THOMAS, THE APOSTLE – A “DOUBTING” MARTYR
July 3, 2025WHAT WOULD IT BE?
July 5, 2025Everyone wants God to be on their side. Who does not want? We long for God to stand on our side. We want God to Preserve, Protect and Provide all what we need. God on His part, wants to be with us too.
– “23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. 24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” – Psalm 31:23-24
If my guess is correct, most of us see only the following words from the above scripture portion…
– “the LORD PRESERVETH the faithful”
– “PLENTIFULLY REWARDETH the proud doer”
– “Be of good COURAGE”
– “HE SHALL STRENGTHEN YOUR HEART”
There is nothing inherently wrong with such a position. The statements are all true. God will do all what He has promised in the Bible. There are no second thoughts about it. God of the Bible is righteous and just. He will honour His word. However, what most of us miss are the following words…
– “the LORD preserveth the FAITHFUL”
– “all ye that HOPE in the LORD”
The key to the fulfilment of every promise in the Bible is our FAITH in the LORD, and our OBEDIENCE to God.
– “6 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
– “22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry…” – 1 Samuel 15:22-23
FAITH is to believe in God and His goodness, grace, and mercy. This is what it does to a lost sinner, walking towards hell…
– “When God’s righteousness is mentioned in the gospel, it is God’s action of declaring righteous the unrighteous sinner who has faith in Jesus Christ. The righteousness by which a person is justified (declared righteous) is not his own but that of another, Christ.” – Martin Luther
– “Only through repentance and faith in Christ can anyone be saved. No religious activity will be sufficient, only true faith in Jesus Christ alone.” – Ravi Zacharias
OBEDIENCE to God is to do, all what He is asking of us. This is the way to our joy, peace and contentment in life. In fact, this is terribly way approved by God for every blessing that is ever promised by God.
– “Obedience to God’s will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but willingness to DO (obey) God’s will that brings certainty.” – Eric Liddle
– “I believe Christians often perceive obedience to God as some test designed just to see if we’re really committed to Him. But what if it’s designed as God’s way of giving us what’s best for us?” – Craig Groeschel
It is good to desire the blessings of God. However, we as Christians, should never forget that, we are called to FAITH and OBEDIENCE in the LORD. Only this will bring blessings into our lives. May we see the truth and walk upon it in FAITH and OBEDIENCE. Even so, the LORD help us.
