Raised From The Dead

“Blessed are those who have not seen

and yet have believed”

John 20:29

We have but two rational choices in response to biblical presentation of the existence, description, and meaning of the spirit world.  We can refuse to accept any claim to truth unless it can be verified by the senses, however enhanced by technology, that measure the material realm.  Or, we can reason that on the grounds of sufficient historical and present testimony, a claim to truth may be accepted as trustworthy.  In fact, we do accept circumstantial evidence in most cases anyway while claiming objectivity and rationality as our intellectual basis.

In other words, if claims to any truth could only be validated by hard and fast irrefutable proof putting an end to all questions, then nothing is believable.  Jesus knew this.  His explanation for unbelief was unbelief!  When the Pharisees insisted on Jesus telling them who he was, Jesus responded by telling them, “I told you but you will not believe me--or the miracles --or my Father’s testimony”.

Let’s credit Thomas for being intellectually honest and consistent.  Both are difficult.  If there is one-thing post-modern trends indicate it is a lack of intellectual integrity.  All the while we claim to be scientifically based and ‘rational’ in our approach to life and its questions, we constantly apply the practice of faith in the face of a lack of evidence.  

It is ironic that at the end of the twentieth century, religion is far from dead.  To the degree that religion still seeks answers to ancient questions, the world is quite a spiritual place.  Our quest to find life on other planets is likely driven by the hope that we will finally get help in explaining our own existence.  Ancient earth cults are springing up again as paganism lives along side revolutionary scientific advances in all fields of endeavor.  Indeed, scientific skepticism has proven to be anti-humanist in its consequences.  People are reduced to thinking of themselves as animals or machines.

Man is suffering from spiritual famine. His loss of identity, meaning, and hope has left him in spiritual despair.  The false god of self, promoted as the stepping stone to human evolution, in a universe of coincidental accidents of time plus chance occurrences, has left man empty of his rightful dignity and glory.  We are more ignorant than ever!

Those who have held firm to the testimony of Jesus Christ have suffered every form of persecution in the twentieth century.  In the Marxist materialist utopias, man has suffered degradation in subservience to the governing statism elites.  In the capitalist materialist utopias, man has suffered degradation in subservience to the governing socio-economic elites.  No one has found happiness because both are materialist.  All have found emptiness in the materialist worldview however applied. 

All the while the True Church has been forced underground.  In some places the messengers have been murdered so the message would be silenced.  In other places, the Church has been shamed and intimidated into silence.  Cast out of the market place.   Because the message of Jesus Christ is the enemy of modern scientific skepticism and religious fundamentalism it is assailed.  Unbelief in all forms would persecute the True Christian because his is the only voice of spiritual authority in the world.

Any and all religions will be tolerated.  But the actual message of Jesus Christ cannot be tolerated.  He is the enemy of the Lie in all its forms, be they political, scientific, economic, or religious.  Man has grasped for control over life and failed.  God is in control and He will not be silenced.  For all the powerful attacks on the Truth, from within us in our doubts, and from without us, because we are a threat to the humanist order, the testimony of Jesus Christ will proceed until it has completed its work.

If you have believed in the testimony of Jesus Christ you are blessed, or happy.  Life as we know it is far from perfect and complete.  But the one who knows God is substantially better off through the confidence gained and the hope secured in resurrection. We believe what we cannot see. 

We have read the historic testimony and we have had our minds illumined by revelation. That makes us sophisticated and wise in God’s economy.  God has revealed Himself to us and we have believed Him and received Him.  This is our happine