yours on first. If you are going to argue the Bible, you need to know the Bible. This is why Bible study is so important. Many non-believers love to argue about the Bible. You can’t defend what’s in the Bible if you haven’t studied it.
Many will say they believe, but the real question is do your actions indicate that you believe? Do you live your life in a way that could lead others to Christ? Do you live your life in a way that shows your faith and not your lack of it? The Bible tells us that many churchgoers and those who claim to believe in the Lord and love the Lord will not make it into heaven. In Matthew 7:22 Jesus says, “On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we drive out demons in Your name and do many miracles in Your name? Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’
Believing in God and His Holy Word is a good start, but it’s not enough. We are told in James 2:19 that if we believe that there is one God, we are doing well, but even the demons believe this and tremble. If we truly believe, then it will show. Just like the little song we sang in our early years that goes, “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands, if you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.” If we truly believe it will be obvious to those around us.
It’s easy to say we believe, but it’s difficult to live out our belief. It’s not always easy to walk in faith. But if we maintain a close relationship with our Lord and Savior, He will help us every step of the way.
I truly believe that we are in the end times. I believe that it has never been more urgent for us to enter into a close, meaningful relationship with our Lord and Savior. We must trust in Him and be obedient to Him. We are also called to share the good news of the gospel with others. We shouldn’t just want to get to heaven, we should want to make sure that many others go also.
If you truly believe in Jesus Christ and believe that He died to save you from your sins draw near to Him before it’s too late.
Have a great day!