Believing with the Heart

Acts 4:32-35 Psalm 133 (UMH 850) 1 John 1:1-2:2 John 20:19-31

Like everything else in our society these days, we hear a lot of different and often contradictory things about Covid-19. Some beliefs are politically motivated, some are just personal opinions or wishful thinking, some we may have strong reactions for or against. Recently on the news, a young party-goer in Florida during Spring Break even claimed that the pandemic was over! Part of our uncertainty over what to believe is due to the fact that we are dealing with something too small for us to see. If it was a wildfire or some other natural disaster, we probably wouldn’t doubt how serious it was. We wouldn’t go for a stroll in a forest that was on fire or go swimming in flood waters. But we can’t go outside and see the virus waiting for victims, we can only see the results, and that is mostly on TV. What we can see are the long lines at restaurants, the many businesses that have closed, and we long to be with our loved ones but have to keep our distance. We get frustrated by such things and begin to wonder if the restrictions are worth it. Over time, we may have come to know more folks who have gotten sick or even died, but it still doesn’t seem real. There are so many things we have gone without, and at times we don’t really see a reason why.

Our faith can seem similar at times. We all know the old saying: “seeing is believing” but we also believe in the One who said: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." And as Paul tells us: “We live by faith and not by sight.” (2Co 5:7 CEB) Most of us have been doing this for so long that we may have forgotten why we came to faith. Unlike younger believers who want instant results, we may come to church out of habit more than out of need for some spiritual searching, we come because want to be here no matter what is going on in our lives. Not being able to see our church family leaves us feeling empty. Some critics may say that we only come for the socializing, but we have a longer view of our faith that teaches us to belong to a community, building trust in God over time. Others come seeking to “get something out of it” and are disappointed when they don’t. They want something in that moment, as if God is a cosmic vending machine, working on our time instead of His. But we know that the Spirit gives us what we need, even when we are not aware of it until later. Usually, we have to wait to be in alignment with God’s will and His timing.

I’m not sure just where pastor’s get their ideas for sermons, but if you listen to more than one within a certain time frame, you often hear similar things, often the same illustrations making the rounds. A few years ago, it seemed like many different pastors were saying: “believe as if it were true.” The frequency I heard this seemed suspicious, and I haven’t heard it for awhile, thank goodness, but at the time found it to be distressing. Were these pastors questioning the truth of the Bible? Were they saying believe it, even though they didn’t believe it themselves? As someone sitting in the pew or listening to the radio or TV, I did not find this saying to be particularly edifying.

We may not have been present see Jesus perform miracles or rise from the dead, but we do have the accounts of those who did. We don’t believe them “as if they were true”, we know in our hearts that they are true. As first John says:

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us-- we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. (1st John 1:1-4)

We base our faith on these eye-witness accounts, as well as the moving of the Spirit in our hearts as we read them and hear them proclaimed. Over time, as we seek to live God’s will according to Scripture, we know in our hearts the truth we read there. Our joy is made complete, at least as far as we are able to see it on this side of Heaven.

The story of “Doubting Thomas” is one of the first stories I heard as a kid, and it has always been challenging. It’s one that I can relate to and makes me ask what I am basing my faith on. John tells us:

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." (John 20:24-25)

We start as Thomas did, not present when Jesus made His post-resurrection experiences. Thomas would get a second chance, as Jesus comes to visit again, just for him, but we who come as those untimely born who did not get such a face-to-face encounter. In reading these stories, it often seems like a sudden conversion, like Paul’s experience on the way to Damascus, but for us, it is often a much slower process, a life-long adventure. Our faith isn’t based on that face-to-face encounter, it is based more on our seeing the results of our faith, seeing God at work in our lives, having our prayers answered, or having someone show Jesus’ love to us. We read the Scriptures, and they ring true in our hearts. Instead of one event, our faith builds and grows, step-by-step. To return to the illustration of the corona-virus, we may not be able to see it, what we can see are the results it causes. The difference of course being that those results are positive, as we live fruitful lives, enjoying our membership in the family of God. Would anyone like to share your faith history, or the results of your faith?

If you are like me, it isn’t about whether or Jesus lived or not, or was resurrected, or not, but whether I truly believe in what that means. I believe in Jesus, and believe I will be with Him soon. But what about now? In other words: what does the cross mean to me today? Do I believe that my sins are forgiven? Do I believe that God accepts me even though I know all of my shortcomings? Can God really forgive me for all of the thoughts running through my head? And if I believe this, do I see the results in my life? Am I more forgiving? Am I more accepting, of myself and others?

1st John tells us:

If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 1:9-2:2)

Do I really believe this? God knows I have confessed my sins again and again. Can I see the results of this in my life, or is it another thing I believe in even when I cannot see it? What do you think? For most of us, seeing the results of such a faith takes time. Looking back, we can see where we began, and where God has brought us. But in between, we struggle and have doubts. We walk in darkness, struggling towards the light. But as 1st John says:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)

As we go through this dark time, God’s light is leading us forward. Jesus is that light, and if we follow Him, we will get to where God wants us to go. In a time when we don’t know who to believe, when there always seems to be hidden agendas, God alone is the one in whom there is no darkness or deception.

We have our own experiences of Jesus working in our lives, even though we may not be able to see Him in person. We have had prayers answered, enjoyed God’s provision and blessings, and experience Him in many different ways. Though we have different personal stories, we are on this same path with Jesus, headed in the same direction. We have one another, each through whom the Spirit acts, leads, and comforts. We have had our hearts warmed by God’s grace and know that we can trust Him. We all have our doubts at times, but through them we grow and increase in maturity. As we have learned from the pandemic, going through tough times helps us see what truly matters and to love each other more deeply. May we stay focused on Jesus, knowing that one day we will put all darkness and suffering behind us!