Seeing Is Not Believing

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31)

Our text follows our Lord’s appearance to Thomas. Thomas had heard the news that Jesus had risen from the dead, but he refused to believe it. “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25). Often we too can be like Thomas. Unless we see some evidence, we are unwilling to take God at His word and believe His promises to us. It matters not that the whole of creation proclaims His glory: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20); yet we insist on seeing something new, something fresh.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says that “faith is the substance [Greek: hupóstasis – a setting under, a support or a foundation] of things hoped for, the evidence [Greek: élengchos – proof or conviction] of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Abraham is someone who had faith in “things not seen.” God promised Abraham that his descendents would be numbered as the stars in the heavens. At the time, Abraham was childless and far advanced in years. He sojourned from place to place without a parcel of land to call his own, much less an heir to establish a nation. Yet “he believed in the Lord; and he [the Lord] counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

It is “through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). “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” (Hebrews 11:6). God gave us His Word so that we could believe without seeing.

The Same Old Story

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Genesis 3:6)

Solomon lamentably commenting on human affairs rightly stated, “there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Satan’s tactics have not changed. He still tries to cast doubt on God’s Word: “Yea, hath God said, ‘Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden’" (Genesis 3:1). He still attempts to defame God’s Word: “Ye shall not surely die!” (Genesis 3:4), and he still endeavors to denigrate God’s character: “God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5).

Sadly, humans still fall for the same old temptations: “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). From our text, “the woman saw that the tree was good for food” – the lust of the flesh; “it was a pleasant to the eyes” – the lust of the eyes, and “a tree to be desired to make one wise” – the pride of life.

In 6000 years, nothing has changed; Satan still employs the same strategies, and people still fall for the same old temptations. The good news is that “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). To all who believe in Him, He has given the power to become sons of God (John 1:12), and with that power comes the strength to “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). For the believer, it does not have to be the same old story!

God's Limit

My spirit shall not always strive with man, … (Genesis 6:3)

It seems out of character for God to run out of patience. We know God to be infinite in love and mercy. “The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression …” (Numbers 14:18). The word translated “longsuffering” is actually a Hebrew construct of two words: ’arek, which means long, patient or slow, and ’aph meaning nose or nostril and implies the flaring of the nostrils in anger. So the sense here is that the Lord is patient or slow to anger, but this does not imply infinite patience.

Peter writes, “The Lord is … longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Greek word translated “longsuffering” is makrothuméo, which means to be long-spirited. The Spirit could take revenge, if He liked, but refuses to do so. The word also means “forbearing,” that is, to hold back from doing something. God is within His rights to call down judgment upon every sinner, but He is holding back.

In our text, the Hebrew word translated “strive” is duwn and it means to judge. Jesus, speaking of the Holy Spirit said that, “he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8), but this striving has its limits. “Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men … whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matthew 12:31-32). God is infinite in his love and mercy, but He has set a limit on His patience.